Cervical cancer screening in the United States has accompanied profound decreases in cancer incidence and mortality over the last half century. Two screening strategies are currently endorsed by US-based guideline groups: (1) triennial cytology for women aged 21 to 65 years, and (2) triennial cytology for women aged 21 to 29 years followed by cytology plus testing for high-risk human papillomavirus types every 5 years for women aged 30 years and older. Providing women with affordable, easily accessible screening, follow-up of abnormal tests, and timely treatment will result in the greatest impact of screening on cervical cancer incidence and mortality.

BACKGROUND:Cervical cancer is the most frequent neoplasm among Kenyan women, with 4800 diagnoses and 2400 deaths per year. One reason is an extremely low rate of screening through pap smears, at 13.8% in 2014. Knowing the costs of screening will help planners and policymakers design, implement, and scale programs. METHODS:We conducted HPV-based cervical cancer screening via self-collection in 12 communities in rural Migori County, Kenya. Six communities were randomized to community health campaigns (CHCs), and six to screening at government clinics. All HPV-positive women were referred for cryotherapy at Migori County Hospital. We prospectively estimated direct costs from the health system perspective, using micro-costing methods. Cost data were extracted from expenditure records, staff interviews, and time and motion logs. Total costs per woman screening included three activities: outreach, HPV-based screening, and notification. Types of inputs include personnel, recurrent goods, capital goods, and services. We costed potential changes to implementation for scaling. RESULTS:From January to September 2016, 2899 women were screened in CHCs and 2042 in clinics. Each CHC lasted for 30 working days, 10 days each for outreach, screening, and notification. The mean cost per woman screened was $25.00 for CHCs [median: $25.09; Range: $22.06-30.21] and $29.56 for clinics [$28.90; $25.27-37.08]. Clinics had higher costs than CHCs for personnel ($14.27 vs. $11.26) and capital ($5.55 vs. $2.80). Screening costs were higher for clinics at $21.84, compared to $17.48 for CHCs. In contrast, CHCs had higher outreach costs ($3.34 vs. $0.17). After modeling a reduction in staffing, clinic per-screening costs ($25.69) were approximately equivalent to CHCs. CONCLUSIONS:HPV-based cervical cancer screening through community health campaigns achieved lower costs per woman screened, compared to screening at clinics. Periodic high-volume CHCs appear to be a viable low-cost strategy for implementing cervical cancer screening.

Introduction

HIV and cervical cancer are intersecting epidemics that disproportionately affect one of the most vulnerable populations in the world: women in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Historically, the disparity in cervical cancer risk for women in LMICs has been due to the lack of organized screening and prevention programmes. In recent years, this risk has been augmented by the severity of the HIV epidemic in LMICs. HIV-positive women are at increased risk for developing cervical precancer and cancer, and while the introduction of antiretroviral therapy has dramatically improved life expectancies among HIV-positive women it has not been shown to improve cancer-related outcomes. Therefore, an increasing number of HIV-positive women are living in LMICs with limited or no access to cervical cancer screening programmes. In this commentary, we describe the gaps in cervical cancer prevention, the state of evidence for integrating cervical cancer prevention into HIV programmes and future directions for programme implementation and research.

Discussion

Despite the biologic, behavioural and demographic overlap between HIV and cervical cancer, cervical cancer prevention has for the most part been left out of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services for HIV-positive women. Lower cost primary and secondary prevention strategies for cervical cancer are becoming more widely available in LMICs, with increasing evidence for their efficacy and cost-effectiveness. Going forward, cervical cancer prevention must be considered a part of the essential package of SRH services for HIV-positive women. Effective cervical cancer prevention programmes will require a coordinated response from international policymakers and funders, national governments and community leaders. Leveraging the improvements in healthcare infrastructure created by the response to the global HIV epidemic through integration of services may be an effective way to make an impact to prevent cervical cancer among HIV-positive women, but more work remains to determine optimal approaches.

Conclusions

Cervical cancer prevention is an essential part of comprehensive HIV care. In order to ensure maximal impact and cost-effectiveness, implementation strategies for screening programmes must be adapted and rigorously evaluated through a framework that includes equal participation with policymakers, programme planners and key stakeholders in the target communities.

In resource-limited settings, detection of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) often relies on self-reported symptoms to initiate management. We found self-report demonstrated poor sensitivity for STI detection. Adding clinician-initiated questions about symptoms improved detection rates. Vaginal examination further increased sensitivity. Including clinician-initiated screening in resource-limited settings would improve management of treatable STIs.

Introduction

HIV-infected women may have higher rates of recurrent cervical precancer after treatment. Knowledge about rates and predictors of recurrence could impact guidelines and program planning, especially in low-resource settings.

