Cervical cancer screening and treatment costing in Senegal.

Introduction: in Senegal, cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancers among women. This study estimated the costs associated with cervical cancer screening and treatment for precancerous lesions from the health system perspective. Methods: we estimated costs for screening, diagnostics, and treatment. We conducted a cross-sectional study in seven regions with primary data collected from 50 health facilities. Data collection included structured questionnaires, with secondary data from the Ministry of Health and other sources. A mixed-methods approach combined ingredients-based costing and financial expenditures to estimate direct medical and non-medical costs. All costs are reported in 2019 USD. Results: average costs were $3.71 for visual inspection with acetic acid, $16.49 for Pap smear, and $46.65 for human papillomavirus deoxyribonucleic acid (HPV DNA) testing. Screening cost drivers were clinical exam supplies and clinical equipment for visual inspection with acetic acid, offsite processing of specimens for Pap smear, and lab equipment costs for HPV DNA procedure. The average cost of diagnosis via colposcopy alone was $25.73, and colposcopy with biopsy/endocervical curettage was $74.96. The average cost of treatment followed by one visit for pre-cancerous lesions was $195.24 for loop electrosurgical excision, $47.35 for cryotherapy, and $32.35 for thermal ablation. Clinical equipment and lab costs were the largest contributors to colposcopy and endocervical curettage/biopsy expenses. Clinical equipment made up the largest portion of cryotherapy, loop electrosurgical excision, and thermoablation costs. Conclusion: this study is the first to estimate the costs of HPV screening and treatment in Senegal, which can be used to inform decision-making on cervical cancer investments.

Evaluation of PathTezt™, a Liquid-Based Cytology System.

Liquid-based preparation (LBP) cytology is commonly used in most laboratories these days due to its convenience and reliable results for the cervical cancer screening program. The PathTezt™ Liquid-based Pap smear is a second-generation LBP, which uses a filter-based concentration technique in processing the sample. OBJECTIVE: This study was done to evaluate the cellular fixation, morphology, quality of smear in gynae cytology, and diagnostic interpretation of cervical cytological smears produced by the PathTezt liquid-based processor. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 400 pap smear samples were taken and processed using the PathTezt 2000 processor. The slides were evaluated in terms of sample adequacy, percentage of the circle covered by epithelial cells, cellular distribution, obscuring factors, and cell fixation. RESULTS: About 95.25% (381) of the samples were satisfactory for the evaluation. In 19 (4.75%) of the samples, epithelial cells covered less than 50% of the circle. A sample with good cellular distribution was seen in 92% of the cases, while 354 (88.5%) samples showed minimal inflammatory background. Almost all the smears (95.75%) had no erythrocytes in the background. All smears showed good quality fixation features toward nuclear, cytoplasm, and microorganisms. The total performance rate was 99%. CONCLUSION: Although the PathTezt liquid-based processor is still new compared to other first-generation LBP, the smears produced by this method were of high quality and it was cost-effective.

Cervical testing beyond the screening target age - A register-based cohort study from Finland.

OBJECTIVE: It has been proposed that cervical cancer screening should be continued in women with previous abnormal results or irregular attendance. We examined the coverage and factors that might influence cervical testing beyond the age range of the organized cervical screening programme in Finland. The national programme invites women in every five years least until the age of 60. After the stopping age, only opportunistic service is available. METHODS: Data on cervical testing were collected from the Mass Screening Registry and providers of opportunistic Pap/HPV-testing and were linked with information on socio-economic variables. The study included 373,353 women who had at least one invitation to the national screening programme between ages 50-60 years, and who were aged 65-74 years in the follow-up period 2006-2016. Multivariable binomial regression models were conducted to determine associations. RESULTS: Altogether 33% of the study population had been tested at least once at ages 65-74 years. Previous regular screening attendance (adjRR 1.70; 95% CI 1.67-1.73) and earlier abnormal results (adjRR 2.08; 95% CI 2.04-2.12) were most clearly related to higher testing adherence at older age. Other factors related to higher testing adherence were urban area of residence, domestic mother tongue, high education level, and high socio-economic status. CONCLUSION: Testing at older age was frequent with normal results, whereas only a small proportion of women with earlier abnormal results or irregular attendance were tested. The upper age limit of the national programme should be raised to 65 years, and the invitations thereafter should be targeted to selected high-risk groups.

