By Alan Mozes
EmpowHer's HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, April 2 (HealthDay News) -- A topical cream appears to be a highly effective treatment for precancerous lesions on the vulva, Dutch researchers report.

Rather than directly targeting the disease itself, the cream works by helping the body's own immune system fight off the human papillomavirus (HPV) -- which is often the root cause of the rare condition. The cream is currently used for precancerous skin lesions and superficial basal cell carcinoma, a highly treatable form of skin cancer.

TUESDAY, March 25 (HealthDay News) -- A new study confirms previous findings that human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA-based tests are more accurate than Pap smears in detecting precancerous lesions.

It was already known that the HPV test uncovered more infections and precancerous lesions than Pap smears (cytology), but it wasn't clear whether HPV tests would lead to the treatment of patients whose immune systems would fight off infections -- meaning that these women didn't require treatment, anyway.

TUESDAY, March 25 (HealthDay News) -- A new study confirms previous findings that human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA-based tests are more accurate than Pap smears in detecting precancerous lesions.