If HPV is present, testing interval should remain every 3 years
Responding to the study, Theresa Freeman-Wang, MBChB, consultant gynecologist, president of the British Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, and spokesperson for the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, told this news organization: “England, Scotland, and Wales and many other countries now use HPV primary screening, which is much better at assessing risk than previous methods. HPV testing is more sensitive and accurate, so changes are picked up earlier.
“Studies have confirmed that if someone is HPV negative (i.e., HPV is not present in the screen test), intervals between tests can very safely be increased from 3 to 5 years.
“If HPV is present, then the program will automatically look for any abnormal cells. If there are no abnormalities, the woman will be advised to have a repeat screen test in a year. If the HPV remains present over 3 successive years or if abnormal cells are detected at any stage, she will be referred for a more detailed screening examination called a colposcopy.
“It’s important that with any change like this, there is clear information available to explain what these changes mean.
“We have an effective cervical screening program in the UK that has significantly reduced the number of cases and deaths from this preventable cancer.
“HPV screening every 5 years is safe and to be fully effective it is vital that women take up the invitation for cervical screening when called.”
A version of this article first appeared on Medscape UK.