German evidence and consensus-based (S3) guideline: Vaccination recommendations for the prevention of HPV-associated lesions

Anogenital and oropharyngeal infections with human papilloma viruses (HPV) are common. Clinically manifest disease may significantly impact quality of life; the treatment of HPV-associated lesions is associated with a high rate of recurrence and invasive neoplasms, such as cervical, anal, vulvar, penile, and oropharyngeal cancers, which are characterized by significant morbidity and mortality. Vaccination against HPV is an effective and safe measure for the primary prevention of HPV-associated lesions, but immunization rates are still low in Germany. The present publication is an abridged version of the German evidence and consensus-based guideline "Vaccination recommendations for the prevention of HPV-associated lesions", which is available on the website of the German Association of the Scientific Medical Societies (AWMF). On the basis of a systematic review with meta-analyses, a representative panel developed and agreed upon recommendations for the vaccination of different populations against HPV. In addition, consensus-based recommendations were developed for specific issues relevant to everyday practice. Based on current evidence and a representative expert consensus, these recommendations are intended to provide guidance in a field in which there is often uncertainty and in which both patients and health care providers are sometimes confronted with controversial and emotionally charged points of view.

Association of genomic variants at the human leukocyte antigen locus with cervical cancer risk, HPV status and gene expression levels

The human leukocyte antigen (HLA) locus on chromosome 6 has been reported to be associated with cervical cancer. We investigated two independent single-nucleotide polymorphisms in a large case-control series of cervical dysplasia and carcinoma that has been newly established by the German Cervigen Consortium, comprising a total of 2481 cases and 1556 healthy females. We find significant associations for both variants, rs9272117 at HLA-DQA1 and rs2844511 at MICA and HCP5, with cervical disease. Both variants showed evidence of association with invasive cervical cancer (rs9272117: OR 0.89, 95% CI 0.79-0.99, P = .036; rs2844511: OR 1.17, 95% CI 1.04-1.31, P = .008) and with high-grade dysplasia (rs9272117: OR 0.78, 95% CI 0.70-0.87, P = 7.1 × 10^-6 ; rs2844511: OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.01-1.26, P = .035), as well as in a combined analysis of both groups (rs9272117: OR 0.83, 95% CI 0.75-0.91, P = 6.9 × 10^-5 ; rs2844511: OR 1.14, 95% CI 1.04-1.26, P = .005). Variant rs2844511, but not rs9272117, also showed modest evidence of association with low-grade dysplasia (OR 1.26, 95% CI 1.04-1.54, P = .019). In case-only analyses, rs2844511 tended to predict HPV status (P = .044) and rs9272117 tended to associate with HPV16 (P = .022). RNA studies in cervical samples showed a significant correlation in the transcript levels of MICA, HCP5 and HLA-DQA1, suggesting extensive co-regulation. All three genes were upregulated in HPV16-positive samples. In stratified analyses, rs9272117 was associated with HLA-DQA1 levels, specifically in HPV-positive samples, while rs2844511 was associated with MICA and HCP5 levels. The risk allele of rs2844511 was required for correlations between MICA or HCP5 with HLA-DQA1. Altogether, our results support 6p21.32-33 as the first consistent cervical cancer susceptibility locus and provide evidence for a link between genetic risk variants, HPV16 status and transcript levels of HLA-DQA1, HCP5 and MICA, which may contribute to tumor immune evasion.

Estimation of the individual residual risk of cervical cancer after vaccination with the nonavalent HPV vaccine

BACKGROUND

The nonavalent HPV (9vHPV) vaccine is indicated for active immunisation of individuals from the age of 9 years against cervical, vulvar, vaginal and anal premalignant lesions and cancers causally related to vaccine HPV high risk types 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 and 58, and to the HPV low risk types 6 and 11, causing genital warts.

OBJECTIVE

To estimate the lifetime risk (up to the age of 75 years) for developing cervical cancer after vaccinating a HPV naïve girl (e.g. 9 to 12 years old) with the 9vHPV vaccine in the hypothetical absence of cervical cancer screening.

METHODS

We built Monte Carlo simulation models using historical pre-screening age-specific cancer incidence data and current mortality data from Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden and the UK. Estimates of genotype contribution fractions and vaccine efficacy were used to estimate the residual lifetime risk after vaccination assuming lifelong protection.

