Restriction of human papillomavirus DNA testing in primary cervical screening to women above age 30: systematic review

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articlepeer-review

Cervical screening with human papillomavirus (HPV) testing is less specific for high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (=CIN3) than cytology. The aim of this systematic review was to determine whether a restriction of HPV testing to women aged at least 30 years would eliminate the problem. On the basis of the data from randomized controlled trials, we calculated the relative detection of CIN1 and CIN2, and the relative risks of false-positive tests (positive tests without subsequent =CIN3) per age group and trial for HPV testing versus cytology. For women aged at least 30 years in trials with a low cytology abnormality rate, detection of CIN1 increased significantly by 50-90% in the two trials with reported data; detection of CIN2 was doubled in three trials; the risks of false-positive HPV tests were also doubled. In trials with a high cytology abnormality rate, these risks were similar for HPV testing and cytology. Adverse effects of HPV testing were for both types of cytology settings, generally higher for women below than above the age of 30. Adverse effects were less common among women aged at least 30 years than among younger women. However, in older women HPV testing still led to more CIN1/CIN2 diagnoses and false-positive tests than cytology.
Original languageEnglish
JournalEuropean journal of cancer prevention : the official journal of the European Cancer Prevention Organisation (ECP)
Volume21
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)73-81
Number of pages9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2012

    Research areas

  • DNA, Viral, Female, Genetic Testing, Humans, Mass Screening, Papillomaviridae, Papillomavirus Infections, Uterine Cervical Neoplasms

ID: 38276574