Pooled analysis on the necessity of random 4-quadrant cervical biopsies and endocervical curettage in women with positive screening but negative colposcopy

PAX1 methylation as a robust predictor: developing and validating a nomogram for assessing endocervical curettage (ECC) necessity in human papillomavirus16/18-positive women undergoing colposcopy

OBJECTIVE

The major challenge in routine endocervical curettage (ECC) among Human Papillomavirus (HPV) 16/18-positive patients is that only a small fraction benefit. Nevertheless, current reported models often overestimate the validity and necessity of ECC, making it difficult to improve benefits for patients. This research hypothesized that assessing paired boxed gene 1 methylation levels (PAX1m) and clinical characteristics could enhance the predictive accuracy of detecting additional high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions or worse (HSIL +) through ECC that were not identified by colposcopy-directed biopsy (CDB).

METHODS

Data from 134 women with HPV16/18 positivity undergoing CDB and ECC between April 2018 and April 2022 were collected and analyzed. Quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (qMSP) was utilized to measure PAX1m, expressed as ΔCp. Univariate and multivariate regression analyses were conducted to screen variables and select predictive factors. A nomogram was constructed using multivariate logistic regression to predict additional HSIL + detected by ECC. The discrimination, calibration, and clinical utility of the nomogram were evaluated using receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) and the calibration plot.

RESULTS

Age (odds ratio [OR], 5.654; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.131-37.700), cytology (OR, 24.978; 95% CI, 3.085-540.236), and PAX1 methylation levels by grade (PAX1m grade) (OR, 7.801; 95% CI, 1.548-44.828) were independent predictive factors for additional detection of HSIL + by ECC. In HPV16/18-positive women, the likelihood of additional detection of HSIL + through ECC increased with the severity of cytological abnormalities, peaking at 43.8% for high-grade cytological lesions. Moreover, when cytological findings indicated low-grade lesions, PAX1 methylation levels were positively correlated with the additional detection of HSIL + by ECC (P value < 0.001). A nomogram prediction model was developed (area under curve (AUC) = 0.946; 95% CI, 0.901-0.991), demonstrating high sensitivity (90.9%) and specificity (90.5%) at the optimal cutoff point of 107. Calibration analysis confirmed the model's strong agreement between predicted and observed probabilities.

CONCLUSION

The clinical nomogram presented promising predictive performance for the additional detection of HSIL + through ECC among women with HPV16/18 infection. PAX1 methylation level could serve as a valuable tool in guiding individualized clinical decisions regarding ECC for patients with HPV 16/18 infection, particularly in cases of low-grade cytological findings.

The Effect of Random Biopsy and Endo-Cervical Curettage in Diagnosis of Precancerous Cervical Lesions in Women With Normal Colposcopy

Objective

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of random biopsy and endo-cervical curettage (ECC), alone and together, in the diagnosis of high-grade cervical lesions in women with normal colposcopy.

Materials and methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted on 356 women who underwent colposcopy examination in the gynecology-oncology clinic of Roointan-Arash Women's Hospital, affiliated with Tehran University of Medical Sciences. All eligible women underwent colposcopy. In colposcopy examination, up to four biopsy samples were randomly taken for each quartile of the cervix and ECC was performed. Finally, the rate of intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and the relation between random biopsy and ECC and CIN diagnosis was determined.

Results

In total, 27 (7.6%) low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) and 19 (5.3%) high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) were detected in cases that underwent random biopsy. There was a significant association between the abnormal random biopsy results and having multiple sexual partners (p=0.001), cigarette (p=0.041), and hookah (p=0.033) smoking. Furthermore, 31 (8.7%) LSIL and 42 (11.8%) HSIL were reported in women who underwent ECC. There was a significant relation between the abnormal results of ECC and hookah consumption (p=0.008) and human papillomavirus (HPV) infection (p=0.011). The concordance (p=0.001) between random biopsy and ECC result was 71.2% and only in 28.8% of the cases one of the methods was normal and the other was abnormal.

Conclusion

The present study showed that the simultaneous use of ECC and random biopsy in women with normal colposcopy increases the detection rate of precancerous lesions by up to 28.8%.