RESULTS

We estimated that, in the hypothetical absence of cervical screening and assuming lifelong protection, 9vHPV vaccination reduced the lifetime cervical cancer and mortality risks 7-fold with a residual lifetime cancer risks ranging from 1/572 (UK) to 1/238 (Denmark) and mortality risks ranging from 1/1488 (UK) to 1/851 (Denmark). After decades of repetitive cervical screenings, the lifetime cervical cancer and mortality risks was reduced between 2- and 4-fold depending on the country.

CONCLUSION

Our simulations demonstrate how evidence can be generated to support decision-making by individual healthcare seekers regarding cervical cancer prevention.

Punch biopsies shorten time to clearance of high-risk human papillomavirus infections of the uterine cervix

Background

The primary objective was to determine human papilloma virus (HPV) clearance rate after cervical biopsy among women with persistent high-risk HPV infection compared with spontaneous HPV clearance rate in the absence of biopsy.

Methods

We collected data from a dedicated screening program of women aged 30–70 years old. Inclusion criteria for the baseline non-interventional cohort were a positive HPV test (hybrid capture 2, HC2) and normal cytology. In the baseline cohort women were followed with approximately yearly HPV-tests and cytology until HPV regressed (one negative HPV test) or interventions in the form of diagnostic biopsies or therapy. Women who had a diagnostic biopsy were included in the biopsy cohort and followed until HPV regression or therapy. Observed HPV regression rates and time to HPV regression were compared between baseline and biopsy cohorts. For the comparison, we used Fisher’s exact test for the HPV regression rates and interval-censored, accelerated failure time model for time to HPV regression.

Results

Among the 1079 women included in the baseline cohort, 499 (46.3%) had HPV clearance and 475 were referred for colposcopy with biopsy. The biopsy cohort comprised all women who were not treated and had at least one HC2 test after biopsy (201/475; 42.3%). Of those, 138 (68.7%) experienced HPV regression. In the biopsy cohort, time to clearance of HPV infection was approximately halved (0.46, 95% CI 0.38–0.56) compared with the baseline cohort. This result was robust in a wide range of sensitivity analyses.

Conclusions

A higher proportion of women cleared their HPV infection, and time to HPV clearance was shorter in the biopsy cohort than in the baseline cohort. It is reassuring for clinicians to know that conservative management of patients with HPV persistency is successful when colposcopy with biopsies excludes high-grade disease.

Incomplete excision of cervical precancer as a predictor of treatment failure: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Incomplete excision of cervical precancer is associated with therapeutic failure and is therefore considered as a quality indicator of clinical practice. Conversely, the risk of preterm birth is reported to correlate with size of cervical excision and therefore balancing the risk of adequate treatment with iatrogenic harm is challenging. We reviewed the literature with an aim to reveal whether incomplete excision, reflected by presence of precancerous tissue at the section margins, or post-treatment HPV testing are accurate predictors of treatment failure.

METHODS

We did a systematic review and meta-analysis to assess the risk of therapeutic failure associated with the histological status of the margins of the tissue excised to treat cervical precancer. We estimated the accuracy of the margin status to predict occurrence of residual or recurrent high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia of grade two or worse (CIN2+) and compared it with post-treatment high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) testing. We searched for published systematic reviews and new references from PubMed-MEDLINE, Embase, and CENTRAL and did also a new search spanning the period Jan 1, 1975, until Feb 1, 2016. Studies were eligible if women underwent treatment by excision of a histologically confirmed CIN2+ lesion, with verification of presence or absence of CIN at the resection margins; were tested by cytology or HPV assay between 3 months and 9 months after treatment; and had subsequent follow-up of at least 18 months post-treatment including histological confirmation of the occurrence of CIN2+. Primary endpoints were the proportion of positive section margins and the occurrence of treatment failure associated with the marginal status, in which treatment failure was defined as occurrence of residual or recurrent CIN2+. Information about positive resection margins and subsequent treatment failure was pooled using procedures for meta-analysis of binomial data and analysed using random-effects models.