Methods

In this prospective cohort study in Western Kenya, we followed HIV-infected women at 6 and 12 months after treatment for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 or greater (CIN2+) after treatment with loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP). All women underwent follow-up colposcopy with biopsy as indicated for the diagnosis of CIN2+. We calculated the incidence and predictors of primary disease recurrence after treatment.

Results

Among the 284 women who underwent LEEP and had at least 1 follow-up visit, there were 37 (13%) cases of CIN2+ detected by 12-month follow-up. Four (10.8%) of the recurrences were invasive cancer, all stage IA1. The 6- and 12-month rates of recurrence were 13.7 and 12.8 cases per 100 person-years of follow-up, respectively. Antiretroviral therapy use did not significantly impact the rate of recurrence (hazard ratio: 1.24, 95% confidence interval: 0.59 to 2.79). The only significant predictor of recurrence in the multivariate analysis was CD4(+) nadir <200 cells per cubic millimeter (adjusted hazard ratio: 3.14, 95% confidence interval: 1.22 to 8.08).

Discussion

The overall rate of treatment failure within a year of LEEP was low in this cohort of HIV-infected women. Among the women with recurrence, there was a significant amount of invasive cancer. The relatively high rate of cancer after treatment suggests that HIV-infected women merit continued close follow-up after treatment.

HIV and cervical cancer are intersecting epidemics in many low-resource settings, yet there are few accurate estimates of the scope of this public health challenge. To understand disease prevalence and risk factors for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2 or greater (CIN2+), we conducted a cross-sectional study of women undergoing cervical cancer screening as part of routine HIV care in Kisumu, Kenya. Women were offered screening with visual inspection with acetic acid, followed by confirmation with colposcopy and biopsy as needed. Univariable and multivariable analyses were carried out to determine clinical and demographic predictors of prevalent CIN2+. Among 3,241 women screened, 287 (9%) had an initial diagnosis of biopsy-confirmed CIN2+. On multivariable analysis, combined oral contraceptives remained significantly associated with detection of CIN2+ among women on HAART (AOR 1.84, CI 1.20-2.82), and not on HAART (AOR 1.72, 95% CI 1.08-2.73), while use of a progesterone implant was associated with increased detection of CIN2+ (AOR 9.43, 95% CI 2.85-31.20) only among women not on HAART. CD4+ nadir over 500 cells/mm(3) was associated with reduced detection of CIN2+ (AOR 0.61, CI 0.38, 0.97) in the overall group, but current CD4+ was only associated with reduced detection of CIN2+ among women not on HAART (AOR 0.42, CI 0.22, 0.80). In conclusion, a history of less severe immunosuppression appeared to reduce the risk of CIN2+ detection, but current CD4+ count was significant only in non-HAART users. The association of CIN2+ with hormonal contraception should be explored more in prospective studies designed to better control for confounding factors.

Introduction

Despite the increased risk of cervical cancer among HIV-positive women, many HIV-care programs do not offer integrated cervical cancer screening. Incorporating self-collected Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing into HIV programs is a potential strategy to identify women at higher risk for cervical cancer while leveraging the staffing, infrastructure and referral systems for existing services. Community-based HIV and HPV testing has been effective and efficient when offered in single-disease settings.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was conducted within a community outreach and multi-disease screening campaigns organized by the Family AIDS Care and Education Services in Kisumu County, Kenya. In addition to HIV testing, the campaigns provided screening for TB, malaria, hypertension, diabetes, and referrals for voluntary medical male circumcision. After these services, women aged 25-65 were offered self-collected HPV testing. Rates and predictors of cervical cancer screening uptake and of HPV positivity were analyzed using tabular analysis and Fisher's Exact Test. Logistic regression was performed to explore multivariate associations with screening uptake.

Results

Among the 2016 women of screening age who attended the outreach campaigns, 749 women (35.6%) were screened, and 134 women (18.7%) were HPV-positive. In bivariate analysis, women who had no children (p < 0.01), who were not pregnant (p < 0.01), who were using contraceptives (p < 0.01), who had sex without using condoms (p < 0.05), and who were encouraged by a family member other than their spouse (p < 0.01), were more likely to undergo screening. On multivariable analysis, characteristics associated with higher screening uptake included: women aged 45-54 (OR 1.62, 95% CI 1.05-2.52) compared to women aged 25-34; no children (OR 1.65, 95% CI 1.06-2.56); and family support other than their spouse (OR 1.53, 95% CI 1.09-2.16). Women who were pregnant were 0.44 times (95% CI 0.25-0.76) less likely to get screened. Bivariate analyses with participant characteristics and HPV positivity found that women who screened HPV-positive were more likely to be HIV-positive (p < 0.001) and single (p < 0.001).

