Performance of visual inspection of the cervix with acetic acid (VIA) for triage of HPV screen-positive women: results from the ESTAMPA study.

VIA is recommended for triage of HPV-positive women attending cervical screening. In the multicentric ESTAMPA study, VIA performance for detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 or worse (CIN3+) among HPV-positive women was evaluated. Women aged 30-64 years were screened with HPV testing and cytology and referred to colposcopy if either test was positive. At colposcopy visit, study-trained midwives/nurses/GPs performed VIA ahead of colposcopy. VIA was considered positive if acetowhite lesions were observed in or close to the transformation zone. Ablative treatment eligibility was assessed for VIA positives. Performance indicators were estimated. Three thousand one hundred and forty-two HPV-positive women were included. Sensitivity for CIN3+ was 85.9% (95% CI 81.2-89.5) among women <50 years and, although not significant, slightly lower in women 50+ (78.0%, 95% CI 65.9-86.6). Overall specificity was 58.6% (95% CI 56.7-60.5) and was significantly higher among women 50+ (70.3%, 95% CI 66.8-73.5) compared to women <50 (54.3%, 95% CI 52.1-56.5). VIA positivity was lower among women 50+ (35.2%, 95% CI 31.9-38.6) compared to women <50 (53.2, 95% CI 51.1-55.2). Overall eligibility for ablative treatment was 74.5% and did not differ by age. VIA sensitivity, specificity, and positivity, and ablative treatment eligibility varied highly by provider (ranges: 25%-95.4%, 44.9%-94.4%, 8.2%-65.3%, 0%-98.7%, respectively). VIA sensitivity for cervical precancer detection among HPV-positive women performed by trained providers was high with an important reduction in referral rates. However, scaling-up HPV screening triaged by VIA will be challenging due to the high variability of VIA performance and providers' need for training and supervision.

Factors associated with high-risk human papillomavirus infection and high-grade cervical neoplasia: A population-based study in Paraguay.

BACKGROUND: Cervical cancer (CC) is one of the leading causes of cancer mortality among women from Paraguay, with high incidence and mortality rates (31.2 and 16 per 100 000 women, respectively). Although the risk factors associated with high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection and preneoplastic cervical lesions are widely studied, population-based characteristics of particular settings may influence the feasibility of HPV-based CC screening implementation. This study aimed to explore factors associated with hrHPV infection and high-grade cervical neoplasia in hrHPV-positive (hrHPV+) women from Paraguay. METHODS: A total of 5677 women aged 30-64 years from the Central Department of Paraguay were screened with HPV test (Hybrid Capture 2) and Pap smear. Sociodemographic and risk factor interviews were conducted. hrHPV+ women were referred to colposcopy and women with an abnormal colposcopy had a biopsy taken. The outcomes recorded were the hrHPV status and the presence of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or worse (CIN2+) among hrHPV+ women. Associations were investigated using multivariate logistic regressions. RESULTS: hrHPV prevalence was 13.8% (95%CI 13.0-14.8). This value decreased with the age of women (p-trend<0.001) and increased with the lifetime number of sexual partners (p-trend<0.001) and number of previous female partners of their current male partner if women had had one lifetime sexual partner (p-trend<0.001), increasing from 3.06 (95%CI 0.073-20.9) if partners had had one previous female partner to 9.19 (95%CI 2.36-61.1) if they had had eight or more. In hrHPV+ women, CIN2+ prevalence was 10.7% (95%CI 8.58-13.2) and increased with time since the last Pap smear (p-trend<0.001) and with the increasing number of pregnancies (p-trend = 0.05). CONCLUSION: In these settings, the sexual behavior of women and their male partners is associated with hrHPV infection. In hrHPV+ women, underscreening practices and multiple pregnancies are associated with CIN2+. This knowledge can contribute to public health policies for CC prevention and control in Paraguay.