Cost effectiveness of strategies for cervical cancer prevention in India.

The establishment of link between high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and occurrence of cervical cancer has resulted in development of various HPV related control strategies for the prevention of cervical cancer. The objective of the present study was to assess the cost effectiveness of various screening strategies for cervical cancer and human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination in India. A Markov model based on societal perspective was designed to estimate the lifetime costs and consequences of screening (with either visual inspect with acetic acid (VIA), Papanicolaou test or HPV DNA test at various time intervals) in a hypothetical cohort of 30-65 years age women or vaccination among adolescent girls. Diagnostic accuracy of the screening strategies, efficacy of HPV vaccination and data on transition probabilities was based on the results of the existing meta-analyses. Primary data was collected for assessing per person cost of screening, cost of treating cervical cancer and quality of life. We found that introduction of different screening strategies leads to reduction in lifetime occurrence of cervical cancer cases caused by HPV 16/18 from 20% to 61%, and cervical cancer deaths from 28% to 70%, as compared to no screening. Among various screening strategies, screening with both VIA 5 yearly and VIA 10 yearly came out to be cost effective at 1-time per capita GDP, with VIA every 5 years providing greater health benefits as compared to VIA 10 years. Hence, screening with VIA 5 years at an incremental cost of US$ 829 (INR 54,881) per QALY gained is the recommended strategy for India. Further, with regards to HPV vaccination, it leads to 60% reduction in cancer cases and mortality caused by HPV 16/18 as compared to no vaccination. Moreover, when this vaccinated cohort of adolescent girls is also screened later in their life (with VIA every 10 years and VIA 5 years), it leads to 69%-76% reduction in cancer cases and 71%-81% reduction in cancer deaths. As compared to no vaccination and no screening, both HPV vaccination alone and vaccination plus screening (with VIA every 5 yearly and VIA 10 yearly) appears to be cost effective with ICERs in the range of US$ 86 (INR 5,693) to US$ 476 (INR 31,511) per QALY gained. In the long run, when the cohort of adolescent girls, who were immunized for HPV, reach the age of 30 years, the screening frequency using VIA should be determined based on the coverage of HPV vaccination in that cohort.

Demand for Cancer Screening Services: Results From Randomized Controlled Discrete Choice Experiments.

OBJECTIVES: Low uptake of cancer screening services is a global concern. Our aim was to understand factors that influence the screening decision, including screening and treatment subsidies and a gain-frame message designed to present screening as a win-win. METHODS: We analyzed preferences for mammography and Pap smear among women in Singapore by means of discrete choice experiments while randomly exposing half of respondents to a gain-framed public health message promoting the benefits of screening. RESULTS: Results showed that the message did not influence stated uptake, and given the levels shown, respondents were influenced more by treatment attributes, including effectiveness and out-of-pocket cost should they test positive, than by screening attributes, including the offer of a monetary incentive for screening. Respondents also underestimated the survival chances of screen-detected breast and cervical cancers. CONCLUSIONS: Combined, these findings suggest that correcting misconceptions about screen-detected cancer prognosis or providing greater financial protection for those who test positive could be more effective and more cost-effective than subsidizing screening directly in increasing screening uptakes.

Use of cervical cancer preventive services among US women aged 21-29: an assessment of the 2010 Affordable Care Act rollout through 2018.