FINDINGS

97 studies were eligible for inclusion in the meta-analysis and included 44 446 women treated for cervical precancer. The proportion of positive margins was 23·1% (95% CI 20·4-25·9) overall and varied by treatment procedure (ranging from 17·8% [12·9-23·2] for laser conisation to 25·9% [22·3-29·6] for large loop excision of the transformation zone) and increased by the severity of the treated lesion. The overall risk of residual or recurrent CIN2+ was 6·6% (95% CI 4·9-8·4) and was increased with positive compared with negative resection margins (relative risk 4·8, 95% CI 3·2-7·2). The pooled sensitivity and specificity to predict residual or recurrent CIN2+ was 55·8% (95% CI 45·8-65·5) and 84·4% (79·5-88·4), respectively, for the margin status, and 91·0% (82·3-95·5) and 83·8% (77·7-88·7), respectively, for high-risk HPV testing. A negative high-risk HPV test post treatment was associated with a risk of CIN2+ of 0·8%, whereas this risk was 3·7% when margins were free.

INTERPRETATION

The risk of residual or recurrent CIN2+ is significantly greater with involved margins on excisional treatment; however, high-risk HPV post-treatment predicts treatment failure more accurately than margin status.

FUNDING

European Federation for Colposcopy and Institut national du Cancer (INCA).

HPV-FASTER: broadening the scope for prevention of HPV-related cancer

Human papillomavirus (HPV)-related screening technologies and HPV vaccination offer enormous potential for cancer prevention, notably prevention of cervical cancer. The effectiveness of these approaches is, however, suboptimal owing to limited implementation of screening programmes and restricted indications for HPV vaccination. Trials of HPV vaccination in women aged up to 55 years have shown almost 90% protection from cervical precancer caused by HPV16/18 among HPV16/18-DNA-negative women. We propose extending routine vaccination programmes to women of up to 30 years of age (and to the 45-50-year age groups in some settings), paired with at least one HPV-screening test at age 30 years or older. Expanding the indications for HPV vaccination and much greater use of HPV testing in screening programmes has the potential to accelerate the decline in cervical cancer incidence. Such a combined protocol would represent an attractive approach for many health-care systems, in particular, countries in Central and Eastern Europe, Latin America, Asia, and some more-developed parts of Africa. The role of vaccination in women aged >30 years and the optimal number of HPV-screening tests required in vaccinated women remain important research issues. Cost-effectiveness models will help determine the optimal combination of HPV vaccination and screening in public health programmes, and to estimate the effects of such approaches in different populations.

Relevance of HPV Screening for Triaging Equivocal Cytology Findings in the Pap II-p, Pap III and Pap IIID Groups - Results of Two Long-Term Studies

Introduction: The use of HPV screening for the triage of ASC-US (atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance) cytology results has been established as a sound standard by international trials whereas the data for other cytology findings are in part contradictory. There is a lack of long-term studies on the use of HPV triage in Germany. Materials and Methods: For the present study data from a primary HPV screening project involving women aged over 30 years, ongoing since 2006, and an epidemiological study on women aged between 20 and 27 years, ongoing since 2009, were used. Upon recruitment, all women underwent a smear test for cytology and screening for "high-risk" HPV using Hybrid Capture 2 (HC2). If both tests were positive or if there were persisting remarkable cytology findings or a positive HPV test, then clarification by colposcopy was performed. Results: Altogether, among 282 women with Pap II-p (ASC-US), Pap III (ASC-H) or Pap IIID (LSIL + CIN2) and negative HPV test there was no case of CIN3+. Among the women under 30 years of age, however, 69 % (ASC-US) to 85 % (LSIL + CIN2) of the remarkable findings were HPV positive, also among the older women with Pap IIID, the 71 % prevalence of HPV was too high for a triage and even without triage there was a 23 % risk for CIN3+. On the other hand, of the women over 30 years old with ASC-US (Pap II-p) findings, only 21 % were positive for HPV and the risk for CIN3+ in this group was high at 29 %. Also for ASC-H (Pap III) findings in the age group of over 30 years with an HPV prevalence of 56 % there was an efficient triage for CIN3+. Discussion: In summary, the HPV triage of ASC-US (Pap II-p) findings in women aged over 30 years was found to be efficient; in contrast, LSIL + CIN2 (Pap IIID) findings in this age group justified an immediate referral to colposcopy whereas cytology control appeared to be sufficient for younger women.

Efficacy and safety of hexaminolevulinate photodynamic therapy in patients with low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia

OBJECTIVE

Non-surgical therapies are needed to reduce the rate of progression of low-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN 1) to high grade CIN (CIN 2/3). The aim of this study was to assess the efficacy and safety of hexaminolevulinate (HAL) photodynamic therapy (PDT) in the treatment of patients with CIN 1.

STUDY DESIGN

This phase IIa prospective double-blind study randomized patients with CIN 1 into three groups: HAL vaginal suppository, placebo vaginal suppository or follow-up only. Patients in the first two groups received HAL or placebo suppositories 5 hours before illumination with 50 J/cm(2) red coherent light (633 nm) using a special light catheter. All patients had a follow up including colposcopy, cytology and human papilloma virus (HPV) testing 3 and 6 months and additional biopsy 6 months after PDT. The main outcome measure was efficacy, defined as complete histologic remission 6 months after PDT. Secondary outcomes were histologic remission 3 months and HPV eradication 6 months after first PDT.

RESULTS

Seventy patients were randomized: 47 to HAL, 12 to placebo, 11 to follow up only. After 6 months CIN lesions had cleared in 57% of patients in the HAL-PDT group compared to 25% in the combined control group (per protocol population, P = 0.04). Twenty-six patients (37%) reported 44 adverse events (AEs), of which 40 were mild or moderate. Nineteen treatment-related AEs were reported by 15 patients (32%) in the HAL PDT group, one in the placebo PDT group (8%), and none in the follow-up group. The most common adverse events were local discomfort including mild pain/cramping (11) and leucorrhoea (2).

CONCLUSION

HAL PDT shows a favorable efficacy and safety profile and represents a promising alternative to observation and surgical procedures in patients with CIN 1.

Evaluation of the performance of the novel PapilloCheck HPV genotyping test by comparison with two other genotyping systems and the HC2 test

The novel PapilloCheck genotyping test was compared with SPF10 PCR LiPav1 and PGMY09/11 on hybrid capture 2 (HC2)-pretested samples. From results of 826 cervical samples detection rates and kappa values for the tests were calculated using a HPV type consensus definition. With PapilloCheck HPV types 53, 56, and 33 were found with a sensitivity of 100%. The lowest detection rate was observed for HPV 35 (72.2%). The SPF10 PCR LiPav1 was found to be 100% positive for HPV 18, 31, 53, 56, and 35 and lowest for HPV 59 (81%). The PGMY09/11 system detected only HPV 59 at 100% detection rate and showed lowest sensitivity for HPV 56 (40.5%). Multiple infection rates ranged from 25.8% (PGMY09/11 PCR-LBA), over 39.5% (PapilloCheck) to 55.9% (SPF10 PCR LiPav1). In samples with higher viral DNA load detection rates and concordance between the genotyping tests increases. The kappa values in comparison to the HPV consensus type ranged from k = 0.21 to k = 0.82 for comparing SPF10 PCR with the HPV consensus type, while values for PGMY09/11 PCR ranged from k = 0 to k = 0.96 and were best for the PapilloCheck (k = 0.49-0.98). Detection rates for the identification of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN2+) ranged from 93.7% (PGMY09/11 PCR) to 98.4% (PapilloCheck, SPF10 PCR, HC2). In conclusion, this study shows that the PapilloCheck give comparable results to established PCR methods. However, these results also show a necessity for the standardization of genotype-specific HPV detection assays.

Primary cervical cancer truly negative for high-risk human papillomavirus is a rare but distinct entity that can affect virgins and young adolescents

Cancer of the uterine cervix is almost exclusively associated with human papillomavirus (HPV). Carcinogenesis is slow, the minimal time from initial HPV infection to invasive carcinoma seems to be less than ten years. In order to identify rapid onset cervical cancer, we carried out a retrospective re-analysis of an extended cohort of patients with invasive cervical cancer, and reviewed cases identified within the cancer registry of Lower Saxony or using Medline or ISI data. No instances of a rapid-onset cancer or true HPV-DNA negative cancer were found among our hospital cohort of 178 women with primary cancer of the uterine cervix. Registry data identified four out of 5,878 patients who were diagnosed with primary cervical cancer at 14 to 20 years of age. They were classified as clear-cell and endometriod adenocarcinoma and tested persistently negative for high-risk HPV-DNA. Fourteen more cases of cervical cancer in virgins and very young women were identified by a Medline search, mostly with unknown histologic type or rare subtypes of adenocarcinoma. In conclusion, rare adenocarcinoma of the uterine cervix may represent an entity unrelated to HPV, thus explaining instances of rapid onset cervical cancer.

Long term predictive values of cytology and human papillomavirus testing in cervical cancer screening: joint European cohort study

OBJECTIVE

To obtain large scale and generalisable data on the long term predictive value of cytology and human papillomavirus (HPV) testing for development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 or cancer (CIN3+).

DESIGN

Multinational cohort study with joint database analysis.

SETTING

Seven primary HPV screening studies in six European countries.

PARTICIPANTS

24,295 women attending cervical screening enrolled into HPV screening trials who had at least one cervical cytology or histopathology examination during follow-up.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Long term cumulative incidence of CIN3+.

RESULTS

The cumulative incidence rate of CIN3+ after six years was considerably lower among women negative for HPV at baseline (0.27%, 95% confidence interval 0.12% to 0.45%) than among women with negative results on cytology (0.97%, 0.53% to 1.34%)). By comparison, the cumulative incidence rate for women with negative cytology results at the most commonly recommended screening interval in Europe (three years) was 0.51% (0.23% to 0.77%). The cumulative incidence rate among women with negative cytology results who were positive for HPV increased continuously over time, reaching 10% at six years, whereas the rate among women with positive cytology results who were negative for HPV remained below 3%.

CONCLUSIONS

A consistently low six year cumulative incidence rate of CIN3+ among women negative for HPV suggests that cervical screening strategies in which women are screened for HPV every six years are safe and effective.

Cost of screening and treatment of cervical dyskaryosis in Germany

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the principal cause of cervical cancer. Clinical trials with HPV vaccines have shown high efficacy against HPV-induced precancerous cervical lesions. Before implementing a vaccination programme, up-to-date data on cervical dyskaryosis, incidence and annual treatment costs are needed. We assessed resource use and costs for 12 months following diagnosis for women with abnormal Pap smears in Germany based on a sample of 138 women who had received abnormal results on Pap smears taken during March and April of 2004. Most women had a Pap IIID (57%) vs Pap III (20%) or Pap IV (23%). Women with a Pap IV consulted their gynaecologist more frequently than those with a Pap III or Pap IIID (5.6 visits vs 4.2 and 4.6 visits, respectively). Only 9% of patients underwent colposcopy plus biopsy; this may be due to the lack of histological assessment by coloposcopy and biopsy done currently in Germany. More women in the Pap IV group had a cold knife conisation, compared with those in the Pap IIID group, (84% vs 27%) hysterectomy (22% vs 4%) and laser coagulation (12.5% vs 4%). Median treatment duration was shorter for women with a Pap III than for those with Pap IIID and IV (3 vs 5 months, respectively). Overall, 28.3% of the women were hospitalised (median 5; range 1-33 days). The estimated average annual cost per patient was Euro 1,055, Euro 943 and Euro 3,174 for Pap III, IIID and IV, respectively. The cost of managing precancerous cervical lesions in Germany was shown to be high.

[What does HPV vaccination mean for gynecologic cancer screening?]

Human papilloma viruses (HPV) of the high-risk type cause almost all cervical carcinomas and some other anogenital tumors. Development of a carcinoma is uncommon; most infections heal spontaneously. When carcinomas develop, the latent phase is at least 8, more often 15-30 years. A negative HPV test thus excludes the risk of developing cervical carcinoma for many years. The approved vaccine against HPV 6/11/16/18 and the soon-to-be-approved one against HPV 16/18 are extremely safe and effective. Vaccinated individuals are almost 100% protected by the vaccines containing virus-like particles. Current studies suggest that 70-80% of high-grade cervical neoplasias can be avoided, as well as other vaginal, vulvar, and anal neoplasias. The yearly costs for treating precursors of these cancers exceed the cost of vaccinating all girls born in a given year. Thus HPV vaccination is cost effective, even when a modified cancer screening program is retained.

Prevalence of human papillomavirus types in women screened by cytology in Germany

Incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer are higher in Germany than in other Western European countries. Type-specific human papillomavirus (HPV) distribution was investigated for the first time in Germany in an epidemiological study including 8,101 women. Women above the age of 30 years, self-referring for cervical cancer screening, were enrolled in two study centers in Hannover (Northern Germany) and Tübingen (Southern Germany). Participants were screened by the Pap smear and the hybrid capture 2 (HC2) test using the high-risk probe. All samples that were positive by the HC2 test were genotyped using the prototype PGMY09/11 PCR line blot assay. Most women in the study population had a negative Pap smear (96.7%). Prevalence of high-risk type HPV detected by HC2 was 6.4% and prevalence of carcinogenic types detected by PGMY09/11 was 4.3%. Of the PGMY09/11 PCR-positive women, 70.2% had a single infection, 28.1% had multiple infections and 1.7% remained uncharacterized. 32 different HPV types were detected using PGMY09/11 PCR. HPV 16, 31, 52, 51, 18, and 45 were the most common carcinogenic types in the study population. Among women with histologically confirmed high-grade lesions HPV 16, 45, 58, 18, 31, 33, and 52 were the predominant types. These results provide valuable information for the management of HPV infections in Germany, both in terms of future strategies of screening and vaccination.

Plattenepithelkarzinom der Neovagina nach Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser-Syndrom

Carcinoma of the vagina is a rare entity of cancer, also a primary carcinoma of the neovagina in patients with vaginal agenesia is of rare occurrence.

CASE REPORT

We report on a 48-year-old female patient with a squamous cell carcinoma in neovagina after Mayer-Rokitansky-Kuester-Hauser-syndrome. Neovagina was constructed by method of Vecchietti 28 years before. Operative treatment consisted of anterior exenteration with construction of a modified Mainz-1-pouch. There were no complications intra- or postoperative. Microscopic findings showed a G2-differentiated invasive squamous cell carcinoma of the neovagina at stage FIGO III with an infiltration of urethra and the bladder neck. The tumor could be resected completely, no infestation of lymph nodes was observed. In the further process the aftercare is planned. In a systematic literature review 19 female patients with a primary carcinoma of neovagina after agenesia of vagina could be identified.

CONCLUSIONS

Female patients with a neovagina require a regular gynaecologic examination in order not to survey a malignant transformation although a malignoma in neovagina is rare. A possible therapy option is the radical operation, there are no data of long-term prognosis at present.

Overview of the European and North American studies on HPV testing in primary cervical cancer screening

Several studies suggest that HPV testing is more sensitive than cytology in primary cervical screening. These studies had different designs and were reported in different ways. Individual patient data were collected for all European and North American studies in which cytology was routinely performed and HPV testing was included as an additional parallel test. More than 60,000 women were included. The sensitivity and specificity of HPV testing were compared with routine cytology, both overall and for ages <35, 35-49 and 50+. The age-specific prevalence of high risk HPV (hr-HPV) was also analysed. HPV testing was substantially more sensitive in detecting CIN2+ than cytology (96.1% vs. 53.0%) but less specific (90.7% vs. 96.3%). The sensitivity of HPV testing was similar in all studies carried out in different areas of Europe and North America, whereas the sensitivity of cytology was highly variable. HPV sensitivity was uniformly high at all ages, whereas the sensitivity of cytology was substantially better in women over the age of 50 than in younger women (79.3% vs. 59.6%). The specificity of both tests increased with age. Positivity rates for HPV testing in women without high-grade CIN were region dependent. These results support the use of HPV testing as the sole primary screening test, with cytology reserved for women who test HPV positive. Large demonstration projects are needed to fully evaluate this strategy.

[HIV and pregnancy]

Through an optimal interdisciplinary management, it is possible to reduce the mother-to-child transmission of HIV-1 from more than 40% to less than 2%. The following are essential for this success: A risk-adapted antiviral therapy during the pregnancy and birth, a transmission prophylaxis for the new born child, delivery by Caesarean section, the early treatment of concomitant gynecological infections and abstention from breastfeeding. Unidentified HIV-positive pregnant women and inadequate support for HIV-positive pregnant women account for the majority of new HIV-1 infections in children in Germany. Hence, the HIV test should be an obligatory component of prenatal care and HIV-positive pregnant women should receive assistance at an appropriate center.

Using imiquimod for genital warts in female patients

Genital warts (GW) are the manifestation of infection with specific types of human papillomavirus (HPV), one of the most common sexually transmitted viral infections in the world. Genital warts can be either raised (exophytic) or flat. Exophytic genital warts are most commonly secondary to inoculation of the basal epithelium with nononcogenic HPV types 6 and 11, whereas flat warts are usually secondary to potentially oncogenic HPV types 16 and 31. Genital warts can occasionally cause irritation and discomfort, particularly during intercourse, although most cases are asymptomatic. It is the psychosocial effects of infection, such as a sense of shame, depression, and anxiety, that represent the more significant toll for most patients with GW. Current therapies for GW are mainly ablative and do not directly enhance the immune response to HPV. Therefore, recurrence is a problem for many patients. Imiquimod 5% cream is a patient-applied therapy that directly enhances the immune response to HPV and is safe and effective for the treatment of GW. A reduction in viral load is observed following treatment. Low recurrence rates compared to other treatment modalities may be due to the stimulation of the cell-mediated immune response by imiquimod.

Economic evaluation of human papillomavirus screening in Germany

Cytology-based screening programs for cervical cancer have been effective in reducing cancer incidence and preventing premature deaths worldwide. However, there is concern about the relatively low sensitivity of current screening procedures. Although the causal association between infection with certain high-risk types of human papilloma virus (HPV) and the development of cervical cancer has been clearly established, testing for the major risk factor is not part of current screening practice. We created a tree decision model over time to evaluate different policy choices for implementing a population-based screening program. Results of the economic analysis indicate that testing with any implemented HPV DNA testing (stand alone or in combination with the Papanicolaou smear) is superior to cytology and measures presently in use. Additional costs per life-years gained cannot be reported because the HPV branches had fewer discounted overall costs (euro 222 million vs. euro 82 and euro 76 million, respectively), and they saved more life years (19,599 vs. 19,163 and 903, respectively) then the smear alternative. Any HPV DNA testing is preferable over the current state of the art performed in Germany. This is true not only for economic reasons but also for life-years gained. Therefore HPV DNA testing must become an essential component to back up the relatively weak sensitivity of the standard procedure.

Human papillomavirus, coinfection with Schistosoma hematobium, and cervical neoplasia in rural Tanzania

Cervical cancer is the most common malignant tumor among women in Tanzania and other countries in tropical Africa. Genital schistosomiasis has been proposed as a possible cofactor in the genesis of this malignant disease that might contribute to its high incidence in regions where bilharzias is endemic. One hundred nine Tanzanian patients from an area with endemic bilharzias who were transferred to a gynecologic out-patient clinic were age-matched with 109 German controls. In patients and controls, separate samples were taken for cytologic assessment and human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA detection using the Hybrid Capture 2 assay (HC2) and PCR (GP5+/6 +). Samples that tested positive for HPV DNA with general primers were re-tested with HPV type-specific primers. After application of 3% acetic acid, punch biopsies were taken from any cervical lesion. Patients were interviewed for recent symptoms or clinical history suggestive of bilharzias. Urine samples from all patients were examined for the presence of schistosoma hematobium ova. Additionally six Tanzanian patients with invasive cervical cancer were included for separate analysis. Patients and controls had an identical prevalence of HPV-DNA (21.5%) using HC2. Based on PCR results with general primers, the corresponding prevalence was 34.5% for Tanzanian cases and 26.9% for German controls. A history suggestive of bilharzias and/or active schistosomiasis were associated with a significantly increased risk for infection with high-risk HPV types. We conclude that infection with Schistosoma hematobium seems to favor persistent genital HPV infection either by traumatizing the genital epithelium and/or by local immunosuppression.

Human papillomavirus testing in primary screening for cervical cancer of human immunodeficiency virus-infected women, 1990-1998

OBJECTIVE

Women infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) have an increased risk of cervical neoplasia while the value of cytologic screening is limited due to a high prevalence of inflammatory disease. The study was conducted to determine whether testing for human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA could improve primary screening for cervical cancer of these patients.

METHODS

One hundred thirty-eight HIV-infected women were examined between 1990 and 1998. Ninety-four patients with a total of 279 women-years were eligible for incidence evaluation. Colposcopy, cytology, and HPV DNA testing with the hybrid capture I assay were performed at each visit.

