Affordable AI-powered one-stop cervical cancer screening, triage, and treatment aid for women in LMICs
Official title: 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 the LMICs
Funded at International Agency for Res on Cancer · NIH-11403713 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This project is building an affordable, AI-powered system to screen women in low- and middle-income countries for high-risk HPV from urine, read cervical photos to spot precancer, and help guide treatment choices.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R37 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | International Agency for Res on Cancer NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Lyon, France) |
| Project start | August 15, 2023 |
| Project end | July 31, 2028 |
| Funding year | 2025 |
| Award (this year) | $301,187 |
| NIH project number | 3R37CA275824-03S2 |
| Project ID | NIH-11403713 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Women of screening age in low- and middle-income countries who need cervical cancer screening, including those living with HIV, would be the main candidates.
✕Less likely to help
People without a cervix (for example, after hysterectomy) or those already diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer needing full treatment would not benefit from the screening component.
What this research studies
You would first provide a urine sample that the system uses with infrared spectroscopy and AI to look for high-risk HPV. If the urine test is positive, a trained health worker would take cervical images with a dedicated camera and the AI would analyze those photos to detect high-grade precancers and cancers. The AI will also determine the cervical transformation zone type to help clinicians choose the best treatment on the same visit. The team will improve the technology in an initial phase and then validate its performance in larger groups of women across participating low- and middle-income country sites.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this could offer low-cost, same-day screening and treatment guidance that catches precancers earlier and reduces delays to care in resource-limited settings.
How similar studies have gone: AI image-based cervical screening and urine-based HPV tests have shown promising early results, but combining urine spectroscopy with AI image analysis into a single point-of-care system is a newer, less-tested approach.
Where this research is happening
-
International Agency for Res on Cancer
Lyon, France Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Basu, Partha — International Agency for Res on Cancer
- Study coordinator: Basu, Partha
Related research
Other NIH-funded projects on the same topics.
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Community and digital tools to reduce HPV and cervical cancer burden
A nurse or health team will test a community-based, digital strategy to help girls and young women, especially in rural areas, get HPV vaccination and cervical cancer prevention services.
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Community and digital tools to reduce HPV and cervical cancer in women with HIV
A community- and digital-technology program aims to help girls and young women, including those with HIV, get more HPV vaccination and cervical cancer prevention services.
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mSaada: a mobile tool to boost cervical cancer screening in western Kenya
A mobile app helps community health volunteers manage cervical cancer screening tasks and follow-up for women in low-resource areas.
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Globally useful predictor for cervical cancer treatment response
This project aims to develop a simple predictive signature to personalize treatment for locally advanced cervical cancer using easy tests and imaging.
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HPV self-collection in HIV care to screen for cervical cancer in Ethiopia
A patient-centered program tests a simple HPV self-collection approach within HIV clinics in Ethiopia to help detect cervical cancer earlier.
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Hybrid approach to boost cervical cancer screening in Uganda
A tested, community-driven program helps Ugandan women encourage their peers to get free VIA cervical cancer screening.
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.