Cervical cancer is an important problem worldwide. Each year, more than 200,000 women die from cervical cancer;more than 80% of these deaths occur in the developing world. Yet cervical cancer, which is caused by infection with sexually-transmitted HPV, is a preventable disease. If identified, premalignant changes induced by HPV infection can be easily treated before cervical cancer develops. Since the cervix is accessible and the transition time for the development of carcinomas occurs over a period of years, optical technologies can be used to monitor the neoplastic process. Optical technologies have the potential to reduce the need for the development of an infrastructure in under-resourced heath care systems. Alternatively, optical technologies could reduce the cost of health care in developed countries. Quantitative cytohistopathology has the potential to reduce the need for highly skilled cytohistopathologists in developing countries. In developed countries, quantitative cytohistopathology can reduce sampling error, improve inter- and intra-observer agreement and be used as an emerging biomarker of carcinogenesis. The role of the Pathology and HPV Biomarkers Core is to coordinate and provide professional and technical services for proper handling and processing of all histologic and cytologic specimens to be examined in this trial, to provide reference cytopathologic and histopathologic diagnoses, to store and transfer specimens and complete HPV-related assays, and to develop imaging and analytical software for the different quantitative analyses. Core D is critical to the success of this Program Project that is dedicated to advancing the field of screening and diagnosis in a field where the standard of care involves pathological readings. This core supports project teams who are creating instruments to collect new kinds of images and finding new ways to automate pathological readings. In support of Program Project activities so far, the core has performed approximately 15,000 clinical histopathologic readings, 5,400 clinical cytologic readings, 4000 digital quantitative histologic readings, 1800 digital quantitative cytologic readings, and HPV typing on 1850 cervical samples.
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