The Value of Four-Quadrant Cervical Biopsy in Women with Different Colposcopic Impressions

The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic efficacy of colposcopic-directed biopsy and four-quadrant biopsy in detecting high-grade cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN). Women attending three women's clinics for routine cervical screening were recruited. Colposcopy was arranged for women with any cytologic abnormalities greater than atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS), two consecutive ASCUS results or positive HPV testing. During colposcopy, a cervical biopsy was taken from the most suspicious area, but more than one biopsy was allowed. Four-quadrant biopsies at 3, 6, 9 and 12 o'clock and an endocervical curettage were also taken in all cases. A total of 1522 colposcopies were performed in 1311 subjects from June 2010 to August 2017, with 118 cases of high-grade CIN diagnosed. Colposcopic-directed biopsy detected 50.8% of the 118 high-grade CIN, while four-quadrant biopsy detected 86.4% (p < 0.0001). Twenty-seven cases (22.9%) of high-grade CIN were diagnosed in women with normal or unsatisfactory colposcopy. Among the 64 cases with low-grade colposcopic impression, four-quadrant biopsy detected significantly more high-grade CIN (53 cases, 82.8%) than colposcopic-directed biopsy (35 cases, 56.3%) (p = 0.0011). Four-quadrant cervical biopsies should be considered for all women with an abnormal smear or positive HPV testing, especially in patients with low-grade/normal/unsatisfactory colposcopy.

Endocervical curettage for diagnosing high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions or worse in women with type 3 transformation zone lesions: a retrospective, observational study

BACKGROUND

This study aimed to assess the value of endocervical curettage (ECC) in detecting high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion or worse (HSIL+) in women with type 3 transformation zone (TZ3) lesions, and to identify the clinical characteristics of patients with TZ3 lesions who benefit most from ECC.

METHODS

This retrospective, multicenter study included 1,905 women with TZ3 lesions who attended cervical screening in one of seven tertiary hospitals in China between January 2020 and November 2021. All participants had received abnormal results and had been referred to colposcopy. Risk factors were identified through univariate and multifactorial logistic analyses.

RESULTS

In total, 20.5% (n = 391) of HSIL+ cases with TZ3 lesions had been diagnosed with biopsy and ECC. ECC detected 0.8% (n = 15) HSIL+ cases otherwise missed by biopsy alone. Multivariate analysis identified four factors which influenced detection performance. The probability of detecting HSIL+ with ECC is 2.653 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.009-6.977) times greater in women aged 40-49 years and 2.545 (95% CI 0.965-6.716) times greater for those aged 50 years and older compared to those younger than 30 years. The probability of ASC-H (atypical squamous cells, cannot exclude high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion) and HSIL cytologies were respectively 2.415 (95% CI 1.213-4.808) and 2.933 (95% CI 1.648-5.220) times higher than for NILM (negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy). Women with human papillomavirus 16/18 infections were 2.299 (95% CI 0.942-5.613) times more likely to be HSIL+. Precancerous lesions were 35.884 (95% CI 12.214-105.426) times more likely in women who had high-grade colposcopic impressions compared to those with normal impressions.

CONCLUSIONS

ECC should be performed for patients with ASC-H or HSIL cytologies, human papillomavirus 16/18 infections, and for those with high-grade colposcopic impressions. This will increase the number of HSIL+ cases identified using biopsy by reducing the number of false negatives.

Risk factors for pathological upgrading in perimenopausal women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2/3 following conization

Postmenopausal women have a high risk for pathological upgrading in conization specimens due to pathological changes of the cervix. This study aimed to investigate the risk factors for pathological upgrading in conization specimens in Chinese women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2/3 (Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2/3) ≥ 50 years of age. From January 2015 to December 2019, 443 CIN2/3 patients ≥ 50 years of age were retrospectively included and divided into the upgrade group (n = 47) and the non-upgrade group (n = 396) according to the presence or absence of pathological upgrading in the conization specimens. Multivariate logistic regression model was performed to analyze risk factors associated with pathological upgrading. The upgrade group was more likely to have gravidity < 2 times, postmenopausal period ≥ 5 years, higher incidences of endocervical glandular involvement (EGI) and human papillomavirus (HPV) 16/18 infection, as well as a lower incidence of cervical contactive bleeding and fewer cases undergoing endocervical curettage (all P < .05) than the non-upgrade group. Multivariate model showed that factors associated with pathological upgrading were postmenopausal period ≥ 5 years (OR = 2.55), EGI (OR = 17.71), endocervical curettage (OR = 0.33), and HPV type 16/18 (OR = 3.41) (all P < .05). The receiver operating characteristic analysis showed an area under curve of 0.782 (P < .001). Pathological upgrading in conization specimens is not uncommon in Chinese CIN2/3 patients ≥ 50 years of age. For those with high-risk factors of pathological upgrading (postmenopausal period ≥ 5 years, EGI, and HPV 16/18 infection), the follow-up interval can be appropriately shortened, and active intervention could be considered.

Gaps in the screening process for women diagnosed with cervical cancer in four diverse US health care settings

BACKGROUND

Potential care gaps in the cervical cancer screening process among women diagnosed with cervical cancer in an era with increased human papillomavirus (HPV) testing have not been extensively evaluated.

METHODS

Women diagnosed with cervical cancer between ages 21 and 65 at four study sites between 2010 and 2014 were included. Screening histories were ascertained from 0.5 to 4 years prior to cervical cancer diagnosis. We identified potential care gaps in the screening history for each woman and classified them into one of three mutually exclusive types: lack of a screening test, screening test failure, and diagnostic/treatment care gap. Distributions of care gaps were tabulated by stage, histology, and study site. Multivariable nominal logistic regression was used to examine the associations between demographic and cancer characteristics and type of care gap.

RESULTS

Of 499 women evaluated, 46% lacked a screening test in the time window examined, 31% experienced a screening test failure, and 22% experienced a diagnostic/treatment care gap. More than half of the women with advanced cancer and squamous cell carcinoma lacked a screening test compared to 31% and 24% of women with localized cancer and adenocarcinoma, respectively. Women aged 21-29 at diagnosis were more likely to experience screening test failure and diagnostic/treatment care gap, while those aged 50-65 were more likely to lack a screening test, compared to women aged 30-39.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings demonstrate a continuing need to develop interventions targeting unscreened and under-screened women and improve detection and diagnosis of adenocarcinoma in women undergoing cervical cancer screening and diagnostic follow-up.

Histopathological profile of cervical punch biopsies and risk factors associated with high-grade cervical precancerous lesions and cancer in northwest Ethiopia

Introduction

Cervical cancer is an important public health problem in Ethiopia. However, the disease is not well characterized and studied in various parts of the country. This study was designed to describe the histopathological profile of cervical biopsies and to identify risk factors associated with high-grade cervical lesions and cancer (CIN2+C).

Methods

A cross-sectional study was conducted at Felege Hiwot Compressive Specialized Hospital (FHCSH) between 1 March 2019 and 30 October 2021. A structured questionnaire was used to collect data on the participants’ demographic, reproductive and gynecologic history. From women presented with different degrees of cervical lesions, a senior gynecologist collected cervical swabs using (Digene HC2 DNA collection device: Qiagen, Hilden, Germany) for detection of high-risk Human papillomaviruses (HR-HPV) and punch biopsy for histopathological examinations. HR-HPVs were detected using the Abbott Alinity m system following the manufacturer protocol at the Institute of Virology, Leipzig University Hospital, Germany. Collected data entered and analyzed using SPSS version 25. A logistic regression model was used for both bivariable & multivariable analysis in order to determine the association between independent variables and CIN2+C. Statistical significance was set at a p-value <0.05.

Results

In this study, 335 women were included; the mean age was at 46.5±11.4 years. Most were living in rural settings, 221(66%) and had no formal education, 259 (77.3%). More than half of the participants, 193(57.6%) were unaware of cervical cancer. The prevalence of HIV infection and previous history of cervical screening were 44(13.1%) and 93(27.8%), respectively. HR-HPVs were detected in 178(54.3%) of the participants. The majority of biopsies, 140(41.8%; 95%CI: 36.6–47.1%), were diagnosed as cervical carcinoma. Normal histology, cervicitis, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)-1, CIN-2, and CIN-3 accounted for 74(22.1%), 30(9.0%), 40(11.9%), 12(3.6%), and 12(3.6%), respectively. High-grade lesions and cancer (CIN2+C) together accounted 164(49.0%; 95%CI: 43.6–54.2). Cervical cancer increased steadily with the age of the participants (p<0.001) in which women above the age of fifty were approximately four times more likely to develop CIN2+C than the younger ones (AOR: 3.73; 95%CI: 1.80–7.82; p<0.001). Likewise, no screening history in the last five years (AOR: 2.03; 95%CI: 1.05–3.92; p = 0.035) and being infected with HR-HPVs (AOR: 14.23; 95%CI: 7.9–25.64; p<0.001) were found significantly associated with CIN2+C.

Conclusions

The findings of this study revealed that cervical cancer continues to be an important women’s health challenge in northwest Ethiopia. Postmenopausal women, who had no screening history within a five-year period and those women who tested positive for HR-HPV need special attention. It is important to increase the awareness of women about cervical cancer and actions for early detection of precancerous lesions should be expanded.

Improving colposcopic accuracy for cervical precancer detection: a retrospective multicenter study in China

Background

Colposcopy alone can result in misidentification of high-grade squamous intraepithelial or worse lesions (HSIL +), especially for women with Type 3 transformation zone (TZ) lesions, where colposcopic assessment is particularly imprecise. This study aimed to improve HSIL + case identification by supplementing referral screening results to colposcopic findings.

Methods

This is an observational multicenter study of 2,417 women, referred to colposcopy after receiving cervical cancer screening results. Logistic regression analysis was conducted under uni- and multivariate models to identify factors which could be used to improve HSIL + case identification. Histological diagnosis was established as the gold standard and is used to assess accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity, as well as to incrementally improve colposcopy.

Results

Multivariate analysis highlighted age, TZ types, referral screening, and colposcopists’ skills as independent factors. Across this sample population, diagnostic accuracies for detecting HSIL + increased from 72.9% (95%CI 71.1–74.7%) for colposcopy alone to 82.1% (95%CI 80.6–83.6%) after supplementing colposcopy with screening results. A significant increase in colposcopic accuracy was observed across all subgroups. Although, the highest increase was observed in women with a TZ3 lesion, and for those diagnosed by junior colposcopists.

Conclusion

It appears possible to supplement colposcopic examinations with screening results to improve HSIL + detection, especially for women with TZ3 lesions. It may also be possible to improve junior colposcopists’ diagnoses although, further psychological research is necessary. We need to understand how levels of uncertainty influence diagnostic decisions and what the concept of “experience” actually is and what it means for colposcopic practice.

Development and validation of a clinical prediction model for endocervical curettage decision-making in cervical lesions

Background

In the absence of practical and reliable predictors for whether the endocervical curettage (ECC) procedure should be performed, decisions regarding patient selection are usually based on the colposcopists’ clinical judgment instead of evidence. We aimed to develop and validate a practical prediction model that uses available information to reliably estimate the need to perform ECC in patients suspected of having cervical lesions.

Methods

In this retrospective study, 2088 patients who underwent colposcopy, colposcopically directed biopsy (CDB) and ECC procedures between September 2019 and September 2020 at the Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University were included. The data were analyzed with univariate and multivariable logistic regression. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) was used to select predictors for ECC positivity. The ECC prediction model was presented as a nomogram and evaluated in terms of discrimination and calibration. Furthermore, this model was validated internally with cross-validation and bootstrapping.

Results

Significant trends were found for ECC positivity with increasing age (P = 0.001), menopause (P = 0.003), Human papillomavirus (HPV) status (P < 0.001), severity of ThinPrep Cytological Test (TCT) (P < 0.001), original squamous epithelium ectopia (P = 0.037) and colposcopy impression (P < 0.001) by multivariable logistic regression analysis. The ECC prediction model was developed based on the following predictors: age, menopause, symptom of contact bleeding, severity of TCT, HPV status, cervix visibility, original squamous epithelium ectopia, acetowhite changes and colposcopic impression. This model had satisfactory calibration and good discrimination, with an area under the receiver operator characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.869 (95% confidence interval 0.849 to 0.889).