PURPOSE: The 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) provided millions of people with health insurance coverage and facilitated routine cancer screening by requiring insurers to cover preventive services without cost-sharing. Despite greater access to affordable cancer screening, Pap testing has declined over time. The aim of this study is to assess participation in Pap test and HPV vaccination, and adherence to guidelines as outlined by the American Cancer Society (ACS) from the 2010 ACA provision eliminating cost-sharing for preventive services. METHODS: Using multi-year responses from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System, we examined the association between the ACA and participation in and adherence to Pap testing and HPV vaccination behaviors as set by the ACS. The sample included women aged 21-29 who completed the survey between 2008 and 2018 (every other year) and who live in 24 US States (N = 37,893). RESULTS: Results showed significant decreases in Pap testing rates but increases in the uptake of the HPV vaccine series for all age groups and across all demographics. Post-ACA year significantly predicted increases in HPV + Pap co-testing participation and adherence. Women with health insurance coverage were more likely to engage in both behaviors. CONCLUSION: Findings raise concerns around declines in the proportion of women receiving and adhering to Pap testing guidelines. A need exists for research to examine the role of increases in HPV vaccination uptake on decreases in Pap testing. Moreover, effective strategies should target increases in cervical cancer screening uptake among women vaccinated against HPV.

An on-going study of three different cervical cancer screening strategies based on primary healthcare facilities in Beijing China.

BACKGROUND: To evaluate and compare the results of three different cervical cancer screening strategies including cytology screening, HR-HPV screening which taking HR-HPV testing as primary test and co-testing which taking both tests at the same time, then provide evidence to explore whether the cervical cancer screening can be conducted in community healthcare centers in Beijing. METHODS: 182,119 women aged between 35 and 64, who were screened in the primary healthcare facilities of nine districts in Beijing from January 2014 to March 2015, were enrolled in this study. Cytology screening was performed in participants during January 2014 and December 2014 as a conventional arm. HR-HPV screening strategy and co-testing were randomly allocated to participants on districts level as experimental arm 1 and 2 during January 2015 and March 2015. Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN 2+) was defined as endpoint. The screening results and costs to detect a case of three strategies were calculated. RESULTS: The positivity rate, colposcopy referral rate and biopsy referral rate of co-testing were 8.46%, 6.36% and 4.65% respectively, which were all significantly higher than the other two screening strategies. The detection rate of CIN 2+ by co-testing was 5.06‰ and was much more than the other two screening strategies, while the HR-HPV screening had the highest PPV of 14.40%. The HR-HPV screening ignores some lesion which can be found by co-testing. Co-testing refers a woman to colposcopy with a positive screening result at the least cost, but it costs the most to detect a CIN 2+ case. CONCLUSIONS: To detect more cases of CIN 2+, co-testing performs better although with the most cost. And the primary healthcare facilities in Beijing have the capability to carry out the cervical cancer screen programs and prompts women with positive screen results to the hospital.

Forgone Health and Economic Benefits Associated with Socioeconomic Differences in Organized Cervical Cancer Screening.

OBJECTIVE: To describe cervical cancer screening participation among women in Taiwan under its population-based screening policy and to estimate the economic burden of disease attributable to avoidable disparities in cervical cancer (CC) screening. METHODS: We identified a nationally-representative sample of females aged 30 years or above who were eligible for Pap smear testing in Taiwan from 1 January to 31 December 2013. An administrative database with detailed claims of health care utilization under the universal coverage health care system was used. Socioeconomic position of the female subjects was defined using the occupation classification, and two groups were specifically identified: general (O1) and low-income (O5) groups. Differences in screening rate, CC prevalence, and CC-attributable deaths were assessed between the two groups. Economic consequences as a result of screening inequalities were estimated using actual total health care spending (health care expenditure), monetary value per life-year and years of life lost for ill health and screening disparities (health as consumption good), and productivity losses alongside costs of social benefits (health as capital good). RESULT: A total of 301,057 enrolled females aged 30 years and older eligible for screening were identified. Overall, 3-year and 1-year screening rates among all subjects were 0.601 and 0.372, respectively. Impact of observed differences in screening translated to US$59,568 of health care spending in one year, 90.4% of which was specific to hospital admissions. When we viewed health as a consumption good and capital good, the impact of screening disparity on health losses through CC would be equivalent to US$78,095 and US$190,868, respectively. CONCLUSION: Forgone health and economic benefits associated with inequalities in CC screening uptake can be considerable in productive women.

