Cheap cancer test could save lives

A CHEAP method to detect cervical cancer using vinegar, cotton gauze and a bright light could save millions of women in the developing world, experts reported yesterday.

The study, published in The Lancet medical journal, found a simple screening test to look for the early signs of cervical cancer reduced the numbers of cases by a quarter.

“This is a landmark study,” said Dr Harshad Sanghvi, medical director at JHPIEGO, an international health organisation affiliated with Johns Hopkins University.