Abstract In 2017 the cervical cancer screening program in The Netherlands will be revised. Cervical smears will primarily be tested for the presence of high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) instead ...of cytology, and vaginal self-sampling will be offered to non-responders. This includes a potential risk that part of the women who would otherwise opt for a cervical smear will wait for self-sampling. However, self-sampling for hrHPV in a responder population has never been studied yet. The aim of this study was to investigate the applicability and accuracy of self-sampling in detecting hrHPV in a screening responder population. A total of 2049 women, aged 30–60 years, participating in the screening program in The Netherlands were included from April 2013 to May 2015. After they had their cervical smear taken, women self-collected a cervicovaginal sample with a brush-based device, the Evalyn Brush. Both the cervical smear and self-sample specimen were tested with the COBAS 4800 HPV platform. The hrHPV prevalence was 8.0% (95% CI 6.9–9.2) among the physician-taken samples, and 10.0% (95% CI 8.7–11.3) among the self-samples. There was 96.8% (95% CI 96.0–97.5) concordance of hrHPV prevalence between self-samples and physician-taken samples. Women in our study evaluated self-sampling as convenient (97.1%), user-friendly (98.5%), and 62.8% preferred self-sampling over a physician-taken sampling for the next screening round. In conclusion, self-sampling showed high concordance with physician-taken sampling for hrHPV detection in a responder screening population and highly acceptable to women. Implementation of HPV-self-sampling for the responder population as a primary screening tool may be considered.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Excisional procedures of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) may increase the risk of preterm birth. It is unknown whether this increased risk is due to the excision procedure itself, to the ...underlying CIN, or to secondary risk factors that are associated with both preterm birth and CIN. The aim of this study is to assess the risk of spontaneous preterm birth in women with treated and untreated CIN and examine possible associations by making a distinction between the excised volume of cervical tissue and having cervical disease. This Dutch population-based observational cohort study identified women aged 29 to 41 years with CIN between 2005 and 2015 from the Dutch pathology registry (PALGA) and frequency matched them with a control group without any cervical abnormality based on age at and year of pathology outcome (i.e., CIN or normal cytology) and urbanization (<100,000 inhabitants or greater than or equal to100,000 inhabitants). All their 45,259 subsequent singleton pregnancies with a gestational age greater than or equal to16 weeks between 2010 and 2017 were identified from the Dutch perinatal database (Perined). Nineteen potential confounders for preterm birth were identified. Adjusted odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for preterm birth comparing the 3 different groups of women: (1) women without CIN diagnosis; (2) women with untreated CIN; and (3) women with treated CIN prior to each childbirth. In this study, we observed a strong correlation between preterm birth and a volume of greater than or equal to0.5 cc excised cervical tissue, regardless of the severity of CIN. Caution should be taken when performing excisional treatment in women of reproductive age as well as prudence in case of multiple biopsies. Fertile women with a history of performing multiple biopsies or excisional treatment for CIN may benefit from close surveillance during pregnancy.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Objective
High‐risk human papillomavirus (HrHPV)‐positive women detected by self‐sampling require an extra visit at the general practitioner for additional cytology testing, but the loss to follow up ...within this triage is substantial. The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical utility of reflex cytology on hrHPV‐positive self‐samples for immediate stratification of women who need referral for colposcopy.
Design
A prospective cohort study.
Setting
Two Dutch cervical cancer‐screening laboratories.
Population
1014 screenees who tested hrHPV‐positive on self‐samples between 1 December 2018 and 1 August 2019.
Methods
Self‐samples were directly used for cytological analysis. Cytological and histological outcomes during follow up were obtained from the Dutch Pathology Registry (PALGA).
Main outcome measures
Test performance of reflex cytology on self‐samples was determined for different thresholds and compared with physician‐taken cytology and histological outcomes.
Results
Reflex cytology on self‐samples for detecting abnormal cytology showed a sensitivity of 26.4% (95% CI 21.8–31.3) and specificity of 90.5% (95% CI 87.7–92.8). Of all ≥CIN2 cases, 29.4% (95% CI 22.5–37.1) were detected with reflex cytology on self‐samples. The positive predictive value for detection of ≥CIN2 was higher with cytology on self‐collected samples than on physician‐collected samples. Of women who were lost to follow up, 12.9% were found to have abnormal cytology on their self‐sampled material.