Impact of removing cost sharing under the affordable care act (ACA) on mammography and pap test use.

BACKGROUND: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) required private insurers and Medicare to cover recommended preventive services without any cost sharing to improve utilization of these services. This study is an attempt to identify the impact of removing cost sharing on mammography and pap test utilization rates. METHODS: Counterfactual analysis was used to predict what would have been the screening rates in post-ACA if ACA was not there. This was done by estimating a model that examines determinants of dependent variable for the pre-ACA year (pre-ACA year is 2009). The estimated model was then used to predict the dependent variable for the post-ACA year using individual characteristics and other relevant variables unlikely to be affected by ACA (post-ACA year is 2016). Effect of ACA is defined as the difference between the values of dependent variables in post-ACA and the predicted values of dependent variables in the post-ACA year using counterfactual. RESULTS: The counterfactual analysis show that the utilization of mammogram and pap test did not improve following ACA. CONCLUSION: Removal of cost-sharing under the ACA did not improve mammography or pap test rates. Therefore, financial barrier may not be an important factor in affecting utilization of the screening tests and policy makers should focus on other non-financial barriers in order to improve coverage of the tests.

Cost-effectiveness evaluation of HPV self-testing offered to non-attendees in cervical cancer screening in Switzerland.

OBJECTIVE: About 30% of women who are eligible for cervical cancer (CC) screening remain un-screened or under-screened in Switzerland. HPV testing on self-collected vaginal samples (Self-HPV) has shown to be more sensitive than cytology while also reaching non-attendees. The objective of this study was to explore the cost-effectiveness of offering Self-HPV to non-attendees in Switzerland. METHODS: A recursive decision-tree with one-year cycles was used to model the life-long natural HPV history. Markov cohort simulations were used to assess the expected outcomes from the model. The outcomes of three strategies were compared with the absence of screening: Self-HPV and triage with colposcopy (Self-HPV/colpo), Self-HPV and triage with Pap cytology (Self-HPV/PAP), cytological screening and triage with HPV (PAP/HPV). Sensitivity analyses for the key parameters of the model were conducted to check the robustness of findings. RESULTS: Offering a Self-HPV screening to non-attendees could prevent 90% of CC and 94% of CC-related deaths in the study population. The current cytology-based program could reduce by 83% the number of CC cases and by 88% the number of CC-related deaths over the population's lifetime. Compared to the absence of screening, incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICER) were estimated to be, per saved Quality Adjusted Life Year (QALY), 12413US$ for the strategy Self-HPV/colpo, 11138US$ for the strategy Self-HPV/Pap and 22488US$ for the strategy PAP/HPV. CONCLUSIONS: Offering Self-HPV as a CC screening strategy to non-attendees in Switzerland is a cost-effective solution that is associated with a reduction of CC cases and related deaths. Self-HPV is more cost-effective than the currently used cytology-based screening.

Screening capacity and cost-effectiveness of the human papillomavirus test versus cervicography as an adjunctive test to Pap cytology to detect high-grade cervical dysplasia.

