FDA Approves At-Home Cervical Cancer Screening Device

The Food and Drug Administration announced a new screening tool for cervical cancer, and it could be a game changer. The FDA has okayed an "at home" test that will allow patients to collect their own samples for screening.The health company, Teal Health, created the device called the 'teal wand'. After a woman collects her sample, she would then mail it to a lab for testing for HPV. Most cervical cancers are caused by HPV and screening can help identify women who may be at risk of developing cancer. Normally women get tested for HPV in a doctor's office. Data from a clinical trial showed the 'at home kit' had the same accuracy for cervical cancer screening as when a doctor collected a sample.