Conclusion
Cytology testing is achievable on hrHPV‐positive self‐samples, could decrease the loss to follow up in screening and is easily implementable in the current clinical practice. Of all hrHPV‐positive women with abnormal cytology on additional physician‐collected samples, 26.4% could have been directly referred for colposcopy if triage with reflex cytology on self‐sampled material had been performed.
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Reflex cytology for triage of hrHPV+ self‐samples is of added value for direct referral of women for colposcopy.
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Reflex cytology for triage of hrHPV+ self‐samples is of added value for direct referral of women for colposcopy.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
The aim was to evaluate the cross-sectional and long-term triage performance of FAM19A4/miR124-2 methylation analysis in human papillomavirus (HPV)-based cervical screening.
We conducted a post hoc ...analysis within a Dutch population-based HPV-positive study cohort of women aged 30–60 years (n = 979). Cross-sectional cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 3+ sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value as well as cumulative CIN3+ or cervical cancer risks after 9 and 14 years were compared for three baseline triage strategies: (1) cytology, (2) FAM19A4/miR124-2 methylation analysis and (3) combined FAM19A4/miR124-2 methylation with cytology.
CIN3+ sensitivity of FAM19A4/miR124-2 methylation analysis was similar to that of cytology (71.3% vs 76.0%, ratio 0.94, 95% CI 0.84 to 1.05), at a lower specificity (78.3% vs 87.0%, ratio 0.90, 95% CI 0.86 to 0.94). Combining FAM19A4/miR124-2 methylation analysis with cytology resulted in a CIN3+ sensitivity of 84.6% (95% CI 78.3 to 90.8) at a specificity of 69.6% (95% CI 66.5 to 72.7). Similar 9- and 14-year CIN3+ risks for baseline cytology-negative women and baseline FAM19A4/miR124-2 methylation-negative women were observed, with risk differences of –0.42% (95% CI –2.1 to 1.4) and –0.07% (95% CI –1.9 to 1.9), respectively. The 14-year cumulative cervical cancer incidence was significantly lower for methylation-negative women compared to cytology-negative women (risk difference 0.98%, 95% CI 0.26 to 2.0).
FAM19A4/miR124-2 methylation analysis has a good triage performance on baseline screening samples, with a cross-sectional CIN3+ sensitivity and long-term triage-negative CIN3+ risk equalling cytology triage. Therefore, FAM19A4/miR124-2 methylation analysis appears to be a good and objective alternative to cytology in triage scenarios in HPV-based cervical screening.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Abstract Background Gestational trophoblastic disease (GTD) represents a heterogeneous group of disorders. Wide variations in incidence rates are reported worldwide, probably explained by a lack of ...centralized databases and heterogeneity in case definition. The aim of the present study was to determine the trends in incidence of GTD in the last 20 years with the use of population-based data. Patients and methods Data on patients with pathologically confirmed diagnosis of GTD between 1994 and 2013 were obtained from PALGA, a nationwide archive containing all pathology reports in the Netherlands. Results In the 20-year period 6343 cases were registered with GTD, representing an overall incidence rate of 1.67 per 1000 deliveries per year. An initial rise in incidence rate was seen over the first 10 years (0.075 per year, 95% CI 0.040–0.109), followed by a stabilization from 2004 to 2013 (increase per year 0.011, 95% CI − 0.017–0.040). Although partial hydatidiform mole (HM) was more common in earlier years, complete and partial HM reached comparable incidence rates of 0.68 and 0.64 per 1000 deliveries respectively from 2009 onwards. In the last decade, unspecified HM diagnosis declined significantly from 0.14 per 1000 deliveries in 2003 to 0.03 per 1000 deliveries (per year − 0.011, CI − 0.016–0.06), suggesting improved diagnostic analyses. Conclusion After an initial rise in GTD incidence in the Netherlands rates remained steady from 2004 onwards. As pathological confirmation is currently the norm and advanced pathological techniques are now widely available, true steady incidence rates may have been reached.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZRSKP
Purpose The aim of this study was to determine the risk of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related carcinomas and premalignancies in women diagnosed with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 (CIN3). ...Knowledge of this risk is important to preventing the development and progression of other HPV-related premalignancies and carcinomas, by considering prophylactic HPV vaccination and/or by paying increased attention to other HPV-related carcinomas and premalignancies when CIN3 is identified. Methods Women diagnosed with a CIN3 between 1990 and 2010 were identified from the Dutch nationwide registry of histopathology and cytopathology (PALGA) and matched with a control group of women without CIN3. Subsequently, all cases of high-risk (hr) HPV-associated high-grade lesions and carcinomas in the anogenital region and oropharynx between 1990 and 2015 were extracted. Incidence rate ratios were estimated for carcinomas and premalignancies of the vulva, vagina, anus, and oropharynx. Results A total of 178,036 women were identified: 89,018 with a previous diagnosis of CIN3 and 89,018 matched control subjects without a history of CIN3. Women with a history of CIN3 showed increased risk of HPV-related carcinomas and premalignancies, with incidence rate ratios of 3.85 (95% CI, 2.32 to 6.37) for anal cancer, 6.68 (95% CI, 3.64 to 12.25) for anal intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3, 4.97 (95% CI, 3.26 to 7.57) for vulvar cancer, 13.66 (93% CI, 9.69 to 19.25) for vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3, 86.08 (95% CI, 11.98 to 618.08) for vaginal cancer, 25.65 (95% CI, 10.50 to 62.69) for vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3, and 5.51 (95% CI, 1.22 to 24.84) for oropharyngeal cancer. This risk remained significantly increased, even after long-term follow-up of up to 20 years. Conclusion This population-based study shows a long-lasting increased risk for HPV-related carcinomas and premalignancies of the anogenital and oropharyngeal region after a CIN3 diagnosis. Studies that investigate methods to prevent this increased risk in this group of patients, such as intensified screening or vaccination, are warranted.
Regular participation in cervical cancer screening is critical to reducing mortality. Although certain sociodemographic factors are known to be associated with one-time participation in screening, ...little is known about other factors that could be related to regular participation. Therefore, this study evaluated the association between health-related behavioral factors and regular participation in cervical cancer screening.
The Lifelines population-based cohort was linked to data for cervical cancer screening from the Dutch Nationwide Pathology Databank. We included women eligible for all four screening rounds between 2000 and 2019, classifying them as regular (4 attendances), irregular (1-3 attendances), and never participants. Multinomial logistic regression was performed to evaluate the association between behavioral factors and participation regularity, with adjustment made for sociodemographic factors.
Of the 48,325 included women, 55.9%, 35.1%, and 9% were regular, irregular, and never screening participants. After adjustment for sociodemographic factors, the likelihood of irregular or never screening participation was increased by smoking, obesity, marginal or inadequate sleep duration, alcohol consumption and low physical activity, while it was decreased by hormonal contraception use.
An association exists between unhealthy behavioral factors and never or irregular participation in cervical cancer screening.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
To evaluate hr-HPV persistence and associated risk factors in a prospective cohort of young unscreened women. Additionally, the relation between hr-HPV status and cytology/histology results is ...examined.
Two year follow-up of 235 out of 2065 young women (18-29 years), participating in a large, one year epidemiological study, with questionnaires, self-collected cervico-vaginal samples (Vibabrush), and SPF(10)LiPA for HPV detection. Only women hr-HPV positive at sample month 12 were invited for a second year of follow-up. After study follow-up, available cytology/histology data were requested from PALGA (the national network and registry of histo- and cytopathology in The Netherlands). These data were compared with available cytology/histology data of the month 12 hr-HPV negative women from the same cohort. 44.1% of the hr-HPV types detected at study month 12, persisted during follow-up. HPV types 45, 31, 16 and 18 were most likely to persist with percentages of 60.0%, 56.8%, 54.4%,and 50.0%, respectively. Compared to newly detected infections at month 12, infections present since 6 months or baseline had an increased risk to persist (OR 3.09 95% CI: 1.74-5.51 and OR 4.99 95% CI: 2.67-9.32, respectively). Other co-factors influencing persistence were, multiple HPV infections, smoking and multiple lifetime sexual partners. The percentage of women with a HSIL/CIN2+ (12.1%) in the persistent HPV group, was not significantly different (p = 0.107) from the 5.3% of the women who cleared the hr-HPV infection, but was significantly (p 0.000) higher than to the 1.6% of women in the hr-HPV negative control group.