Conclusions

The low screening uptake may be attributed to implementation challenges including long waiting times for service at the campaign and delays in procuring HPV test kits. However, given the potential benefits of integrating HPV testing into HIV outreach campaigns, these challenges should be examined to develop more effective multi-disease outreach interventions.

HIV-infected women are at increased risk for recurrence of cervical dysplasia after treatment. Short-term recurrence rates may reflect treatment efficacy and therefore impact screening protocols and follow-up planning. We conducted a prospective study of 297 HIV-infected women undergoing loop electrosurgical excision procedure for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2+ (CIN2+) in an HIV clinic in Kisumu, Kenya. By 6 months after the procedure, 20 (7.1%) of women had recurrent CIN2+. Recurrence was significantly associated with CD4 nadir but not with highly active antiretroviral therapy use. Longer-term follow-up of this cohort will illustrate the potential impact of highly active antiretroviral therapy and immune status on CIN2/3 disease recurrence.

Objectives

This study aimed to report the proportion of women with a new diagnosis of cervical cancer recommended for curative hysterectomy as well as associated factors. We also report recommended treatments by stage and patterns of treatment initiation.

Design

This was an observational cohort study. Inperson surveys were followed by a phone call.

Setting

Participants were recruited at the two public tertiary care referral hospitals in Kampala, Uganda.

Participants

Adult women with a new diagnosis of cervical cancer were eligible: 332 were invited to participate, 268 met the criteria and enrolled, and 255 completed both surveys.

Primary and secondary outcomes measures

The primary outcome of interest was surgical candidacy; a secondary outcome was treatment initiation. Descriptive and multivariate statistical analyses examined the associations between predictors and outcomes. Sensitivity analyses were performed to examine outcomes in subgroups, including stage and availability of radiation.

Results

Among 268 participants, 76% were diagnosed at an advanced stage (IIB-IVB). In total, 12% were recommended for hysterectomy. In adjusted analysis, living within 15 km of Kampala (OR 3.10, 95% CI 1.20 to 8.03) and prior screening (OR 2.89, 95% CI 1.22 to 6.83) were significantly associated with surgical candidacy. Radiotherapy availability was not significantly associated with treatment recommendations for early-stage disease (IA-IIA), but was associated with recommended treatment modality (chemoradiation vs primary chemotherapy) for locally advanced stage (IIB-IIIB). Most (67%) had started treatment. No demographic or health factor, treatment recommendation, or radiation availability was associated with treatment initiation. Among those recommended for hysterectomy, 55% underwent surgery. Among those who had initiated treatment, 82% started the modality that was recommended.

Conclusion

Women presented to public referral centres in Kampala with mostly advanced-stage cervical cancer and few were recommended for surgery. Most were able to initiate treatment. Lack of access to radiation did not significantly increase the proportion of early-stage cancers recommended for hysterectomy.

Background

The incidence of cervical cancer in Kenya is among the highest in the world. Few Kenyan women are able to access screening, thus fueling the high cervical cancer burden. Self-collected human papilloma Virus (HPV) tests, administered during community-health campaigns in rural areas may be a way to expand access to screening.

Methods

In December 2015, we carried out a four-day community health campaign (CHC) to educate participants about cervical cancer prevention and offer self-administered HPV screening. Community enumeration, outreach and mobilization preceded the CHC. Samples were sent to Migori County Hospital for HPV DNA testing using careHPV Test Kits. Women were notified of results through their choice of short message service (SMS), phone call, home visit or clinic visit. HPV positive women were referred for cryotherapy following a screen-and-treat strategy.

Results

Door-to-door enumeration identified approximately 870 eligible women in Ngodhe Community in Migori County. Among the 267 women attending the campaign, 255 women enrolled and collected samples: 243 tests were successfully resulted and 12 were indeterminate. Of the 243 resulted tests, 47 (19%) were positive for HPV, with young age being the only significant predictor of positivity. In multivariate analysis, each additional year of age conferred about a 4% decrease in the odds of testing positive (95% CI 0.1 to 7%, p = 0.046). Just over three-quarters of all women (195/255), were notified of their results. Those who were unable to be reached were more likely to prefer receiving results from clinic (54/60, 90%) and were less likely to have mobile phones (24/60, 73%). Although 76% of HPV positive women were notified of their results, just half (51%) of those testing positive presented for treatment. HPV positive women who successfully accessed the treatment facility did not differ from their non-presenting counterparts by demographics, health history, desired route of notification or access to a mobile phone.

Conclusion

Nearly a third of eligible women in Ngodhe Community attended the CHC and were screened for cervical cancer. Nearly all women who attended the CHC underwent cervical cancer screening by self-collected HPV tests. Three-quarters of all participants received results, but just half of HPV positive participants presented for treatment in a timely fashion, suggesting that linkage to treatment remains a major challenge.

Trial registration

NCT02124252 , Registered 25 April 2014.