Pap Test May Detect 2 More Cancers

A new study suggests that Pap smears may be able to detect three cancers, not just one, reports WebMd. Pap tests have been used successfully for decades to find cervical cancer, but a new method of analyzing results was able to detect cancers of the uterus and ovaries, too. The study was a small one, and any application of it is probably years away, but it could prove to be a powerful—and easy—tool for women's health, reports the New York Times.

“Is this the harbinger of things to come? I would answer yes,” the lead author, a John Hopkins cancer specialist, tells the newspaper. (More Pap smear stories.)