We showed that HPV genotype, multiple infections, smoking, and multiple lifetime sexual partners are co-factors that increase the risk of hr-HPV persistency. Most importantly, we showed that hr-HPV infections are more likely to persist the longer they have been present and that women with a persistent hr-HPV infection have a high risk of HSIL/CIN2+ development.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
Organisation of a screening programme influences programme resilience to a disruption as COVID-19. Due to COVID-19, the Dutch human papillomavirus–based cervical screening programme was temporarily ...suspended. Afterwards, multiple measures have been taken to catch-up participation. This study aimed to investigate programme resilience by examining the effect of COVID-19 and programme measures taken on participation in cervical screening.
Observational cohort study.
Data from the national screening registry and Dutch nationwide pathology databank (Palga) were used on invitations and follow-up in 2018/2019 (pre-COVID) and 2020 (COVID). Sending invitations, reminders and self-sampling kits were suspended from March to July 2020. Main outcome measures include distribution of participant characteristics (age, region and screening history), participation rates by age and region, time between invitation and participation (i.e. response time) and self-sampling use per month.
Participation rate was significantly lower in 2020 (49.8%) compared to 2018/19 (56.8%, P < 0.001), in all ages and regions. Compared to 2018/19, participation rates decreased most in women invited from January to March 2020 (−6.7%, −9.1% and −10.4%, respectively). From August, participation rates started to recover (difference between −0.8% and −2.7%). Median response time was longer in February and March (2020: 143 and 173 days; 2018/19: 53 and 55 days) and comparable from July onwards (median difference 0–6 days). Self-sampling use was higher in 2020 (16.3%) compared to 2018/19 (7.6%).
The pandemic impacted participation rates in the Dutch cervical screening programme, especially of women invited before the programme pause. Implementation of self-sampling in national cervical screening programmes could increase participation rates and could serve as an alternative screening method in times of exceptional health care circumstances, such as a pandemic. Due to the well-organised programme and measures taken to catch-up participation, the impact of COVID-19 on the screening programme remained small.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Screening of young women is often discouraged because of the high risk of unnecessary diagnostics or overtreatment. Multiple countries therefore use cytology instead of high risk human papillomavirus ...(hrHPV)-testing as screening method for young women because of the limited specificity of hrHPV-testing. The objective of this study was to investigate how hrHPV screening before the age of 30, can be used to reduce the future prevalence of high-grade cervical lesions in young women.
We retrospectively analyzed follow-up data from a cohort study on HPV prevalence in unscreened Dutch women aged 18-29 years. Women performed multiple self-collected cervico-vaginal samples for HPV detection and genotyping. At least one valid cervical pathology result was obtained from 1,018 women. Women were categorized as hrHPV negative, cleared- or persistent hrHPV infection. Anonymized follow-up data for each group was obtained. Composite outcome measures were defined as; normal, low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) or high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL). The association between prior hrHPV status and cytology and histology outcome was analyzed.
After exclusion, a pathology result was registered for 962 women. The prevalence of HSIL was 19.3% in women with a persistent HPV infection at a younger age. This is significantly higher (p<0,001) compared with the HSIL prevalence of 1.5% in HPV-negative women, and 3.1% (n = 8) in women who cleared the hrHPV infection in the past.
Women with a persistent hrHPV infection in their 20s, show an increased prevalence of HSIL lesions in their early 30s. Screening for persistent hrHPV infections, instead of cytology screening before the age of 30, can be used to reduce the future prevalence of cervical cancer in young women.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK