Metropolis Healthcare Launches High-performance High-Risk HPV DNA Testing to Accelerate Cervical Cancer Screening Across India

• 
  
  Offers
  Self-Sampling
  HPV
  DNA
  Test
  by
  Roche
  for
  early
  detection

• 
  
  Metropolis
  achieves
  100%
  concordance
  in
  verification
  of
  Self-Sampling
  HPV
  DNA
   test,
  aligning
  with
  WHO
  Recommendations

Ameera
Shah-led

Metropolis
Healthcare
Limited,
India’s
second-largest
and
most
respected
pathology
laboratory
chain,
today
announced
its
collaboration
with
Roche
Diagnostics
India
and
Neighbouring
Markets
to
introduce
the
self-sampling
human
papillomavirus
(HPV)
DNA
test
for
cervical
cancer
screening.
The
launch
of
this
test
aims
to
expand
access
to
cervical
cancer
screening
across
India
by
addressing
social
and
economic
barriers,
making
early
detection
more
convenient
for
women,
including
those
in
Tier
2,
Tier
3,
and
Tier
4
towns.

Leadership
team
of
Metropolis
Healthcare
and
Roche
Diagnostics

Cervical
cancer
is
preventable
and
yet,
India
contributes
to
21%
of
the
world’s
total
cases
of
cervical
cancer¹.
Currently,
it
accounts
for
nearly
79,000
deaths
among
Indian
women
each
year,
which
is
roughly
two
thirds
of
diagnosed
cases².
This
indicates
late-stage
intervention
which
can
be
avoided
by
taking
precautionary
measures
such
as
early
screening.

The
HPV
DNA
test,
recognized
by
the
World
Health
Organization
(WHO)
as
a
first-choice
screening
method
for
cervical
cancer
prevention³,
can
help
bridge
the
gap.
This
cutting-edge
test
detects
14
high-risk
HPV
types
in
a
single
tube
and
is
a
clinically
validated,
FDA-approved,
and
WHO-prequalified
solution.
It
ensures
reliable
and
accurate
diagnosis,
paving
the
way
for
early
intervention
and
better
outcomes.
The
self-sampling
HPV
DNA
test
empowers
women
to
take
control
of
their
health
by
enabling
them
to
self-collect
their
samples
for
testing
comfortably
and
easily.
It
addresses
significant
barriers
such
as
stigma,
discomfort,
and
limited
access
to
healthcare
facilities.

Commenting
on
the
launch,

Mr.
Surendran
Chemmenkotil,
Chief
Executive
Officer,
Metropolis
Healthcare
Limited,
said,
“Cervical
cancer
remains
a
major
health
challenge
for
Indian
women,
despite
being
preventable
through
early
screening
and
vaccination.
By
introducing
advanced
screening
tools
like
the
HPV
DNA
test,
in
collaboration
with
Roche
Diagnostics
India,
we
aim
to
expand
access
to
early
detection
across
the
country.
At
Metropolis,
we
are
committed
to
leveraging
our
robust
scientific
expertise,
extensive
laboratory
network,
and
strong
partnerships
with
hospitals
and
healthcare
providers
to
ensure
widespread
access
to
this
essential
test.
Together,
we
are
working
toward
a
future
where
cervical
cancer
is
no
longer
a
threat.”

“Considering
that
as
per
a
2020
NHFS
survey,
only
about
1.9%
women
in
India
are
currently
being
screened,
it
is
clear
that
more
needs
to
be
done
to
make
cervical
cancer
screening
accessible
across
India.
Our
cobas
HPV
DNA
test
provides
women
with
a
solution
that
allows
them
to
overcome
the
potential
embarrassment
and
discomfort
that
some
may
feel
about
undergoing
cervical
cancer
screening
process.
I
am
confident
that
Metropolis
Healthcare’s
vast
and
established
laboratory
footprint
will
allow
India
to
adopt
cervical
cancer
screening
at
a
large
scale,
especially
in
underserved
areas,”
said

Mr.
Rishubh
Gupta,
Managing
Director,
Roche
Diagnostics
India
and
Neighbouring
Markets.

Dr.
Kirti
Chadha,
Chief
Scientific
and
Innovation
Officer
and
Senior
Oncopathologist,
Metropolis
Healthcare
Limited,
said,
“Cervical
cancer’s
slow
progression
offers
a
critical
window
for
early
detection,
yet
lack
of
awareness
and
timely
screening
remain
significant
barriers.
The
introduction
of
self-sampling
high-risk
HPV
DNA
testing
is
a
major
step
forward,
making
screening
more
accessible
and
patient-friendly.
At
Metropolis,
we
believe
that
every
scientific
solution,
regardless
of
its
potential,
must
be
validated
for
performance
before
being
introduced
into
a
live
testing
environment.
We
have
successfully
compared
this
platform
with
existing
gold-standard
technology
and
achieved
good
results
with
the
self-sampling
strategy,
which
is
in
line
with
WHO
recommendations,
advancing
the
potential
for
improved
cervical
cancer
prevention.”

About
Metropolis
Healthcare
Limited

Established
in
1981,
Metropolis
Healthcare
Limited
is
India’s
second-largest
diagnostic
chain,
led
by
visionary
leader
Ms.
Ameera
Shah,
Promoter
and
Executive
Chairperson.
With
over
four
decades
of
excellence,
Metropolis
has
been
a
pioneer
in
delivering
best-in-class
diagnostic
services
to
patients,
healthcare
providers,
and
corporates
across
India
and
Africa.
The
company’s
extensive
footprint
spans
22
states,
3
Union
Territories,
and
over
700
towns
in
India,
supported
by
a
robust
network
of
more
than
200
laboratories,
4,300
service
centers,
and
over
10,000
touchpoints.
Each
year,
Metropolis
serves
millions
of
individuals
by
providing
actionable
health
insights
that
empower
better
clinical
outcomes.

Metropolis
offers
a
comprehensive
range
of
more
than
4,000
tests
and
profiles,
including
advanced
tests
for
diagnosing
cancer,
neurological
disorders,
infectious
diseases,
and
various
genetic
abnormalities.
The
company’s
commitment
to
quality
and
accuracy
is
reinforced
by
its
consistent
CAP
proficiency
score
of
over
98%
for
the
past
decade,
placing
it
among
the
top
1%
of
laboratories
worldwide
for
quality
assurance.
The
Metropolis
philosophy
is
built
on
the
pillars
of
technological
superiority,
a
warm,
patient-centric
approach,
and
reliable
diagnostic
reports.

For
more
information,
please
visit

www.metropolisindia.com
or
click
on

Twitter,

Facebook,
or

LinkedIn

References:

1. 
   
   
   www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10291770/
2. 
   
   
   gco.iarc.fr/today/data/factsheets/populations/356-india-fact-sheets.pdf
3. 
   
   
   WHO
   recommends
   DNA
   testing
   as
   a
   first-choice
   screening
   method
   for
   cervical
   cancer
   prevention
4. 
   
   
   Cervical
   Cancer:
   Formulation
   and
   Implementation
   of
   Govt
   of
   India
   Guidelines
   for
   Screening
   and
   Management
   –
   PMC