Scientists from the UK and Austria have developed a more reliable test for cervical cancer.

Researchers from the University College London in the UK and the Innsbruck University in Austria have created a more precise prediction test that can identify cell alterations that can result in cervical cancer. Given that it can detect the DNA markers of various malignancies, this test may also have future use in the detection of other prevalent diseases such breast, womb, and ovarian cancer.

The test found that at least 55% of those with human papilloma virus (HPV) but no cell changes would develop cell changes after four years, according to findings reported in the journal Genome Medicine. According to the Guardian investigation, HPV is also one of the main causes of the majority of occurrences of cervical cancer.

Additionally, the researchers that developed the test have previously claimed that they could identify ovarian and breast cancer, or at the very least predict its propensity to do so, using cervical cells from a standard smear test. Researchers now claim that this test outperforms existing techniques for locating women with advanced cell abnormalities who require treatment.

According to the report, recent studies have looked at DNA methylation, an additional layer of information that tells the body which parts of the DNA to read. According to scientists, this data may be used to both diagnose cancer and possibly forecast a person’s future risk of having it. However, factors like being overweight, smoking, pollution and poor diet can also alter these markers and change how the cells behave.

The data for this study included 1,254 cervical screening samples from women, ranging from low to high risk. This also accounted for samples from women with HPV but no cervical cell changes and samples from women who went on to develop high-risk cell changes within four years.