Combined Cervical Cancer Screening and the Incidence of Adenocarcinoma: An Analysis of Data From the German Cancer...

Despite the declining incidence and mortality of cervical cancer following the introduction of the opportunistic cytological screening, a diagnostic gap persisted, particularly for adenocarcinoma, due to the lower sensitivity of conventional cytology for glandular versus squamous lesions, resulting in a stagnating or modest increase in adenocarcinoma incidence. Since 2020, combined screening with HPV testing and cytology has been recommended in Germany for women aged 35 years and older.

The present analysis is based on nationwide data from the German Cancer Registry. Women who received the diagnosis of a cervical adenocarcinoma in situ (ACIS) or invasive adenocarcinoma in the years 2016-2022 were included in the analysis. Trends in age-specific and standardized incidence in three age groups (under age 35, age 35-64, and age 65 and above) were analyzed with joinpoint regression.

Data on 4128 women with ACIS and 6244 with invasive adenocarcinoma were evaluated. In women aged 35-64, the introduction of combined screening led to a marked increase in ACIS diagnoses (average annual increase, 17.3%; 95% confidence interval [14.9; 19.6]. The rise was particularly large in 2020, with an annual percentage change (APC) of 27.5%, [17.4; 38.5]. Over the same period, there was a decline in invasive adenocarcinomas from 2021 onward (APC -10.8%, [-22.7; 2.8]). The incidence of ACIS also rose among women aged 65 and above, while that of adenocarcinoma fell slightly.

Combined screening for cervical cancer improved the early detection of preinvasive glandular lesions. There is also evidence for a reduction of invasive disease in the screened population. For the full potential of screening to be achieved, there is a need for quality-assured organized programs and additional biomarkers for HPV-negative adenocarcinoma.