Raleigh Boasts Cutting-Edge Health Technology
By Molly Davis

Public health experts say that women who are sexually active or older than 21 should schedule a Pap smear every year to check for early signs of cervical cancer. Using these tests, doctors can spot changes in the cervix before they lead to more serious health problems.

The state Department of Health and Human Services says that last year 130 North Carolina women died of cervical cancer. Last month, the state health lab introduced cutting-edge technology to better screen for cancer.

State Laboratory of Public Health technician Mary Lainerouse uses the latest computer imaging to screen for abnormal cells from a patient's Pap smear.

“Early detection is key, and that's what this does,” Lainerouse says. “It detects precancerous cells at different stages.”

Until recently, only private clinics in North Carolina offered this new technology. Now, most clinics send their tests to the state lab in downtown Raleigh, the first public health facility in the country to switch to the new system.

First, a lab technician places material from a liquid-based Pap test in a thin layer on a slide. Then, supervisor Aubrey Wiggins loads the slides into the imaging system. The image turns blue when the scanning is complete.

“Any patient that has their Pap done with a liquid-based Pap and with imaging has a higher chance of having any abnormalities detected on that particular visit,” Wiggins says.

After the machine detects abnormalities, lab techs like Lainerouse analyze those areas by hand. They look for cells with excess genetic material in the nucleus. That can signal cancer.

“It could save your life, so this is very important,” Lainerouse says. “I think a good motto is that when we do screen slides ‘we're saving one life, at a time.’”

The North Carolina Health Department serves many women in a high-risk population. The state lab says these women aren't as likely to schedule a Pap smear every year. That makes it even more important to catch the early signs of cancer on every test.