Significance of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Analysis for the Detection of Precancerous Cervical Lesions : Impact of Self Sampling

Sammanfattning: Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer, with about 500 000 new cases per year among women worldwide. With a well-organized screening programme the number of cases can be reduced by more than 50%. In spite of having such a screening programme there are still around 450 new cases yearly in Sweden. The majority of these cases occur in non-attendees. There is thus a need to improve the Swedish cervical cancer screening programme in order to further reduce the number of cases of cervical cancer.Cervical cancer and high-grade cervical dysplasia are caused by sexually transferred high-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPVs). In cases of persistent HR-HPV infection there is a risk of development of dysplasia and in some cases subsequent progress to cervical cancer. HR-HPV testing shows high sensitivity as regards the detection of cervical dysplasia. Self-sampling of vaginal fluid for the analysis of HR-HPV has many advantages, since a woman can perform the sampling herself in a private setting, whenever suitable, without the need to travel to a clinic.Our studies have shown that sensitivity in the detection of precancerous lesions is about twice as great with the HR-HPV self-test compared with cytology-based tests.  If a woman was HR-HPV-positive in two consecutive tests, the specificity of the HR-HPV test increased to about 98%. Among women with short-term persistent HR-HPV infection, the prevalence of CIN 2+ was over 40%. There was good concordance in sensitivity as regards the detection of CIN 2+ between self-obtained and physician-obtained samples, although self-sampling was associated with slightly lower specificity.The prevalence of HR-HPV from day to day in premenopausal women was not influenced by hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle. Neither were there significant day-to-day changes in postmenopausal women. A single self-test thus provides reliable information on whether or not a woman has an HR-HPV infection.In conclusion, self-sampling combined with the analysis of HR-HPV appears to be a powerful alternative as a primary screening method for the prevention of cervical cancer. Self-sampling for HR-HPV testing is a suitable, safe and accepted strategy for cervical cancer prevention among women.