A Bermudian's work was chosen out of more than 1,700 medical-based papers to be published by the World Cancer Congress.

Amne Foggo, 25, did her Masters' Degree paper on The Detection of Human Papillomavirus in urine from men in Bermuda. Her work will be part of the CD-ROM supplemented within the Journal of Cancer.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a serious health concern because it is the most common sexually transmitted disease. Miss Foggo said that "80 per cent of all people will get HPV once in their lives".

Minister of Health Nelson Bascome held a press conference to congratulate Miss Foggo on her achievements, using her as an example for young Bermudians.

"I am immensely proud to see a young Bermudian using her passion to carry out the kind of research that will ultimately play a powerful role in future disease detection and prevention."

Miss Foggo's paper was selected from works ranging from more than 110 countries and was assessed by originality, science and potential clinical value. As a result of being selected, Miss Foggo will be a participant in the World Cancer Congress 2008.

Mr. Bascome offered Miss Foggo words of encouragement and noted that being in Bermuda did not hold her back.

"You have proved that hard work, passion and dedication can carry you far, even if you come from a small, little island in the middle of the Atlantic," he said.

After working at the King Edward VII Memorial Hospital for nine years during her summer breaks, Miss Foggo chose her topic after noticing the worrying levels of HPV in pap smears. Pap smears are the main method used to test for cervical cancer in women.

After noticing there were no tests to track HPV in men, Miss Foggo decided to conduct her own research.

She tested 71 specimens of urine, which she received through the participation of inmates at Westgate Prison starting in March 2007. From those 71 specimens, seven per cent tested positive for HPV.

Miss Foggo chose to test urine because she considered it "the least invasive" procedure.

There is no official testing for HPV in men and little research as of yet, but Miss Foggo is hoping to be a part of that change.

"It takes a lot of time and a lot of money," she says. Miss Foggo estimated that each test in her research cost $200.

After her paper is published, Miss Foggo and Mr. Bascome expect that more doctors and laboratory technicians will become involved in HPV research in men.

Mr. Bascome says that Miss Foggo's study is, "significant for global use" and after being presented at the World Cancer Congress in August, "thousands will begin to test and analyze and start to look for cures."

She thanked the Bermuda Hospitals Board (BHB) for sponsoring her research, especially Dr. Clyde Wilson, who supervised the study and is the director of BHB's Undergraduate Development Programme.

Also, she expressed her gratitude with the staff of Westgate and the Prison farm, which allowed her research, and for support from former Attorney General Philip Perinchief.

HPV is the leading cause of cervical cancer, which Miss Foggo said is "the second most common cancer in women worldwide". The first most common being lung cancer.

Miss Foggo holds a B.Sc. in Forensic Pathology from the University of East London and is currently completing her Master of Science degree at the same university.