Factors associated with non-attendance, opportunistic attendance and reminded attendance to cervical screening in an organized screening program: a cross-sectional study of 12,058 Norwegian women

Cervical cancer screening activity in the Capital Region of Denmark before, during and after the COVID-19 pandemic

OBJECTIVE

Denmark went through various COVID-19 pandemic restrictions including periodic lockdowns from March 2020 to January 2022. All cancer screening programs were kept operational, yet access to clinicians for cervical screening was at times limited. We assessed the impact of the pandemic on cervical cancer screening activity in the Capital Region of Denmark.

METHODS

Cervical screening activity was defined as regular screening by invitation, opportunistic screening, and screening participation by HPV self-sampling. Activity was monitored during and post-pandemic and compared relatively to a 3-year pre-pandemic reference.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS

The activity of cervical cancer screening was initially affected by the pandemic lockdowns, but increased activity during summer 2020 partly compensated this effect. Regular screening activity decreased 8.4% in 2020 and returned to pre-pandemic levels in 2021. During 2022 restrictions were removed and the decrease in activity was recorded to be 2.3%. Opportunistic screening activity was reduced by 14.3% in 2020 and 12.6% in 2021. A continued post-pandemic opportunistic screening activity reduction of 18.5% was observed, possibly related to changed patterns of primary health care use introduced during the pandemic. Screening by HPV self-sampling increased from 17.1% in the pre-pandemic period to 21.2% during the pandemic. Significantly more acceptance was recorded amongst older women (p < 0.0001). This increase mirrors the decrease in total clinician collected sample activity during the pandemic, where an increased reduction by age was observed. Post-pandemic HPV self-sampling participation decreased to 12.8%, possible reflecting a temporarily changed composition and motivation in the group of women invited for self-sampling.

Understanding perceptions of the public and key stakeholders toward a localised cancer screening promotion campaign

The aim of this study was to explore perceptions of members of the public and key stakeholders of a localised campaign to increase engagement with cervical cancer screening. Whilst numerous interventions have been trialled to increase engagement with cancer screening, the evidence for their effectiveness is somewhat mixed. In addition, few studies have explored the perceptions of members of the public targeted by such campaigns nor the perceptions of healthcare professionals who may be involved in delivering such campaigns in the United Kingdom. Members of the public who had potentially been exposed to the campaign in the North-East of England were approached to take part in individual interviews whilst stakeholders were invited to take part in a focus group. A total of 25 participants (13 members of the public, 12 stakeholders) took part. All interviews were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using applied thematic analysis. Four themes were identified, two of which were cross-cutting (barriers to screening and factors promoting screening), with one theme identified as specific to the public interviews (knowledge of and attitudes toward awareness campaigns) and one theme specific to the focus group (keeping campaigns relevant. Awareness of the localised campaign was limited; however, when made aware, participants were mostly positive towards the approach, although mixed responses were noted in relation to financial incentives. Members of the public and stakeholders identified some common barriers to screening although differed in their perceptions of promotional factors. This study highlights the importance of multiple strategies to promote cervical screening as one size fits all approach may limit engagement.

Impact of health-related behavioral factors on participation in a cervical cancer screening program: the lifelines population-based cohort

BACKGROUND

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.

METHODS

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.

RESULTS

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.

CONCLUSION

An association exists between unhealthy behavioral factors and never or irregular participation in cervical cancer screening.

Socioeconomic, lifestyle and biological determinants of cervical screening coverage: Lolland-Falster Health Study, Denmark

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer is preventable. Screening is important for early detection. However, even in high-income countries, coverage is sub-optimal. We identified socioeconomic, lifestyle and biological determinants of cervical screening coverage.

METHODS

In Denmark, women aged 23-64 are free of charge personally invited to screening. All cervical cell samples are registered centrally in the Patobank. We linked data from the Lolland-Falster Health Study (LOFUS) with Patobank data. LOFUS was a population-based health survey undertaken in 2016-2020. With logistic regression, coverage defined as ≥1 cervical sample registered within a 6-year period from 2015 to 2020 was compared across levels of risk factors expressed as adjusted odds ratios (aOR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI).

RESULTS

Among 13 406 women of screening aged 23-64 and invited to LOFUS, 72% had ≥1 cervical sample registered. Non-participation in LOFUS was a strong predictor of low coverage; aOR 0.32; 95% CI 0.31-0.36. Among LOFUS participants, education was a strong predictor of coverage in univariate analysis, OR 0.58; 95% CI 0.48-0.71, but this association disappeared in multi-variate analysis, aOR 0.86; 95% CI 0.66-1.10. In multi-variate analysis, predictors of low coverage were high age, living without a partner, retired, current smoker, poor self-rated health, elevated blood pressure and elevated glycated haemoglobin.

CONCLUSIONS

Women with low cervical screening coverage had limited contact to healthcare, exemplified by non-participation in LOFUS, and pertinent health and social problems, exemplified by elevated blood pressure and glycated haemoglobin, poor self-rated health, and retirement already in screening age. Structural changes in screening are needed to reach non-screened women.

Unpacking the Lay Epidemiology of Cervical Cancer: A Focus Group Study on the Perceptions of Cervical Cancer and Its Prevention among Women Late for Screening in Norway

Nonattendance for cervical cancer screening is often understood in terms of a lack of 'appropriate' or 'correct' knowledge about the risks and prevention of the disease. Few studies have explored how lay persons-the users themselves-interpret and contextualise scientific knowledge about cervical cancer. In this study, we address the following research question: How is the epidemiology of cervical cancer and its prevention discussed among women who are late for cervical cancer screening in Norway? We completed nine focus group interviews (FGIs) with 41 women who had postponed cervical screening. The analyses were both inductive and explorative, aiming to unpack the complexity of lay understandings of cervical cancer. Interactive associations expressed in the FGIs reflected multiple understandings of aetiology and risk factors, screening, and interpretations of responsibility for acquiring cervical cancer. The term 'candidacy' was employed to provide an enhanced understanding of lay reasoning about the explanations and predictions of cervical cancer, as reflected in the FGIs. Both interpretations of biomedical concepts and cultural values were used to negotiate acceptable and nuanced interpretations of candidacy for cervical cancer. Uncertainties about risk factors for acquiring cervical cancer was an important aspect of such negotiations. The study's findings provide an in-depth understanding of the contexts in which screening may be rendered less relevant or significant for maintaining health. Lay epidemiology should not be considered inappropriate knowledge but rather as a productive component when understanding health behaviours, such as screening attendance.

A population-based cross-sectional study on the situation of cervical cancer screening in Liaoning, China

Background

Cervical cancer (CC) screening is currently recognized as an effective intervention for CC. Previous studies found that the proportion of screening was low in China, especially in Liaoning. Therefore, we performed a population-based cross-sectional survey to investigate the situation of cervical cancer screening and analyze their related factors for providing a decision-making basis for sustainable and effective development of cervical cancer screening.

Methods

This population-based cross-sectional study involved aged 30 to 69 years in nine counties/districts in Liaoning from 2018 to 2019. Data were collected using the quantitative data collection methods, and analyzed in SPSS version 22.0.

Results

Overall, only 22.37% of 5334 respondents reported having ever been screened for cervical cancer in past 3 years, and 38.41% of respondents reported having the willingness for cervical cancer screening in next 3 years. In the rate of CC screening, multilevel analysis indicated that age, marital status, education level, type of occupation, medical insurance, family income, place of residence and regional economic level had a significant impact on proportion of screening. In the rate of CC screening willingness, multilevel analysis indicated that age, family income, health status, place of residence, regional economic level and CC screening still had a significant impact, but marital status, education level and medical insurance type had no significant impact. There was no significant difference in marital status, education level and medical insurance type after the factors of CC screening were added in the model.

Conclusion

Our study found both proportion of screening and willingness were at a low level, and age, economic and regional factors were the main factors for implementation of CC screening in China. In the future, targeted policies should be formulated according to the characteristics of different groups of people, and reduce the gap in the current health service capacity between different regions.

Inequalities in reported use of cervical screening in Estonia: results from cross-sectional studies in 2004-2020

BACKGROUND

Despite the national cervical cancer (CC) screening program established in 2006, the CC incidence in Estonia in 2020 was still one of the highest in Europe. To better understand the possible barriers among women, the aim of this study was to describe the inequalities in the Pap smear uptake trend in 2004-2020 and to analyse the associations between different factors in Estonia.

METHODS

Weighted data of 25-64-year-old women (N = 6685) from population-based cross-sectional studies of Health Behaviour among Estonian Adult Population in 2004-2020 was used. Linear trends in uptake of Pap smear over time were tested using the Cochrane-Armitage test. Binary logistic regression with interactions was performed to analyse associations between the uptake of Pap smear and sociodemographic, socioeconomic, health-related and lifestyle factors. Crude and adjusted odds ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated.

RESULTS

Prevalence of lifetime uptake of Pap smear increased in 2004-2020 from 50.6 to 86.7% (P < 0.001). From 2004 to 2020, uptake of Pap smear increased significantly among women aged 25-34, 35-44, 45-54 and 55-64, in both ethnicity groups and among women with basic, secondary and higher education (P < 0.001). The gap in Pap smear uptake increased between Estonians and non-Estonians but decreased between education levels over time. Lower lifetime uptake of Pap smear was associated from sociodemographic factors with younger age, being non-Estonian and single, from socioeconomic factors with lower educational level and unemployment, from health indicators with higher body mass index indicating overweight and obesity, presence of chronic disease and depressiveness, and from lifestyle factors with non-smoking.

CONCLUSIONS

Although Pap smear uptake among 25-64 year old women increased significantly in Estonia in 2004-2020, inequalities were found indicating an opportunity for development of targeted CC prevention strategies.

Impact of the Mobile Game FightHPV on Cervical Cancer Screening Attendance: Retrospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

The wide availability of mobile phones has made it easy to disseminate health-related information and make it accessible. With gamification, mobile apps can nudge people to make informed health choices, including attending cervical cancer screening.

OBJECTIVE

This matched retrospective cohort study examined the association between exposure to the FightHPV mobile app gamified educational content and having a cervical exam in the following year.

METHODS

Women aged 20 to 69 years who signed an electronic consent form after downloading the FightHPV app in 2017 (intervention group) were matched 1:6 with women of the same age and with the same screening history (reference group) in 2015. To estimate the impact of exposure to the FightHPV app, we estimated cumulative incidence and hazard ratios (HRs) with 95% CIs. We used data from the Norwegian Cervical Cancer Screening Program database and Statistics Norway to determine screening participation and outcomes, respectively.

RESULTS

We matched 3860 women in the control group to 658 women in the intervention group; 6 months after enrollment, 29.6% (195/658) of the women in the intervention group and 15.21% (587/3860) of those in the reference group underwent a cervical exam (P<.01). Women exposed to the FightHPV app were 2 times more likely to attend screening (adjusted HR 2.3, 95% CI 2.0-2.7), during which they were 13 times more likely to be diagnosed with high-grade abnormality (adjusted HR 12.7, 95% CI 5.0-32.5) than the women in the reference group.

CONCLUSIONS

Exposure to the FightHPV app significantly increased cervical cancer screening attendance across the various analyses and improved detection of women with high risk for cervical cancer. For the first time, we demonstrated the effectiveness of gamification combined with mobile technology in cancer prevention by empowering women to make active health-related decisions. Gamification can significantly improve the understanding of complicated scientific concepts behind interventions and increase the acceptance of proposed cancer control measures.

Results of Self-Sampling Methodology Impression for Cervical Cancer Screening in Mongolia

OBJECTIVE

 Mongolia is a sparsely populated country; however, almost fifty percent of the population lives in the capital city. Medical care services and exceptionally well-organized cervical cancer screening tests are limited in remote areas. To improve cervical cancer screening test coverage, we compared the interest between physicians taking samples and self-sampling among the attendees in this study.

METHODS

A total of 175 women participated in this study. The hundred twelve women visited the Gynecology ward, and the sixty-three women were provided with the cervical self-sampling test kit and filled out a questionnaire. Subsequently, the acceptability of physician taking and self-sampling were evaluated using a questionnaire. All specimens were processed using the TACAS LBC system, and the quality of samples was tested by cytology.

RESULTS

Regarding the acceptability of self-sampling, the selections for subsequent screening were 36% self-sampling and 64% gynecologist-sampling methods. The acceptability rates were higher in the remote areas than the urban areas. However, 64% of the participants lacked knowledge that the causative agent of cervical cancer is the human papillomavirus, and 66.9% mainly were sexually transmitted. In addition, 82.3% of the women surveyed were unaware that there was a vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, but 88.6% wanted to be vaccinated. Of most women, 44.4% chose self-sampling due to no embarrassment in the gynecological examination. The self-sampling preferences were dominant in the old age group (61.6%). The cytology satisfaction rate in physician-sampling (99.1%) was higher than in the self-sampling group (69.8%).

CONCLUSION

The Implementation of the self-sampling tool may be considered a primary screening. The self-sampling test can adopt into the early screening program and may increase the coverage of the screening program and improve the quality.

HPV self-sampling among long-term non-attenders to cervical cancer screening in Norway: a pragmatic randomised controlled trial

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer screening participation is suboptimal in most settings. We assessed whether human papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling may increase screening participation among long-term non-attenders in Norway.

METHODS

A pragmatic randomised controlled trial with participation as the primary outcome was initiated in the national cervical screening programme in March 2019. A random sample of 6000 women aged 35-69 years who had not attended screening for at least 10 years were randomised 1:1:1 to receive either (i) a reminder to attend regular screening (control), (ii) an offer to order a self-sampling kit (opt-in) for HPV testing or (iii) a self-sampling kit unsolicited (send-to-all) for HPV testing.

RESULTS

Total participation was 4.8%, 17.0% and 27.7% among control, opt-in and send-to-all (P < 0.0001; participation difference (%) send-to-all vs. control: 22.9 (95%CI: 20.7, 25.2); opt-in vs. control: 12.3 (95%CI: 10.3, 14.2); send-to-all vs. opt-in: 10.7 (95% CI: 8.0, 13.3)). High-risk HPV was detected in 11.5% of self-samples and 9.2% of clinician-collected samples (P = 0.40). Most women (92.5%) who returned a positive self-sample attended the clinic for triage testing. Of the 933 women screened, 33 (3.5%) had CIN2 + (1.1%, 3.7%, 3.8% among control, opt-in, and send-to-all, respectively), and 11 (1.2%) had cervical cancer (0%, 1.2%, 1.3% among control, opt-in, send-to-all, respectively).

CONCLUSION

Opt-in and send-to-all self-sampling increased screening participation among long-term, higher-risk non-attenders.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION

ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03873376.

Factors Influencing Pap Smear Screening Uptake among Women Visiting Outpatient Clinics in Johor

INTRODUCTION

Despite the benefits of cervical cancer screening, Pap smear uptake remains variable in Malaysia, with Johor previously reported as the state with the lowest uptake. This study aims to fill the gap in epidemiological knowledge and assess factors affecting the uptake of Pap smear screening among women in Johor.

METHODS

A cross-sectional study was conducted in several government and private clinics across Johor, including Pagoh, Muar, Batu Pahat, Kulai, and Johor Bahru districts. Data was collected from 452 women using self-administered questionnaires, and logistic regression was performed to determine factors associated with Pap smear uptake.

RESULTS

Findings showed that 48.5% of the women reported having undergone Pap smear screening in the previous 3 years, and 40.0% and 51.3% of respondents accurately answered questions on symptoms and risk factors of cervical cancer, respectively. Increasing age (OR_ad. 2.322, 95% CI 1.708-3.158), being married (OR_adj 4.860, 95% CI 1.100-21.476), parity of ≥5 (OR_adj 8.381, 95% CI 1.326-52.958), young age at first pregnancy (OR_adj 0.932, 95% CI 0.877-0.991), knowledge of cervical cancer symptoms (OR_adj. 1.745, 95% CI 1.065-2.857), support from family (OR_adj 3.620, 95% CI 2.081-6.298), and contraception use (OR_adj 2.220, 95% CI 1.314-3.750) were significantly associated with increased Pap smear uptake among women visiting outpatient clinics in Johor.

CONCLUSION

Pap smear uptake remains suboptimal in Johor, and broad-based awareness campaigns tailored towards improving knowledge of cervical cancer with family involvement are crucial to improving uptake among women in Johor.

A population survey on beliefs around cervical cancer screening: determining the barriers and facilitators associated with attendance

Background

Cervical screening saves approximately 5000 lives annually in England. However, screening rates have been falling continuously, and coverage in London is particularly low (64.7%). While demographic predictors of uptake have been well researched, there has been less thorough investigation of the individual barriers and facilitators which predict cervical screening attendance. Understanding modifiable factors influencing attendance can guide the design of effective interventions to increase cervical screening uptake. The aim of this study was to understand the demographic, and individual factors associated with self-reported attendance at cervical screening in London.

Methods

The study used an online survey of 500 women in London (June-July 2017). The survey included self-reported measures of past attendance, demographic variables (including age, household income, ethnicity), past experience variables, and individual variables (list of potential barriers and facilitators developed based on the Theoretical Domains Framework and existing literature, which included: environmental context and resources, perceived risk, anticipated pain/embarrassment). Participants were categorised into regular attenders and non-regular attenders. Backwards stepwise logistic regression investigated the barriers and facilitators predicting past attendance. Demographic variables with significant differences between regular and non-regular attenders were added to the final regression model.

Results

Of women who had previously been invited (n = 461, age range: 25–65), 34.5% (n = 159) were classified as non-regular attenders, and 65.5% (n = 302) as regular attenders. The individual barriers and facilitators predicting attendance were: cervical screening priority, memory, environmental context and resources, and intention. The only demographic variables related to regular attendance were relationship status (married/civil partnership having higher rates than single) and higher household income. Relationship status was not significant when adjusting for barriers and facilitators. Those who have ever been sexually active or who have had an STI in the past were significantly more likely to be regular attenders.

Conclusions

The study shows the importance of individual barriers and facilitators in predicting self-reported cervical screening attendance. Household income was the only significant demographic variable when combined with the individual variables. Interventions targeting priority, memory, and practical barriers affecting environmental context may be expected to be effective an increasing attendance.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-022-09529-w.

Use of Cervical Cancer Screening among Patients of Primary Healthcare Services: Northeast Portugal

<b><i>Background:</i></b> Understanding the overuse and underuse of cervical cancer (CC) screening plays a role in preventing such behaviours, allowing to maximize the CC screening uptake. <b><i>Aim:</i></b> To assess the predictors of being over-screened and never/under-screened in CC screening in Northeast Portugal. <b><i>Methods:</i></b> This is a part of a larger cross-sectional survey carried out in two public health centres in Northeast Portugal (October 2017 to June 2018). Data collection was based on a face-to-face interview. This analysis included 764 women (aged 25–60 years) classified according to the use of CC screening into guideline-consistent screened, over-screened and unscreened/under-screened. Multivariate logistic regression models were conducted to assess predictors of being over-screened and never/under-screened. Adjusted odds ratio (OR) and respective 95% confidence interval (95% CI) were obtained. <b><i>Results:</i></b> One-fourth (<i>n</i> = 197) of participants were unscreened/under-screened and 50.0% (<i>n</i> = 382) of them were classified as over-screened. Regular visits with primary care physicians (OR = 0.44; 95% CI: 0.26–0.76) and higher age (OR = 0.98; 95% CI: 0.96–1.00) reduced the odds of being unscreened/under-screened. Women who received prescription/recommendation for CC screening from primary care physician (OR = 1.89; 95% CI: 1.09–3.29) or both primary care physician and nurse (OR = 2.62; 95% CI: 1.10–6.22) were more likely to be over-screened. Higher level of CC health literacy decreases the odds of being over-screened (OR = 0.95; 95% CI: 0.90–1.00) and unscreened/under-screened (OR = 0.87; 95% CI: 0.82–0.92). The majority of over-screened (52.2%) and of under-screened (44.2%) women reported that their screening frequency was based on healthcare provider prescription. Among never-screened women, 60.2% reported that no one prescribed screening. <b><i>Conclusion:</i></b> The increase in CC health literacy can maximize CC screening uptake. Primary healthcare providers could play a role in preventing the overuse and underuse of CC screening.

Regional differences in cervical cancer incidence and associated risk behaviors among Norwegian women: a population-based study

Background

Cervical cancer incidence is influenced by screening and risk factors in the population. The main risk factor for cervical cancer is sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV), which is sexually transmitted and thus associated with sexual behavior. Smoking, parity and hormonal contraceptive use may also be associated with cervical cancer risk. We compared incidence, screening coverage and risk behaviors for cervical cancer between health regions in Norway.

Methods

We obtained data on incidence of cervical cancer among Norwegian women during 1992–2016 and data on screening coverage from the Cancer Registry of Norway. We obtained data on sexual behavior and smoking from a population-based survey of 16,575 Norwegian women who were 18–45 years old in 2005.

Results

Cervical cancer incidence was higher in the northern and southeastern region than in the middle and western region (range in incidence per 100,000 person-years during 1992–2016; north: 10.5 to 14.6; southeast: 9.3 to 12.9; mid: 6.8 to 9.5; west: 8.4 to 10.0). The incidence decreased modestly in the north (average annual percentage change (95% confidence interval) − 1.0 (− 1.2 to − 0.7)) and southeast (− 0.7 (− 1.0 to − 0.3)), but did not change significantly in the mid (− 0.3 (− 1.0 to 0.4)) and west (− 0.3 (− 0.6 to 0.0)). Compared to the national average, women in the north had earlier sexual debut, more partners and higher prevalence of ever having had a sexually transmitted infection (STI), while the opposite was observed among women in the west. Women in the middle and southeastern regions tended to be similar to the national average for sexual behaviors. Although less pronounced, the prevalence of smoking showed regional patterns similar to that observed for sexual behaviors, while ever-use of hormonal contraceptives and cervical screening coverage was similar between regions.

Conclusions

There were regional differences in cervical cancer incidence during the era of nationally organized cervical screening in Norway. To some extent, these differences corresponded to regional differences in risk behavior for cervical cancer in the Norwegian female population.

Supplementary Information

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12885-021-08614-w.

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.

Long-term protection of HPV test in women at risk of cervical cancer

Objective

To evaluate the 9-year incidence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN2+) and cumulative adherence to perform a next test in a cohort of women aged 40+ years with no cervical screening cytology within a window of 5 years (underscreened women), after baseline cervical cytology and HPV tests.

Methods

In Catalonia, Spain, co-testing with cytology and HPV test has been recommended in the Public Health system since 2006 for underscreened women. In 2007, 1,594 women with underscreened criteria were identified and followed through medical records form Pathological Department. 9-year cumulative incidence of histologically confirmed CIN2+ and cumulative adherence to perform a next test were estimated using Kaplan-Meier statistics.

Results

Follow-up was available for 1,009 women (63.3%) resulting in 23 women with. CIN2+ (2.3%). Of them, 4 women (17%) had both tests negative at baseline (3CIN2 and 1CIN3) with cumulative incidence of CIN2+ of 0.4% (95% CI: 0.1–1.4) at 5-years and 1.3% (95% CI: 0.4–3.7) at 9-years. During the first year, the prevalence among women with both tests positive was 27.0% (95% CI: 13.0–50.6) for CIN2+. Lost to follow-up was higher among women with both tests negative compared to those with both positive tests (38.7% vs 4.2%, p-value <0.001). 40.5% of the women HPV-/cyto- had a re-screening test during the 4 years following the baseline, increasing until 53.5% during the 6 years of follow-up.

Conclusions

HPV detection shows a high longitudinal predictive value at 9-year to identify women at risk to develop CIN2+. The data validate a safe extension of the 3-year screening intervals (current screening interval) to 5-year intervals in underscreened women that had negative HPV result at baseline. It is necessary to establish mechanisms to ensure screening participation and adequate follow-up for these women.

Non-participation in cervical cancer screening according to health, lifestyle and sexual behavior: A population-based study of nearly 15,000 Danish women aged 23-45 years

High participation in cervical cancer screening is essential for an effective screening program. In this population-based study, we investigated associations between general health, lifestyle and sexual behavior, and non-participation in cervical cancer screening in Denmark. During 2011-2012, a random sample of women aged 18-45 years from the general female population were invited to participate in a survey regarding health, lifestyle and sexual habits. Altogether 18,631 women responded (response rate: 75.1%), of whom 14,271 women aged 23-45 years were included in this analysis. Information on screening participation within four years after response, and data on sociodemographic characteristics, was obtained from nationwide registers. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) for non-participation, crude and adjusted for sociodemographic characteristics. Overall, 13.9% of the women were not screened during follow-up. The odds of non-participation was increased in women who were overweight (OR_adj. = 1.20; 95% CI, 1.06-1.35), obese (OR_adj. = 1.46; 95% CI, 1.27-1.67), perceived themselves as much too fat (OR_adj. = 1.50; 95% CI, 1.29-1.74), had poor self-perceived health (OR_adj. = 1.22; 95% CI, 1.03-1.45) or smoked daily (OR_adj. = 1.81; 95% CI, 1.61-2.03). Conversely, women with previous genital warts or other sexually transmitted infections, and young women with ≥10 lifetime sexual partners or ≥2 new recent partners, had decreased odds of non-participation. In conclusion, obesity, poor self-perceived health and daily smoking were associated with lower participation in cervical cancer screening. Interventions targeting these groups are needed.

Reasons for Not Attending Cervical Cancer Screening and Associated Factors in Rural Ethiopia

Social, economic, and cultural factors have been associated with the level of participation in cervical cancer screening programs. This study identified factors associated with nonparticipation in cervical cancer screening, as well as reasons for not attending, in the context of a population-based, cluster-randomized trial in Ethiopia. A total of 2,356 women aged 30 to 49 years in 22 clusters were invited to receive one of two screening approaches, namely human papillomavirus (HPV) self-sampling or visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA). Participants and nonparticipants were analyzed according to their sociodemographic and economic characteristics. Reasons were determined for the refusal of women to participate in either screening method. More women in the VIA arm compared to the HPV arm declined participation in the screening [adjusted OR (AOR) 3.5; 95% confidence interval (CI), 2.6-4.8]. Women who declined attending screening were more often living in rural areas (AOR = 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1-3.5) and were engaged in informal occupations (AOR = 1.6; 95% CI, 1.1-2.4). The majority of nonattendants perceived themselves to be at no risk of cervical cancer (83.1%). The main reasons given for not attending screening for both screening approaches were lack of time to attend screening, self-assertion of being healthy, and fear of screening. We found that perceived time constraints and the perception of being at no risk of getting the disease were the most important barriers to screening. Living in rural settings and informal occupation were also associated with lower participation. Offering a swift and convenient screening service could increase the participation of women in cervical cancer screening at the community level.

Knowledge and experience of a cohort of HIV-positive and HIV-negative Ghanaian women after undergoing human papillomavirus and cervical cancer screening

Background

Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in women in Ghana, but knowledge and experience of women who have had cervical screening is under-evaluated. This study examined knowledge and understanding of HPV and cervical cancer and evaluated experiences of screening in a cohort of women of mixed HIV status.

Methods

This was a mixed methods study using questionnaires and focus group discussions, with a knowledge score constructed from the questionnaire. HIV-positive and HIV-negative women were recruited from a larger cervical screening study in Ghana and were interviewed 6 months after receiving screening. Quantitative data was analyzed and triangulated with qualitative data following thematic analysis using the framework approach.

Results

A total of 131 women were included (HIV-positive, n = 60). Over 80% of participants had a knowledge score deemed adequate. There was no difference between HIV-status groups in overall knowledge scores (p = 0.1), but variation was seen in individual knowledge items. HIV-positive women were more likely to correctly identify HPV as being sexually-transmitted (p = 0.05), and HIV negative women to correctly identify the stages in developing cervical cancer (p = < 0.0001).

HIV-positive women mostly described acquisition of HPV in stigmatising terms. The early asymptomatic phase of cervical cancer made it difficult for women to define “what” cancer was versus “what” HPV infection was. All women expressed that they found it difficult waiting for their screening results but that receiving information and counselling from health workers alleviated anxiety.

Conclusions

Knowledge of women who had participated in a cervical screening study was good, but specific misconceptions existed. HIV-positive women had similar levels of knowledge to HIV-negative, but different misconceptions. Women expressed generally positive views about screening, but did experience distress. A standardized education tool explaining cervical screening and relevance specifically of HPV-DNA results in Ghana should be developed, taking into consideration the different needs of HIV-positive women.

Organised Versus Opportunistic Cervical Cancer Screening in Urban and Rural Regions of Lithuania

Background and Objectives: In 2004, Lithuania started the Nationwide Cervical Cancer Screening Programme. However, screening is more opportunistic than population-wide and the programme’s coverage is insufficient. The aim of this study was to assess the effect of systematic personal invitation on coverage of cervical cancer (CC) screening in urban and rural regions of Lithuania. Materials and Methods: The study was conducted in an urban primary healthcare centre (PHCC) and in a rural PHCC, where prevailing CC screening practice was highly opportunistic. Over the first year, all women aged 25–60 who had not received a Pap smear test within the last three years in urban (n = 1591) and rural (n = 1843) PHCCs received a personal invitation letter to participate in the screening. Over the second year, the reminder letter was sent to the non-attendees (n = 1042 in urban and n = 929 in rural PHCCs). A random sample of women (n = 93), who did not attend for screening after two letters, was contacted by phone in order to identify the barriers of non-attendance. Results: Before the study, only 9.6% of the target population in urban and 14.7% in rural PHCCs participated in CC screening. After the first invitation letter, the participation in CC screening increased up to 24.6% in urban and 30.8% in rural areas (p < 0.001). After the reminder letter, the attendance was 16.4% in urban and 22.2% in rural PHCCs (p < 0.001). The most common barriers for the non-attendance were lack of time, long waiting time for family doctor’s appointment, worries that a Pap test might be unpleasant and preventive gynaecological examination outside of the screening program. Conclusions: A systematic personal invitation with one reminder letter significantly increased the coverage of CC screening and was more effective in rural regions than in urban regions. The assessed barriers for non-attendance can be used to improve the coverage of screening.

Perspectives of non-attenders for cervical cancer screening in Norway: a qualitative focus group study

OBJECTIVE

The attendance rate for cervical cancer screening in Norway is currently suboptimal at 69%, and an in-depth understanding of postponement of cervical cancer screening from the perspective of non-attenders is lacking. This study aims to generate knowledge about how non-attenders for cervical cancer screening reflect on booking a screening appointment.

METHODS

Using the Norwegian cervical cancer screening registry, we identified and recruited women who were non-attenders to screening. Nine focus group interviews were carried out, with 41 women participating in the interviews.

RESULTS

Four main themes were generated, which provide a comprehensive understanding of how women who are overdue for screening reflect on their hesitancy to book a screening appointment: 'It's easy to forget about it', 'Women have to arrange their own appointment', 'It has to be a 'must'' and 'It's a humiliating situation'.

CONCLUSION

The degree to which women regard screening as important is affected by the nudging strategies employed in the screening programme and the facilitation of attendance provided by healthcare services. Dependence on one's personal initiative to schedule a screening appointment and perception of a lack of responsibility on the part of healthcare services to attend screening may undermine informed and shared decision-making about screening attendance.

FightHPV: Design and Evaluation of a Mobile Game to Raise Awareness About Human Papillomavirus and Nudge People to Take Action Against Cervical Cancer

Background

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection globally. High-risk HPV types can cause cervical cancer, other anogenital cancer, and oropharyngeal cancer; low-risk HPV types can cause genital warts. Cervical cancer is highly preventable through HPV vaccination and screening; however, a lack of awareness and knowledge of HPV and these preventive strategies represents an important barrier to reducing the burden of the disease. The rapid development and widespread use of mobile technologies in the last few years present an opportunity to overcome this lack of knowledge and create new, effective, and modern health communication strategies.

Objective

This study aimed to describe the development of a mobile app called FightHPV, a game-based learning tool that educates mobile technology users about HPV, the disease risks associated with HPV infection, and existing preventive methods.

Methods

The first version of FightHPV was improved in a design-development-evaluation loop, which incorporated feedback from a beta testing study of 40 participants, a first focus group of 6 participants aged between 40 and 50 years and a second focus group of 23 participants aged between 16 and 18 years. Gameplay data from the beta testing study were collected using Google Analytics (Google), whereas feedback from focus groups was evaluated qualitatively. Of the 29 focus group participants, 26 returned self-administered questionnaires. HPV knowledge before and after playing the game was evaluated in the 22 participants from the second focus group who returned a questionnaire.

Results

FightHPV communicates concepts about HPV, associated diseases and their prevention by representing relationships among 14 characters in 6 episodes of 10 levels each, with each level being represented by a puzzle. Main concepts were reinforced with text explanations. Beta testing revealed that many players either failed or had to retry several times before succeeding at the more difficult levels in the game. It also revealed that players gave up at around level 47 of 60, which prompted the redesign of FightHPV to increase accessibility to all episodes. Focus group discussions led to several improvements in the user experience and dissemination of health information in the game, such as making all episodes available from the beginning of the game and rewriting the information in a more appealing way. Among the 26 focus group participants who returned a questionnaire, all stated that FightHPV is an appealing educational tool, 69% (18/26) reported that they liked the game, and 81% (21/26) stated that the game was challenging. We observed an increase in HPV knowledge after playing the game (P=.001).

Conclusions

FightHPV was easy to access, use, and it increased awareness about HPV infection, its consequences, and preventive measures. FightHPV can be used to educate people to take action against HPV and cervical cancer.

Pap tests for cervical cancer screening test and contraception: analysis of data from the CONSTANCES cohort study

BACKGROUND

In France, a Pap test for cervical cancer screening is recommended every three years for all sexually active women aged 25 to 65 years. Modes of contraception (any or no contraception, with or without a visit to a physician, and with or without a gynecological examination) may influence adhesion to screening: women who use intrauterine device (IUD) should be more up to date with their cervical cancer screening more often than those using other means of contraception. Our objectives were to analyze the association between modes of contraception and Pap tests for screening.

METHODS

This cross sectional study is based on the CONSTANCES cohort enabled us to include 16,764 women aged 25-50 years. The factors associated with adhesion to cervical cancer screening (defined by a report of a Pap test within the previous 3 years) was modeled by logistic regression. Missing data were imputed by using multiple imputations. The multivariate analyses were adjusted for sex life, social and demographic characteristics, and health status.

RESULTS

Overall, 11.2% (1875) of the women reported that they were overdue for Pap test screening. In the multivariate analysis there was no significant difference between women using an IUD and those pills or implant of pap test overdue ORa:0.9 CI95% [0.8-1.1], ORa 1.3 CI95% [0.7-2.7] respectively. Women not using contraceptives and those using non-medical contraceptives (condoms, spermicides, etc.) were overdue more often ORa: 2.6 CI95% [2.2-3.0] and ORa: 1.8 CI95% [1.6-2.1] respectively than those using an IUD.

CONCLUSION

Women seeing medical professionals for contraception are more likely to have Pap tests.

Association Between Adherence to Cancer Screening and Knowledge of Screening Guidelines: Feasibility Study Linking Self-Reported Survey Data With Medical Records

BACKGROUND

It is possible that patients who are more aware of cancer screening guidelines may be more likely to adhere to them.

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study was to determine whether screening knowledge was associated with the documented screening participation. We also assessed the feasibility and acceptability of linking electronic survey data with clinical data in the primary care setting.

METHODS

We conducted an electronic survey at 2 sites in Toronto, Canada. At one site, eligible patients were approached in the waiting room to complete the survey; at the second site, eligible patients were sent an email inviting them to participate. All participants were asked to consent to the linkage of their survey results with their electronic medical record.

RESULTS

Overall, 1683 participants responded to the survey-247 responded in the waiting room (response rate, 247/366, 67.5%), whereas 1436 responded through email (response rate, 1436/5779, 24.8%). More than 80% (199/247 and 1245/1436) of participants consented to linking their survey data to their medical record. Knowledge of cancer screening guidelines was generally low. Although the majority of participants were able to identify the recommended tests for breast and cervical screening, very few participants correctly identified the recommended age and frequency of screening, with a maximum of 22% (21/95) of screen-eligible women correctly answering all 3 questions for breast cancer screening. However, this low level of knowledge among patients was not significantly associated with screening uptake, particularly after adjustment for sociodemographic characteristics.

CONCLUSIONS

Although knowledge of screening guidelines was low among patients in our study, this was not associated with screening participation. Participants were willing to link self-reported data with their medical record data, which has substantial implications for future research.

Factors associated with non-participation in cervical cancer screening - A nationwide study of nearly half a million women in Denmark

Cervical cancer occurs most often in under-screened women. In this nationwide register study, we described differences in sociodemographic characteristics between passive and active non-participants and examined socio-demographic characteristics, reproductive history, and mental and physical health as potential determinants for passive non-participation compared with participation in the Danish cervical cancer screening program. Screening history in women aged 23-49 years invited for cervical cancer screening in 2008-2009 was retrieved from the Danish Pathology Databank with information about dates of invitation and unsubscription. We identified participants (n = 402,984), active non-participants (n = 10,251) and passive non-participants (n = 63,435) within four years following baseline invitation and retrieved data about the study population from high-quality registries. We examined differences in socio-demographic characteristics of passive and active non-participants, and used multiple logistic regression analyses to identify potential determinants of passive non-participation. We found that active and passive non-participants differed in relation to socio-demography. When compared with screening participants, the odds of passive non-participation was increased in women who originated from less developed countries; were unmarried; had basic education or low income; had four or more children; smoked during pregnancy; had multiple induced abortions; or had a history of obesity, intoxicant abuse or schizophrenia or other psychoses. In conclusion, in this nationwide, prospective, population-based study, differences in socio-demographic characteristics between passive and active non-participants were found. Furthermore, sociodemography, reproductive history, and mental and physical health were determinants for passive non-participation. Addressing inequalities in screening attendance may help to further decrease the incidence of and mortality from cervical cancer.

Self-Sampling for Human Papillomavirus Testing: Increased Cervical Cancer Screening Participation and Incorporation in International Screening Programs

In most industrialized countries, screening programs for cervical cancer have shifted from cytology (Pap smear or ThinPrep) alone on clinician-obtained samples to the addition of screening for human papillomavirus (HPV), its main causative agent. For HPV testing, self-sampling instead of clinician-sampling has proven to be equally accurate, in particular for assays that use nucleic acid amplification techniques. In addition, HPV testing of self-collected samples in combination with a follow-up Pap smear in case of a positive result is more effective in detecting precancerous lesions than a Pap smear alone. Self-sampling for HPV testing has already been adopted by some countries, while others have started trials to evaluate its incorporation into national cervical cancer screening programs. Self-sampling may result in more individuals willing to participate in cervical cancer screening, because it removes many of the barriers that prevent women, especially those in low socioeconomic and minority populations, from participating in regular screening programs. Several studies have shown that the majority of women who have been underscreened but who tested HPV-positive in a self-obtained sample will visit a clinic for follow-up diagnosis and management. In addition, a self-collected sample can also be used for vaginal microbiome analysis, which can provide additional information about HPV infection persistence as well as vaginal health in general.

Education predicts cervical cancer survival: a Lithuanian cohort study

Background

: We examined inequalities in cervical cancer survival in Lithuania by education and place of residence. : The study is based on the linked dataset that includes all records of the 2001 population Census, all records from Lithuanian Cancer Registry (cancer incidence) and all death and emigration records from Statistics Lithuania for the period between 6 April 2001 and 31 December 2009. The study group includes cervical cancers registered in the Cancer Registry from 1 January 2002 to 31 December 2006. Analysis was restricted to women who were 25-64 years old at the Census date (in total 1 866 cases). : During the study period there were 671 deaths corresponding to an overall 5-year survival proportion 64.13% (95% CI 61.86-66.31). Place of residence and education of cervical cancer patients had strong impact on survival; 5-year survival was higher in women living in urban areas than in rural (68.61 and 55.93%) and survival decreased with decreasing education: from 79.77% in highest education group to 64.85 and 50.48% in groups with secondary and lower than secondary education. The effect of place of residence declined when stage of disease was included in the model and became not significant in final model with education adjustment. The effect of education declined after inclusion of stage and other variables, however, remained significant. : We found that women with higher education experienced higher survival following a cervical cancer diagnosis, and stage of disease at the time of diagnosis explains only the part of observed differences.

Do Cervical Cancer Patients Diagnosed with Opportunistic Screening Live Longer? An Arkhangelsk Cancer Registry Study

The aim of the current study was to compare cervical cancer (СС) patients diagnosed with and without screening in terms of: (i) sociodemographic and clinical characteristics; (ii) factors associated with survival; and (iii), and levels of risk. A registry-based study was conducted using data from the Arkhangelsk Cancer Registry. It included women with newly diagnosed malignant neoplasm of the uterine cervix during the period of 1 January 2005 to 11 November 2016 (N = 1548). The Kaplan-Meier method, the log-rank test, and Cox regression were applied. Most participants who were diagnosed by screening were at stage I and died less frequently from CC than those diagnosed without screening. The latter group was also diagnosed with СС at a younger age and died younger. Younger individuals and urban residents diagnosed with stage I and II, squamous cell carcinoma had longer survival times. Cox regression modeling indicated that the hazard ratio for death among women with CC diagnosed without screening was 1.61 (unadjusted) and 1.37 (adjusted). CC diagnosed by screening, cancer stage, patient residence, histological tumor type, and age at diagnosis were independent prognostic variables of longer survival time with CC. Diagnosis of CC made within a screening program improved survival.

Personal and provider level factors influence participation to cervical cancer screening: A retrospective register-based study of 1.3 million women in Norway

High coverage is essential for an effective screening programme. Here we present screening barriers and facilitators among 1.3 million women aged 25-69years eligible for screening within the Norwegian Cervical Cancer Screening Program (NCCSP). We defined non-adherence as no screening test in 2008-2012. We divided adherent women into those screened spontaneously, and those who had a smear after receiving a reminder from the NCCSP. Explanatory variables were extracted from several nationwide registers, and modelled by modified Poisson regression. In total, 34% of women were non-adherent. 31% of native Norwegians were non-adherent, compared to 50% of immigrants. Immigrant status was a strong predictor of non-adherence, but the vast majority of non-adherent women were still native Norwegians. Higher non-adherence rates were associated with having a male general practitioner (GP), a foreign GP, a young GP, and distance to the screening site. Being unmarried, having no children, having lower socioeconomic position and region of residence predicted non-adherence and, to a smaller extent, reminded adherence to screening. In contrast, previous experience with cervical abnormalities substantially increased adherence to screening. The population-based screening programme promotes equity by recruiting women who are less likely to participate spontaneously. However, socioeconomic disparities were evident in a country with a nationwide programme and a policy of equal access to health care. Initiatives aimed at removing practical and financial barriers to equitable screening delivery and at reducing the effect of sociodemographic attributes on screening participation are needed.

Why Do Chilean Women Choose to Have or Not Have Pap Tests?

OBJECTIVE

To describe the perceptions of Chilean women about why women choose to have or not have Pap test screening.

DESIGN

Qualitative research using content analysis according to Krippendorf.

SETTING

Four urban health clinics in Santiago, Chile.

PARTICIPANTS

Fifty-seven Chilean women.

METHODS

Audiotaped focus groups.

RESULTS

Six themes emerged: Reasons that make it difficult for women to schedule appointments, Characteristics of health professionals that make it difficult to have a Pap test, Characteristics of the test that are barriers to having a Pap test, The relationship of the test with cancer, Family context, and Each woman's personal characteristics.

CONCLUSION

Primary health care providers play an important role in promoting adherence to cervical cancer screening. Nurses should proactively address women's perceptions and knowledge about screening and openly and uniformly discuss the importance and benefits of Pap test screening.

Increasing attendance in a cervical cancer screening programme by personal invitation: experience of a Lithuanian primary health care centre

BACKGROUND

High participation rates are an essential component of an effective screening programme and many approaches were introduced as being successful for enhancing compliance to screening guidelines. The aim of this study was to evaluate to which extent a personal invitation by mail increases the rate of attendance in a cervical cancer screening programme in a primary health care centre.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study was carried out as a pilot project to gain insight into feasibility of applying a well-known compliance increasing measure in Lithuanian population. The study included a sample of women registered at the primary health care centre in Panevėžys who had not participated in the cervical cancer screening programme for six and more years. Personal registered invitation letters to attend the primary health care centre for a Pap smear were sent out to 1789 women by mail.

RESULTS

In total, 2195 women were tested during 2011 at the primary health care centre. 487 (22.2%) of them attended the screening programme after receiving a personal invitation letter. Response rate for attending screening after receiving a personal invitation letter was 27.3%.

CONCLUSIONS

Our study demonstrated that personal invitation letters addressed to long-term non-attendees could markedly increase participation in cervical cancer screening in Lithuania.

Impact of scheduled appointments on cervical screening participation in Norway: a randomised intervention

BACKGROUND

The main barrier to optimal effect in many established population-based screening programmes against cervical cancer is low participation. In Norway, a routine health service integrated population-based screening programme has been running since 1995, using open invitations and reminders. The aim of this randomised health service study was to pilot scheduled appointments and assess their potential for increased participation.

METHODS

Within the national screening programme, we randomised 1087 women overdue for screening to receive invitations with scheduled appointments (intervention) or the standard open reminders (control). Letters were sent 2-4 weeks before the scheduled appointments at three centres: a midwife clinic, a public healthcare centre and a general practitioner centre. The primary outcome was participation at 6 months of follow-up. Secondary outcomes were participation at 1 and 3 months. Risk ratios (RRs) overall, and stratified by screening centre, age group and previous participation, were calculated using log-binomial regression.

RESULTS

At 6 months, 20% of the 510 women in the control group and 37% of the 526 women in the intervention group had participated in screening, excluding 51 women in total from analysis due to participation just before invitation and therefore not yet visible in the central records. The RR for participation at 6 months was 1.9 (95% CI 1.5 to 2.3). There was no significant heterogeneity between centres or age groups. Participation increased among women both with (RR 1.7; 95% CI 1.4 to 2.1) and without (RR 3.5; 95% CI 1.3 to 9.2) previous participation. The RRs for participation at 1 and 3 months were 4.0 (95% CI 2.6 to 6.2) and 2.7 (95% CI 2.1 to 3.5), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Scheduled appointments increased screening participation consistently across all target ages and screening centres among women overdue for screening. Participation increased also among women with no previous records of cervical screening.

Characteristics of men responding to an invitation to undergo testing for prostate cancer as part of a randomised trial

BACKGROUND

Sociodemographic characteristics are associated with participating in cancer screening and trials. We compared the characteristics of those responding with those not responding to a single invitation for prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing for prostate cancer as part of the Cluster randomised triAl of PSA testing for Prostate cancer (CAP).

METHODS

Age, rurality and deprivation among 197,763 men from 271 cluster-randomised primary care centres in the UK were compared between those responding (n = 90,300) and those not responding (n = 100,953) to a prostate cancer testing invitation.

RESULTS

There was little difference in age between responders and nonresponders. Responders were slightly more likely to come from urban rather than rural areas and were slightly less deprived than those who did not respond.

CONCLUSION

These data indicate similarities in age and only minor differences in deprivation and urban location between responders and nonresponders. These differences were smaller, but in the same direction as those observed in other screening trials.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

ISRCTN92187251 . Registered on 29 November 2004.

Increasing Pap smear rates at an urban Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service through translational research and continuous quality improvement

This article describes translational research (TR) and continuous quality improvement (CQI) processes used to identify and address barriers and facilitators to Pap smear screening within an urban Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Service (ACCHS). Rapid Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles were conducted, informed by client surveys, a data collection tool, focus groups and internal research. There was a statistically significant increase in Pap smear numbers during PDSA cycles, continuing at 10 months follow up. The use of TR with CQI appears to be an effective and acceptable way to affect Pap smear screening. Community and service collaboration should be at the core of research in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health settings. This model is transferrable to other settings and other health issues.

Self-Sampling for Human Papillomavirus Testing among Non-Attenders Increases Attendance to the Norwegian Cervical Cancer Screening Programme

Increasing attendance to screening offers the best potential for improving the effectiveness of well-established cervical cancer screening programs. Self-sampling at home for human papillomavirus (HPV) testing as an alternative to a clinical sampling can be a useful policy to increase attendance. To determine whether self-sampling improves screening attendance for women who do not regularly attend the Norwegian Cervical Cancer Screening Programme (NCCSP), 800 women aged 25–69 years in the Oslo area who were due to receive a 2^nd reminder to attend regular screening were randomly selected and invited to be part of the intervention group. Women in this group received one of two self-sampling devices, Evalyn Brush or Delphi Screener. To attend screening, women in the intervention group had the option of using the self-sampling device (self-sampling subgroup) or visiting their physician for a cervical smear. Self-sampled specimens were split and analyzed for the presence of high-risk (hr) HPV by the CLART® HPV2 test and the digene® Hybrid Capture (HC)2 test. The control group consisted of 2593 women who received a 2^nd reminder letter according to the current guidelines of the NCCSP. The attendance rates were 33.4% in the intervention group and 23.2% in the control group, with similar attendance rates for both self-sampling devices. Women in the self-sampling subgroup responded favorably to both self-sampling devices and cited not remembering receiving a call for screening as the most dominant reason for previous non-attendance. Thirty-two of 34 (94.1%) hrHPV-positive women in the self-sampling subgroup attended follow-up. In conclusion, self-sampling increased attendance rates and was feasible and well received. This study lends further support to the proposal that self-sampling may be a valuable alternative for increasing cervical cancer screening coverage in Norway.

Motivations and barriers to cervical cancer screening among HIV infected women in HIV care: a qualitative study

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer is the second commonest cancer in women worldwide and the commonest cancer among women in Uganda. Annual cervical screening is recommended for women living with HIV for early detection of abnormal cervical changes, however uptake remains grossly limited. This study assessed factors associated with cervical screening uptake among HIV infected women at Mildmay Uganda where cervical screening using Visual inspection with acetic acid and iodine (VIA and VILI) was integrated into HIV care since July 2009.

METHODS

Eighteen (18) in-depth interviews with HIV infected women and 6 key informant interviews with health care providers were conducted in April 2013 to assess client, health care provider and facility-related factors that affect cervical screening uptake. In-depth interview respondents included six HIV infected women in each of the following categories; women who had never screened, those who had screened once and missed follow-up annual screening, and those who had fully adhered to the annual screening schedule. Data was analyzed using content analysis method.

RESULTS

Motivations for cervical cancer screening included the need for comprehensive assessment, diagnosis, and management of all ailments to ensure good health, fear of consequences of cervical cancer, suspicion of being at risk and the desire to maintain a good relationship with health care workers. The following factors negatively impacted on uptake of cervical screening: Myths and misconceptions such as the belief that a woman's ovaries and uterus could be removed during screening, fear of pain associated with cervical screening, fear of undressing and the need for women to preserve their privacy, low perceived cervical cancer risk, shortage of health workers to routinely provide cervical cancer education and screening, and competing priorities for both provider and patient time. Major barriers to repeat screening included limited knowledge and appreciation of the need for repeat screening, and lack of reminders.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings highlight the need for client-centered counseling and support to overcome fears and misconceptions, and to innovatively address the human resource barriers to uptake of cervical cancer screening among HIV infected women.

Gender Differences in Elders' Participation in the National Cancer Screening Program: Evidence from the Korean National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2010-12

BACKGROUND

Cancer-screening programs are effective in reducing cancer prevalence and mortality; however, cancer remains the leading cause of death in elderly people in Korea. The aim of this study was to identify the factors associated with elders' participation in the National Cancer Screening Program (NCSP) and differences in screening rates by gender.

METHODS

Original data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition and Examination Survey were analyzed by logistic regression analysis. The sample consisted of 5,505 elderly individuals over age 60. Selected demographic variables, cancer screening participation, physical and psychological health status, and lifestyle were examined.

RESULTS

The NCSP participation rates decreased in both men and women as age increased. Private medical insurance (OR 95% CI: 1.04-1.78), one or more chronic disease (OR 95% CI: 1.07-1.71), and current smoker (OR 95% CI: 0.52-0.94) had the strongest associations with cancer screening participation among men after multivariate adjustment. In contrast, cancer screening participation among women was significantly associated only with living place (OR 95% CI: 1.06-2.203) after multivariate adjustment.

CONCLUSIONS

Effective health promoting interventions for elders require individualized programs that address gender-related factors associated with elders' participation in cancer screening programs.

Impact of opportunistic testing in a systematic cervical cancer screening program: a nationwide registry study

BACKGROUND

Systematic screening for precancerous cervical lesions has resulted in decreased incidence and mortality of cervical cancer. However, even in systematic screening programs, many women are still tested opportunistically. This study aimed to determine the spread of opportunistic testing in a systematic cervical cancer screening program, the impact of opportunistic testing in terms of detecting cytological abnormalities and examine the associations between sociodemography and opportunistic testing.

METHODS

A nationwide registry study was undertaken including women aged 23-49 years (n = 807,624) with a cervical cytology between 2010 and 2013. The women were categorised into: 1) screening after invitation; 2) routine opportunistic testing, if they were either tested more than 9 months after the latest invitation or between 2.5 years and 3 years after the latest cervical cytology and 3) sporadic opportunistic testing, if they were tested less than 2.5 years after the latest cervical cytology. Cytological diagnoses of women in each of the categories were identified and prevalence proportion differences (PPD) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to explore group differences. Associations between sociodemography and undergoing opportunistic testing were established by multinomial logistic regression.

RESULTS

In total, 28.8% of the cervical cytologies were due to either routine (20.7%) or sporadic (8.1%) opportunistic testing. Among women undergoing routine opportunistic testing, a larger proportion had high-grade squamous intraepithelial abnormalities than invited women (PPD: 0.6%, 95 % CI: 0.03-1.17%). A similar proportion of cytological abnormalities among women undergoing sporadic opportunistic testing and invited women was found. In multivariate analyses, younger age, being single or a social welfare recipient and residence region (North Denmark) were especially associated with opportunistic testing (routine or sporadic).

CONCLUSIONS

One fourth of cervical cytologies in this study were collected opportunistically. Compared to invited women, women undergoing routine opportunistic testing were more likely to be diagnosed with abnormal cytologies. Hence, routine opportunistic testing might serve as an important supplement to the systematic screening program by covering non-participating women who may otherwise be tested with a delay or not tested at all. Among women tested more often than recommended (sporadic testing), no benefits in terms of detecting more cytological abnormalities were identified.

