A cheap test to detect cervical cancer using the key ingredient in vinegar, acetic acid, a speculum and a bright light, could aid in the detection of cervical cancer in poor countries, and could save millions of women in the developing world according to a study published in Lancet.

The trial was conducted in India. The researchers, led by Rengaswamy Sankaranarayanan, tested over 31,000 women. 3,088 women were screen positive and went on to further testing, turning up 1,874 cases of precancerous lesions.

The technique involves applying four per cent acetic acid (vinegar) to the uterine cervix and examining it with the naked eye under bright light. If a well-defined white area on the cervix is observed after one minute, the test is positive.

This test was developed at Johns Hopkins and could be an effective screening tool as the pap smear as well as the new HPV vaccines are too expensive for many countries.

The doctors simply wash the cervix with dilute acetic acid and then inspect it by eye.

The researchers said the method “can identify most true cases of cervical pre-cancer and cancer”.

Image to link: Care Oregon

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