OBJECTIVE: This study compared the screening capacities and cost-effectiveness of the human papillomavirus (HPV) test versus cervicography as an adjunctive test to Papanicolaou (Pap) cytology to detect high-grade cervical neoplasia in Korea, a country with a high prevalence of cervical cancer. STUDY DESIGN: Of 33,531 Korean women who underwent cervicography as a screening test for cervical cancer between January 2015 and December 2016, we retrospectively analyzed the records of 4117 women who simultaneously or subsequently underwent Pap cytology, an HPV test, cervicography, and colposcopically directed biopsy. At a threshold of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+), based on colposcopic biopsy, we compared the diagnostic capacities and cost-effectiveness of these screening tools. RESULTS: The CIN2+ prevalence was 10.8% (446 of 4117 women) and the positive rate of high-risk HPV was 61.0% (2511 of 4117 women). Cervicography as an adjunctive to Pap cytology was a more sensitive test (97.5% vs 93.7%) with a higher odds ratio (15.65 vs 5.86) than the HPV test for detection of CIN2+ (P-value = 0.003). Moreover, the cost of cervicography co-testing was 23% less than that of HPV co-testing, decreasing the cost per patient with CIN2+ lesions from $1474 to $1135. CONCLUSION: Cervicography and Pap co-testing had superior screening capacity and cost-effectiveness for detection of preinvasive cervical lesions than HPV and Pap co-testing and may be an effective and cost-saving screening strategy in clinical practice in country with a high prevalence of cervical cancer.

Perspectives on cervical cancer screening and prevention: challenges faced by providers and patients along the Texas-Mexico border.

BACKGROUND: The Rio Grande Valley (RGV) and Laredo regions located along the Texas-Mexico border consist of seven counties with a population of approximately 1.5 million people and a high uninsured rate (33.5%). Cervical cancer mortality in these border counties is approximately 30% higher than the rest of Texas. The RGV and Laredo areas were studied to better understand the state of access to cervical cancer prevention services along the Texas-Mexico border. METHODS: Data on the population served and the services provided were analyzed to determine the gap between cervical cancer screenings recommended versus those received. Through interviews, we gathered the perspectives of 16 local stakeholders regarding cervical cancer screening for underserved individuals in the region. FINDINGS: It is estimated that 69,139 uninsured women aged 21-64 years in the RGV/Laredo per year are recommended to undergo cervical cancer screening with Papanicolaou (Pap) and/or human papillomavirus (HPV) testing, but only 8941 (12.9%) Pap tests are being performed by the Federally Qualified Health Center (FQHC) serving uninsured women in these regions. Systemic barriers identified include insufficient provider clinical capacity, the high cost of healthcare, and uncertainty about government funding sources. Patient barriers identified include inadequate knowledge on navigating the local healthcare system, low health literacy, lack of money and childcare, an inability to miss work, limited transportation, and fear of deportation. CONCLUSION: Decreasing the disparity between cervical cancer screening services provided and those recommended requires addressing the barriers, identified by local experts, which prevent uninsured women from accessing care. These challenges are being addressed through ongoing programs and collaborations.

Is a delay in the introduction of human papillomavirus-based cervical screening affordable?

OBJECTIVE: It often takes considerable time for sufficient evidence to accumulate to support implementation of new methods in routine screening. Where national screening programmes are already effective, switching to a more sensitive screening test may not be a priority. Although risk associated with overly rapid implementation exists, postponement is also associated with a (to date unquantified) missed opportunity to prevent deaths. This risk tends not to be addressed where effective screening methods are already in use. We here estimate the monetary value of a one-year delay in replacing cytology cervical screening with human papillomavirus testing. METHODS: Using a previously validated model, we calculated the number of incident and fatal cervical cancers that would be diagnosed by 2030 in England, under the assumption that human papillomavirus testing replaces cytology in 2020 rather than 2019, and the monetary value of the quality-adjusted life years lost in preventable cases. RESULTS: A one-year delay in the implementation of human papillomavirus screening would miss the opportunity to prevent 581 cases of cervical cancer, and lead to a loss of 1595 quality-adjusted life years (3.5% discount rate) with a monetary value of £32 million (at £20,000 per quality-adjusted life year). CONCLUSION: This is a measurable loss and should be considered in prioritising decision-making in screening.

Prospective comparison of cytological specimen adequacy assessment by different rapid staining techniques for rapid on-site evaluation in fine needle aspiration cytology and their cost-effectiveness.