When Life Got in the Way: How Danish and Norwegian Immigrant Women in Sweden Reason about Cervical Screening and Why They Postpone Attendance

Introduction

Danish and Norwegian immigrant women in Sweden have an increased risk of cervical cancer compared to Swedish-born women. In addition, Danish and Norwegian immigrant women follow the national recommendations for attendance at cervical screening to much lesser extent than Swedish-born women. The aim of this study was to explore how Danish and Norwegian immigrant women in Sweden reason about attending cervical screening, focusing on women’s perceptions as to why they and their compatriots do not attend.

Methods

Eight focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted with Danish and Norwegian immigrant women living in Stockholm. The women were between 26 and 66 years of age at the time of the FGDs, and were aged between <1 and 48 years old when they immigrated to Sweden. A FGD guide was used, which included questions related to cervical screening, and obstacles and motivators to attend cervical screening. The FGDs were tape recorded and transcribed, and the results analysed according to the principles of qualitative content analysis.

Results

The main theme was “Women have a comprehensive rationale for postponing cervical screening, yet do not view themselves as non-attenders”. Investigation of women’s rationale for non-attendance after being invited to cervical screening revealed some complex reasons related to immigration itself, including competing needs, organisational and structural factors and differences in mentality, but also reasons stemming from other factors. Postponing attendance at cervical screening was the category that linked all these factors as the reasons to why women did not attend to cervical screening according to the recommendations of the authorities.

Conclusions

The rationale used to postpone cervical screening, in combination with the fact that women do not consider themselves to be non-attenders, indicates that they have not actively taken a stance against cervical screening, and reveals an opportunity to motivate these women to attend.

Should the annual pelvic examination go the way of annual cervical cytology?

The value of pelvic examination for healthy asymptomatic women has been called into question given the lack of benefit for ovarian and endometrial cancer screening, the ability to screen for sexually transmitted infections without a pelvic examination, and the uncoupling of the procurement of contraception with a pelvic examination. Still, there are indications for performing pelvic examinations in symptomatic women and in some high risk women. How do we as clinicians apply current evidence and expert opinion to our medical practice? Our recommendation to consider a pelvic examination at 3-5-year intervals with cervical cancer screening to elicit gynecologic and sexual health concerns offers a compromise between continuation of unnecessary annual pelvic examinations and complete elimination of these examinations.

Improving cervical cancer screening attendance in Finland

High attendance is essential to cervical cancer screening results. Attendance in the Finnish program is currently at 70%, but extensive opportunistic screening occurs beside the organized. A shift from opportunistic to organized screening is imperative to optimize the costs and impact of screening and minimize potential harms. We evaluated the effect of reminder letters (1st reminder) and self-sampling test (2nd reminder) on program attendance. The study population consisted of 31,053 screening invitees in 31 Finnish municipalities. 8,284 non-attendees after one invitation received a reminder letter and 4,536 further non-attendees were offered a self-sampling option. Socioeconomic factors related to participation were clarified by combining screening data to data from Statistics Finland. Reminder letters increased participation from 72.6% (95% CI 72.1, 73.1) to 79.2% (95% CI 78.8, 79.7) and self-sampling further to 82.2% (95% CI 81.8, 82.7). Reminder letters with scheduled appointments resulted in higher increase than open invitations (10 vs. 6%). Screening of original non-attendees increased the yield of CIN3+ lesions by 24%. Non-attendance was associated with young age, immigrant background, lower education level and having never been married. We showed that a total attendance of well over 80% can be achieved within an organized program when the invitational protocol is carefully arranged.

Does the primary screening test influence women's anxiety and intention to screen for cervical cancer? A randomized survey of Norwegian women

BACKGROUND

Countries must decide whether or not to replace primary cytology-based screening with primary human papillomavirus (HPV)-based screening. We aimed to assess how primary screening for an HPV infection, a sexually transmitted infection (STI), and the type of information included in the invitation letter, will affect screening intention.

METHODS

We randomized a representative sample of Norwegian women to one of three invitation letters: 1) Pap smear, 2) HPV testing or 3) HPV testing with additional information about the nature of the infection. Intention to participate, anxiety level and whether women intend to follow-up abnormal results were measured between groups using chi-squared and nonparametric Kruskal-Wallis tests. Determinants of intention were explored using logistic regression.

RESULTS

Responses from 3540 women were representative of the Norwegian population with respect to age, civil status and geographic location. No significant difference across invitation letters was found in women's stated intention to participate (range: 91.8-92.3%), anxiety (39-42% were either quite or very worried) or to follow-up after an abnormal result (range: 97.1-97.6%). Strength of intention to participate was only marginally lower for HPV-based invitation letters, albeit significant (p-value = 0.008), when measured on a scale. Only 36-40% of respondents given the HPV invitations correctly understood that they likely had an STI.

CONCLUSIONS

We found that switching to primary HPV screening, independent of additional information about HPV infections, is not likely to reduce screening participation rates or increase anxiety; however, women lacked the ability to interpret the meaning of an HPV-test result.

The value of improving failures within a cervical cancer screening program: an example from Norway

Failures in cervical cancer (CC) screening include nonparticipation, underscreening and loss to follow-up of abnormal results. We estimated the long-term health benefits from and maximum investments in interventions targeted to improving compliance to guidelines while remaining cost-effective. We used a mathematical model empirically calibrated to simulate the natural history of CC in Norway. A baseline scenario reflecting current practice using cytology-based screening was compared to scenarios that target different sources of noncompliance: (i) failure to follow-up women with abnormal results, (ii) screening less frequently than recommended (i.e., underscreening) and (iii) absence of screening. A secondary analysis included human papillomavirus (HPV)-based screening as the primary test. Model outcomes included reductions in lifetime cancer risk and incremental net monetary benefit (INMB) resulting from improvements with compliance. Compared to the status quo, improving all sources of noncompliance leads to important health gains and produced positive INMBs across a range of developed-country willingness-to-pay (WTP) thresholds. For example, a 2% increase in compliance could reduce lifetime cancer risk by 1-3%, depending on the targeted source of noncompliance and primary screening method. Assuming a WTP threshold of $83,000 per year of life saved and cytology-based screening, interventions that increase follow-up of abnormal results yielded the highest INMB per 2% increase in coverage [$19 ($10-21)]. With HPV-based screening, recruiting nonscreeners resulted in the largest INMB [$23 ($18-32)]. Considerable funds could be allocated toward policies that improve compliance with screening under the current cytology-based program or toward adoption of primary HPV-based screening while remaining cost-effective.

Cervical screening uptake and its predictors among rural women in Malaysia

INTRODUCTION

Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer among Malaysian women. However, the uptake of cervical cancer screening--Pap smear--by women in Malaysia has been low and remains a challenge. This study was conducted to assess the cervical screening practices of rural women in Malaysia and to examine the factors associated with such practices.

METHODS

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in five rural districts in Perak, Malaysia. 1,000 households were selected through multistage random sampling. Women aged 20-64 years were interviewed by trained enumerators using structured questionnaires. Binomial logistic regression was used to identify predictors of cervical screening through univariate and multivariate analyses.

RESULTS

Among the 959 respondents, only 48.9% had undergone Pap smear at least once in the past three years. Women in the age group 40-49 years (odds ratio 3.027, 95% confidence interval 1.546-5.925; p < 0.005) were found to be significantly more likely to attend cervical cancer screening as compared to those in the age group 20-29 years. Other significant predictors were being married with children, having knowledge of cervical cancer symptoms, receiving relevant information regarding cervical cancer from health personnel or campaigns, being engaged in family planning and receiving encouragement from husbands.

CONCLUSION

Efforts to boost the uptake of Pap smear screening among the rural population should be targeted toward the predictors of positive uptake.