During the launch symposium held in Bangkok, associated Professor Doctor Wichai Termrungruanglert (M.D.), head of Gynecologic Oncology Division at the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, shared with the audience that cervical cancer was responsible for the highest number of cancer-related deaths among Thai women. In Thailand there are approximately 10.000 new cases of cervical cancer per year with  a death rate of 5.000 cases/year (50%), which means 14 deaths per day. Women at risk refrain from screening at clinics or hospitals because of shyness and concerns about pain with the Pap test .

With the Delphi Screener these constraints are taken away. The Delphi Screener allows for a completely new way of obtaining a cervical sample. The woman herself can take a sample with the Delphi Screener in an a-traumatic way by using a soft lavage technique. The Delphi Screener can be easily inserted into the vagina by the user to the top of the cervix to collect cervical and vaginal cells with a sterile, saline liquid. This specimen is then sent to an authorized laboratory for testing for high-risk Human Papilloma Virus (hrHPV) with a clinically validated highly sensitive DNA-test. In contrast to the Delphi Screener method, a Pap smear test uses cells that are scraped from the cervix, stained and then examined under a microscope for changes or abnormalities, a process known as a cytology test. This test however is much less sensitive for detecting signs of cervical cancer.

Worldwide, cervical cancer is the third most common type of cancer among women, according to the World Health Organisation. Although Thailand has launched many programs to prevent and screen for cervical cancer, a huge number of Thai women still cannot gain access to the screening due to certain restrictions. The Delphi Screener overcomes these restrictions.

Head of the HPV Research Group at the VU University Medical Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, Professor Chris Meijer, said: “Studies that we have conducted, as well as studies by other leading research groups have shown that HPV tests can result in earlier detection of clinically relevant pre-cancerous lesions compared to cytology tests. This means that more cervical cancers can be prevented.”

Prof. Meijer is one of Europe’s leading pathologists with a special interest in the relationship between HPV and cervical cancer.

He added: “In Europe, we have found that sending home testing kits to target women who do not participate in the cervical cancer screening program, resulted in twice as many cases of cervical cancer being diagnosed compared with the regular screening program.”

The Delphi Screener is being brought into Thailand by Delphi Bioscience Asia Pte

Ltd, a joint-venture between Dr Tay, gynecological oncologist in Singapore and his partners, and Delphi Bioscience BV of the Netherlands.

For more information, please refer to www.delphiscreener.asia.

For media queries, please contact:
Ms Art Medical Support in Bangkok

+66 2 158 9707 or +66 2 158 9522