OBJECTIVE: Rapid on-site evaluation (ROSE) is a technique beneficial in determining the adequacy of the samples, thereby increasing the diagnostic yield, useful in triage of specimens for ancillary studies and can also help determine a preliminary diagnosis in emergency cases. The different rapid stains for on-site evaluation described in the literature are diff quik, toluidine blue (TB), brilliant cresyl blue (BCB), ultra-fast Pap stains, and rapid hematoxylin and eosin (H&E). This study was undertaken as there is sparse literature regarding the best and the most cost-effective rapid stain. METHOD: Fine needle aspiration samples from 200 patients with palpable swellings in easily accessible regions were taken. Smears stained by rapid and routine stains were assessed based on four parameters, with provisional diagnosis on the rapid stained smears. A comparative analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of the rapid stains was carried out with appropriate statistical tests with the routinely stained smears as gold standard. RESULTS: There was adequate material in 100% of ROSE smears. rapid pap stained smears showed well preserved cytoplasmic details, nuclear details, and background details. The time taken was least with TB and BCB being 5 s each. The most cost-effective was found to be TB. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that TB is the most cost-effective, quick, least labor-intensive, and reliable rapid stain for ROSE especially in resource-poor settings.

Nuevas estrategias de prevención y control de cáncer de cuello uterino en Chile / New strategies for the prevention and control of cervical cancer in Chile

Resumen: Objetivos: Discutir el cáncer cervicouterino (CC), el virus del papiloma humano (VPH), el programa de control del CC y proponer alternativas para Chile. Material y métodos: Se analiza el programa nacional del CC 1966-2015 y la guía clínica 2015-2020, la prevalencia de VPH en mujeres y en casos de CC; la infección y serología de VPH; la autotoma; la precisión y rentabilidad del tamizaje con VPH contra el Papanicolaou y las opciones de triaje en VPH AR positivas. Resultados: En Chile mueren 600 mujeres (principalmente de bajos recursos) al año por CC. La cobertura del Papanicolaou es < 70%, sensibilidad muy inferior al test de VPH, por lo que el cambio es rentable. Desde 2015 se vacuna contra VPH a niñas menores de 13 años. Conclusiones: Las condiciones técnicas y económicas existen en Chile para lograr una mejoría sustancial del CC: se sugiere el reemplazo del Papanicolaou por el examen de VPH; tamizaje cada cinco años con opción de autotoma; triaje con base en la tipificación de VPH 16/18 o Papanicolaou.

Abstract: Objective: To discuss cervical cancer (CC), Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), CC control program and propose alternatives for Chile. Materials and methods: We analyzed the national program of CC 1966-2015 and the clinical CC guideline 2015-2020; HPV prevalence in women and in cases of CC; HPV infection and serology; the self-vaginal sample; the accuracy and cost-effectiveness of screening with HPV versus Papanicolaou, and triage options among HPV-AR positives. Results: 600 women die of CC each year in Chile, mainly from low resources. Papanicolaou coverage is <70%; Papanicolaou sensitivity is much lower than HPV test. Change from Papanicolaou to HPV test is cost-effective. Since 2015, girls under 13 have been vaccinated against HPV. Conclusions: There are the technical and economic conditions for a substantial improvement of CC in Chile: replacement of the Papanicolaou by HPV; screening every five years, with the option of self-sampling, and triage based on HPV 16/18 or Papanicolaou typing.

Factors associated with high-risk human papillomavirus test utilization and infection: a population-based study of uninsured and underinsured women.

