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Skip the biopsy? A new vaginal swab test from PinkDx could detect endometrial cancer using genetic fragments shed by tumor cells — no painful procedure required. The test is currently being studied across 16 U.S. sites with ~3,000 women enrolled, and could be available to patients as early as mid-2027. Women who test positive would still need a biopsy, but those who test negative could avoid one altogether.
A California-based company called PinkDx is developing a vaginal swab test that could detect endometrial cancer without the need for a painful biopsy. The test works by collecting tiny fragments of genetic material shed by dying cancer cells in the uterus, which drift down into the vagina and can be picked up by a clinician-administered swab. It's designed for women who already have symptoms, like postmenopausal bleeding.
Current diagnostic methods — transvaginal ultrasound and endometrial biopsy — are often painful and unreliable. Biopsies fail to collect enough tissue roughly 30% of the time in postmenopausal women, making a less invasive alternative particularly valuable. Endometrial cancer death rates are also rising, driven by more aggressive forms of the disease.
By the Numbers:
Why it matters: If the swab meets its accuracy targets, it could spare roughly half of symptomatic women from undergoing an invasive biopsy — a meaningful step forward in early cancer detection and patient comfort.