RESULTS

Seventeen cases of high-grade cervical neoplasia were diagnosed at study entry and 13 developed CIN II or CIN III during follow-up. The hybrid capture I assay detected 94.1% of prevalent and 100% of incident high-grade neoplasia, while the corresponding sensitivity of Pap smears using CIN I or worse as the referral criteria was 82.3% for prevalent and 69.2% for incident high-grade neoplasia. Eleven of 13 patients who progressed to histologically confirmed CIN II/III tested positive for HPV DNA at study entry compared with 5/13 women presenting with any degree of cytologic atypia at recruitment. The Pap smears of 36/94 women remained normal throughout the study while 54/94 patients remained negative for high-risk HPV types.

CONCLUSION

Hybrid capture I identified high-grade cervical neoplasia more accurately than the Pap smear and appeared to be beneficial for primary cervical cancer screening in HIV-infected women.

Recombinant human erythropoietin in the treatment of chemotherapy-induced anemia and prevention of transfusion requirement associated with solid tumors: a randomized, controlled study

BACKGROUND

Anemia is a common side effect of anticancer chemotherapy. Blood transfusion, previously the only available treatment for chemotherapy-induced anemia, may result in some clinical or subclinical adverse effects in the recipients. Recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) provides a new treatment modality for chemotherapy-induced anemia.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

To evaluate the effect of rhEPO on the need for blood transfusions and on hemoglobin (Hb) concentrations, 227 patients with solid tumors and chemotherapy-induced anemia were enrolled in a randomized, controlled, clinical trial. Of 189 patients evaluable for efficacy, 101 received 5000 IU rhEPO daily s.c., while 88 patients received no treatment during the 12-week controlled phase of the study.

RESULTS

The results demonstrate a statistically significant reduction in the need for blood transfusions (28% vs. 42%, P = 0.028) and in the mean volume of packed red blood cells transfused (152 ml vs. 190 ml, P = 0.044) in patients treated with rhEPO compared to untreated controls. This effect was even more pronounced in patients receiving platinum-based chemotherapy (26% vs. 45%, P = 0.038). During the controlled treatment phase, the median Hb values increased in the rhEPO patients while remaining unchanged in the control group. The response was seen in all tumor types.

CONCLUSIONS

RhEPO administration at a dose of 5000 IU daily s.c. increases hemoglobin levels and reduces transfusion requirements in chemotherapy-induced anemia, especially during platinum-based chemotherapy.

The site of inhibin production in ovarian neoplasms

Inhibin, a physiological product of ovarian follicle cells, normally absent in serum of postmenopausal women, is elevated in adult granulosa cell tumours of the ovary. Recently, high serum levels of inhibin were reported in carcinomas and, surprisingly, also in Krukenberg tumours of the ovary. This study attempted to determine the site of inhibin production in primary (111 cases), metastatic (13) and secondary (10) ovarian tumours by using immunohistochemistry. Positive staining in tumour cells was encountered in all cases of sex-cord- stromal cell tumours, adult (13) and juvenile (3) granulosa cell tumours, thecofibromas (10), in a lipid cell tumour (1) and a Sertoli-Leydig cell tumour (1). Primary and secondary tumours not derived from sex-cord stroma revealed no positivity in tumour cells, but in theca-like cells in the surrounding non-neoplastic ovarian stroma. A positive reaction was not observed in non-tumour-bearing ovaries of a control group. The ovarian inhibin of postmenopausal women is derived from activated sex-cord stroma or sex-cord-stromal neoplasms. Therefore, elevated serum inhibin concentrations in women with primary or secondary ovarian neoplasms with other histogenesis seem to be due to an activation of the non-neoplastic ovarian stroma. Inhibin will fail to be a tumour marker in these cases. By contrast, it will be useful in proving sex-cord differentiation by immunohistochemistry and might be used in surveillance of malignant sex-cord derived neoplasms by serum assays.

[HPV-Dna hybridization allows differentiation of cervix lesions in PAP III cytologic findings]

A repeat Pap smear as well as a smear for human papillomavirus (HPV)-DNA detection with the Hybrid Capture assay (Digene diagnostics/Murex, Burgwedel) were collected from 30 women with Pap smears recurrently classified as "Pap III". All patients underwent colposcopy and histological assessment. The repeat Pap smear distinguished correctly in 15, colposcopy in 19 and the Hybrid Capture assay in 27 cases between neoplastic and inflammatory lesions. All invasive neoplasms were positive for HPV-DNA. HPV typing seems to be a suitable non-invasive method for early selection of cervical lesions that need histological assessment in women with smears classified as "Pap III".