Launch of the EASTER project to validate new technologies for cervical cancer screening and diagnosis

Scientists from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and partners held a meeting on 17 August 2023 in Zimbabwe to launch a new cervical cancer screening project, the EASTER project. More than 20 collaborators and seven international trainers participated in theoretical and hands-on training in study protocol, ethical considerations, and procedures.

The EASTER project aims to further develop and validate two new technologies for cervical cancer screening and diagnosis: (i) screening for human papillomavirus (HPV) in urine with spectroscopy, and (ii) diagnosis with artificial intelligence-assisted technology from NSV, a private company. The project will recruit 3200 women and screen them for HPV.

The local study team is now fully trained to launch the recruitment, and a local assessment confirmed that the team has the necessary infrastructure and training to conduct the research project with high quality and to provide the participants with the best standards of medical care.

The results of this project will provide evidence to validate a novel one-stop, affordable, point-of-care, and artificial intelligence-supported system of screening, triage, and treatment selection for cervical cancer and precancer in low- and middle-income countries. Screen-detected precancers will be treated with a battery-operated handheld thermal ablator.

The EASTER project is a collaborative research project between IARC, the University of Zimbabwe, the University of Central Lancashire (United Kingdom), the University of California San Francisco (USA), and NSV, a private company. The project is funded by a special merit grant from the United States National Cancer Institute.