Conclusions

A readily applicable clinical prediction model was constructed to reliably estimate the probability of ECC positivity in patients suspicious of having cervical lesions, which may help clinicians make decisions regarding the ECC procedure and possibly prevent adverse effects.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-08523-y.

Screening test accuracy to improve detection of precancerous lesions of the cervix in women living with HIV: a study protocol

INTRODUCTION

The simplest and cheapest method for cervical cancer screening is visual inspection after application of acetic acid (VIA). However, this method has limitations for correctly identifying precancerous cervical lesions (sensitivity) and women free from these lesions (specificity). We will assess alternative screening methods that could improve sensitivity and specificity in women living with humanimmunodeficiency virus (WLHIV) in Southern Africa.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

We will conduct a paired, prospective, screening test accuracy study among consecutive, eligible women aged 18-65 years receiving treatment for HIV/AIDS at Kanyama Hospital, Lusaka, Zambia. We will assess a portable magnification device (Gynocular, Gynius Plus AB, Sweden) based on the Swede score assessment of the cervix, test for high-risk subtypes of human papillomavirus (HR-HPV, GeneXpert, Cepheid, USA) and VIA. All study participants will receive all three tests and the reference standard at baseline and at six-month follow-up. The reference standard is histological assessment of two to four biopsies of the transformation zone. The primary histological endpoint is cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade two and above (CIN2+). Women who are VIA-positive or have histologically confirmed CIN2+ lesions will be treated as per national guidelines. We plan to enrol 450 women. Primary outcome measures for test accuracy include sensitivity and specificity of each stand-alone test. In the secondary analyses, we will evaluate the combination of tests. Pre-planned additional studies include use of cervigrams to test an automated visual assessment tool using image pattern recognition, cost-analysis and associations with trichomoniasis.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Zambia Biomedical Research Ethics Committee, Zambian National Health Regulatory Authority, Zambia Medicines Regulatory Authority, Swissethics and the International Agency for Research on Cancer Ethics Committee. Results of the study will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT03931083; Pre-results.

Value of multi-quadrants biopsy: Pooled analysis of 11 population-based cervical cancer screening studies

OBJECTIVE

The accuracy of colposcopy-guided biopsy is key to the success of colposcopic triage in cervical cancer screening programs. However, there is no widely adopted biopsy guideline up to date. Our study aimed to determine whether multi-quadrants biopsy improves the yield of cervical lesions.

METHODS

Eleven population-based cervical cancer screening studies were conducted in China. Cytology, high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) testing and visual inspection were performed for primary screening. Females positive on one or more tests were referred for colposcopy and biopsy. The proportion of detected cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)2+ and yields by quadrant lesion-targeted biopsy or 4-quadrant random biopsy were compared.

RESULTS

Among 4,923 females included, 1,606 had quadrant lesion-targeted biopsy, and 3,317 had 4-quadrant random biopsy. The cumulative CIN2+ yield increased from 0.10 for only one quadrant-targeted biopsy to 0.21, 0.34, and 0.58 for at most two, three and four quadrants targeted biopsies. Among hrHPV positive females with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL)+ cytology, the cumulative CIN2+ yield of a second targeted biopsy in another quadrant was significantly increased (P<0.05). Among hrHPV-negative females, the yield of 4-quadrant random biopsies was 0.005, and the yield by lesion-targeted biopsies was 0.017. For hrHPV positive females who had 4-quadrant random biopsy, the additional CIN2+ yield for HSIL+, low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) cytology, or abnormal visual inspection via acetic acid and Lugol's iodine (VIA/VILI) were 0.46, 0.11, 0.14.

CONCLUSIONS

A 4-quadrant random biopsy is recommended only for hrHPV positive females with HSIL cytology, and is acceptable if hrHPV positive with LSIL cytology or with abnormal VIA/VILI. Our findings add evidences for an objective and practical biopsy standard to guide colposcopy in cervical cancer screening programs in low- and middle-income countries.