BACKGROUND: Current cervical cancer screening guidelines recommend a Pap test every 3 years for women age 21-65 years, or for women 30-65 years who want to lengthen the screening interval, a combination of Pap test and high-risk human papilloma virus testing (co-testing) every 5 years. Little population-based data are available on human papilloma virus test utilization and human papilloma virus infection rates. The objective of this study was to examine the patient-level, cervical cancer screening, and area-level factors associated with human papilloma virus testing and infection among a diverse sample of uninsured and underinsured women enrolled in the New Jersey Cancer Early Education and Detection (NJCEED) Program. METHODS: We used data for a sample of 50,510 uninsured/underinsured women, age ≥ 29 years, who screened for cervical cancer through NJCEED between January 1, 2009 and December 31, 2015. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate associations between ever having a human papilloma virus test or a positive test result, and individual- (age, race/ethnicity, birthplace) and area-level covariates (% below federal poverty level, % minority, % uninsured), and number of screening visits. RESULTS: Only 26.6% (13,440) of the sample had at least one human papilloma virus test. Among women who underwent testing, 13.3% (1792) tested positive for human papilloma virus. Most women who were positive for human papilloma virus (99.4%) had their first test as a co-test. Human papilloma virus test utilization and infection were significantly associated with age, race/ethnicity, birthplace (country), and residential area-level poverty. Rates of human papilloma virus testing and infection also differed significantly across counties in the state of New Jersey. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that despite access to no-cost cervical cancer screening for eligible women, human papilloma virus test utilization was relatively low among diverse, uninsured and underinsured women in New Jersey, and test utilization and infection were associated with individual-level and area-level factors.

Effects of the ACA on Preventive Care Disparities.

BACKGROUND: The Affordable Care Act (ACA) requires non-grandfathered private insurance plans, starting with plan years on or after September 23rd, 2010, to provide certain preventive care services without any cost sharing in the form of deductibles, copayments or co-insurance. This requirement may affect racial and ethnic disparities in preventive care as it provides the largest copay reduction in preventive care. OBJECTIVES: We ask whether the ACA's free preventive care benefits are associated with a reduction in racial and ethnic disparities in the utilization of four preventive services: cholesterol screenings, colonoscopies, mammograms, and Pap smears. METHODS: We use a data set of over 6000 individuals from the 2009, 2010, and 2013 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys (MEPS). We restrict our data set only to individuals who are old enough to be eligible for each preventive service. Our difference-in-differences logistic regression model classifies privately insured Hispanics, African Americans, and Asians as the treatment groups and 2013 as the after-policy year. Our control group consists of non-Hispanic whites on Medicaid as this program already covered preventive care services for free or at a low cost before the ACA. RESULTS: After controlling for income, education, marital status, preferred interview language, self-reported health status, employment, having a usual source of care, age and gender, we find that the ACA is associated with increases in the probability of the median, privately insured Hispanic person to get a colonoscopy by 3.6% and a mammogram by 3.1%, compared to a non-Hispanic white person on Medicaid. Similarly, we find that the median, privately insured African American person's probability of receiving these two preventive services improved by 2.3 and 2.4% compared to a non-Hispanic white person on Medicaid. We do not find any significant improvements for any racial or ethnic group for cholesterol screenings or Pap smears. Furthermore, our results do not indicate any significant changes for Asians compared to non-Hispanic whites in utilizing the four preventive services. These reductions in racial/ethnic disparities are robust to reconfigurations of time periods, previous diagnosis, and residential status. CONCLUSIONS: Early effects of the ACA's provision of free preventive care are significant for Hispanics and African Americans. Further research is needed for the later years as more individuals became aware of these benefits.

Role of Race/Ethnicity, Language, and Insurance in Use of Cervical Cancer Prevention Services Among Low-Income Hispanic Women, 2009-2013.

