Screen-and-treat approach in managing cervical cancer precursor lesions: An observational study with 524 women

To detect factors related to overtreatment with the "Screen-and-treat" approach (S&T) in women with suspicious cervical precancerous lesions.

A retrospective observational study of 524 women with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) or more severe (HSIL+) in cytology, treated by the Large Loop Excision of the Transformation Zone (LLETZ): 161 without a previous biopsy (S&T group) and 363 with a previous biopsy (biopsy group) from January 2017 to July 2020. The main outcome was a diagnosis of LLETZ: negative (negative or low-grade squamous intraepithlelial lesion LSIL) or HSIL+. A negative diagnosis was interpreted as "overtreatment." Results were analyzed as a function of the S&T approach (whether previous biopsy or not). Variables were obtained from medical records, and were compared with Chi-square or Fisher's exact test (p, p-value), to estimate the chances of a logistic regression analysis (Odds Ratio, OR, or admitting a Confidence Interval (CI) of 95 %).

No differences were observed in groups regarding menopausal status, smoking, hormonal contraceptive use, colposcopy findings, LLETZ diagnosis, and recurrence. Comparing biopsy vs S&T groups, the frequency of women over 40 years was 28.4 % vs 39.7 % (p = 0.011), and transformation zone type 3 was 12.2 vs 26.8 % (p < 0.001), respectively. In women managed by S&T, when compared to a LLETZ diagnosis, an HSIL+ result was more frequent in women presenting with TZ 1 (93.1 % TZ1 vs 78.5 % TZ2 vs 73.8 % TZ3, p = 0.008) and in women with abnormal colposcopy (92.9 % abnormal vs 38.1 % negative, p < 0.001). Multiple regression analysis found that women with negative colposcopic findings presented a higher risk for negative LLETZ diagnosis (LSIL/Negative final histology) (18.6; 6.18-56.02).

No difference was observed in the LLETZ diagnosis in women who did or did not use the S&T approach: it was adequate for women referred by cytological HSIL along with high-grade colposcopic findings.