Accelerating Cervical Cancer Screening With Human Papillomavirus Genotyping.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Virology
• Public Health

Background:

• Cervical cancer screening relies on cytology and human papillomavirus (HPV) testing.
• Selective HPV genotyping can potentially optimize clinical management pathways.
• The impact of integrating HPV genotyping into screening programs remains under investigation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the potential of HPV genotyping to accelerate clinical management in cervical cancer screening.
• To determine the percentage of individuals who could benefit from expedited treatment or colposcopy based on HPV genotype results.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of data from 104,991 average-risk individuals aged 30-65 screened between 2019-2020.
• Estimation of HPV genotyping positivity rates within different cytology result categories.
• Retrospective analysis performed in 2022.

Main Results:

• Positive high-risk HPV with normal cytology was the most common abnormality (40.1%).
• High-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) cytology represented 3.0% of abnormal results.
• HPV genotyping could accelerate management for 5.4% of all abnormal screening results, potentially reaching 13.1% if applied broadly.

Conclusions:

• HPV genotyping in HPV-positive individuals with normal or HSIL cytology can significantly accelerate management.
• This strategy is particularly beneficial for populations facing challenges with follow-up adherence.
• Implementing HPV genotyping offers a valuable tool for optimizing cervical cancer screening protocols.