INTRODUCTION: Hispanic women in the United States have an elevated risk of cervical cancer, but the existing literature does not reveal why this disparity persists. METHODS: We performed a retrospective cohort analysis of 17,828 low-income women aged 21 to 64 years seeking care at Oregon community health centers served by a hosted, linked electronic health record during 2009 through 2013. We assessed the odds of having had Papanicolaou (Pap) tests and receiving human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, by race/ethnicity, insurance status, and language. RESULTS: Hispanic women, regardless of pregnancy status or insurance, had greater odds of having had Pap tests than non-Hispanic white women during the study period. English-preferring Hispanic women had higher odds of having had Pap tests than Spanish-preferring Hispanic women (OR, 2.08; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.63-2.66) but lower odds of having received HPV vaccination (OR, 0.21; 95% CI, 0.12-0.38). Uninsured patients, regardless of race/ethnicity, had lower odds of HPV vaccine initiation than insured patients did. Once a single dose was received, there were no significant racial/ethnic differences in vaccine series completion. CONCLUSION: In this sample of low-income women seeking care at Oregon community health centers, we found minimal racial/ethnic disparities in the receipt of cervical cancer prevention services. Inequities by insurance status, especially in the receipt of HPV vaccine, persist. Community health center-based care may be a useful model to address racial/ethnic disparities in prevention, but this model would need further population-wide study.

Secondary prevention of cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer affects women in their reproductive ages. Screening is an important secondary prevention strategy. The long process of carcinogenic transformation from human papillomavirus (HPV) infection to invasive cancer provides ample opportunities to detect the disease at a stage when treatment is highly effective. Suitable screening tests are cytology, visual inspection after acetic acid application and HPV detection tests. Evidence of effectiveness of the tests to reduce cervical cancer mortality and the cost-effectiveness of screening programs have been demonstrated. Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 and grade 3 are the high-grade cervical cancer precursors and need to be treated. Treatment is safe and effective with ablative or excisional techniques. The World Health Organization recommends screening women at least once in a lifetime between 30 and 49 years of age and ensuring effective treatment of the detected abnormalities. Combination of HPV vaccination and population-based screening will be instrumental in eliminating cervical cancer.

[New strategies for the prevention and control of cervical cancer in Chile.] / Nuevas estrategias de prevención y control de cáncer de cuello uterino en Chile.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss cervical cancer (CC), Human PapillomaVirus (HPV),CC control program and propose alternatives for Chile. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed the national program of CC 1966-2015 and the clinical CC guideline 2015-2020;HPV prevalence in women and in cases of CC; HPV infection and serology; the self-vaginal sample; the accuracy and cost-effectiveness of screening with HPV versus Papanicolaou,and triage options among HPV-AR positives. RESULTS: 600 women die of CC each year in Chile, mainly from low resources. Papanicolaou coverage is <70%; Papanicolaou sensitivity is much lowerthan HPV test.Change from Papanicolaou to HPV test is cost-effective. Since 2015, girls under 13 have been vaccinated against HPV. CONCLUSIONS: .There are the technical and economic conditions for a substantial improvement of CC in Chile: replacement of the Papanicolaou by HPV; screening every five years, with the option of self-sampling, and triage based on HPV 16/18 or Papanicolaou typing.

OBJETIVO: Discutir el cáncer cervicouterino (CC), el virus del papiloma humano (VPH),el programa de control del CC y proponer alternativas para Chile. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Se analiza el programa nacional del CC 1966-2015 y la guía clínica 2015-2020, la prevalencia deVPH en mujeres y en casos de CC; la infección y serología deVPH; la autotoma; la precisión y rentabilidad del tamizaje con VPH contra el Papanicolaou y las opciones de triaje enVPH AR positivas. RESULTADOS: En Chile mueren 600 mujeres (principalmente de bajos recursos) al año por CC. La cobertura del Papanicolaou es <70%, sensibilidad muy inferior al test de VPH, por lo que el cambio esrentable.Desde 2015 se vacuna contraVPH a niñas menores de 13 años. CONCLUSIONES: Las condiciones técnicas y económicas existen en Chile para lograr una mejoría sustancial del CC:se sugiere el reemplazo del Papanicolaou por el examen deVPH;tamizaje cada cinco años con opción de autotoma; triaje con base en la tipificación deVPH 16/18 o Papanicolaou.