NIH-backed cervical cancer study highlights Histologics biopsy brush

By AI, Created 11:33 AM UTC, May 20, 2026, /AGP/ – A National Cancer Institute-led session at the American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology meeting in Orlando spotlighted NIH PAVE study findings on cervical cancer screening and diagnosis. Histologics said the results suggest its Kylon biopsy brush may improve detection of endocervical precancer and will be used in planned trial expansion.

Why it matters: - The NIH PAVE study is testing ways to improve cervical cancer screening and diagnosis in countries with high death rates. - Better detection of precancer in the endocervical canal could change how clinicians work up abnormal screening results. - Histologics’ Kylon biopsy tools are now part of that discussion because the study reported higher yield with brush-based sampling in some settings.

What happened: - Histologics LLC attended the Annual Meeting of the American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology in Orlando, Florida, from April 23-26, 2026. - Mark Schiffman, a National Cancer Institute epidemiologist and senior investigator, led a session on screening, triage and treatment in the NIH-funded PAVE study. - The study is being run in Brazil, Cambodia, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Eswatini, Honduras, Malawi, Nigeria and Tanzania. - Schiffman said: “It is critical we design better tests to define precancer.”

The details: - The PAVE study used self-collected vaginal swabs for high-risk HPV testing. - Screen-positive patients then underwent colposcopy with an artificial-intelligence-enabled system from Liger Medical. - Tissue removal for histology used biopsy devices including Histologics’ proprietary Kylon brush technology. - Histologics says its SoftBiopsy device is used for outer cervical lesions. - Histologics says its Soft-ECC device is used for lesions inside the endocervical canal, where colposcopy cannot detect them. - Schiffman said more disease appears to be hidden in the endocervical canal than prior research showed when conventional stainless steel curettes were used. - Schiffman said: “A sizeable minority of cases are endocervical, and the Soft-Brush biopsy sampler for the endocervix apparently increased the yield of precancer. This merits further examination”. - The PAVE trial is planned to expand to new countries and will use Kylon brushes as well. - Neal Lonky, Histologics’ founder and CEO, said the company designed the device to make biopsy removal more compassionate, easy to use, safe and affordable. - Lonky said Histologics and other independent nonprofit funding sources have supported research behind what the company calls Compassionate Colposcopy. - Lonky said about 2 million of the company’s brush-biopsy devices have been used in the U.S. across clinical settings and pathology laboratories. - Lonky said the American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology has incorporated the devices and methodology into training courses and workshops.

Between the lines: - The study’s emphasis on endocervical disease suggests standard sampling methods may miss a meaningful share of precancer cases. - If brush-based sampling continues to show higher detection, clinicians may shift toward less invasive tools that still improve diagnostic yield. - Histologics is also positioning the Kylon platform as a workflow and comfort upgrade, not just a biopsy device.

What’s next: - The PAVE trial is expected to extend into additional countries. - Histologics says Kylon brushes will be used in the expanded work. - Further examination will determine whether the endocervical brush approach should become a broader part of cervical cancer workups.

The bottom line: - NIH-linked findings gave Histologics a notable public validation point: brush-based biopsy sampling may improve detection of hidden precancer in the cervix.