The impact of scaling up cervical cancer screening and treatment services among women living with HIV in Kenya: a modelling study

A new study by scientists from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and partners models the impact that scaling up different types of cervical cancer screening and treatment services could have on cervical cancer incidence and mortality among women living with HIV in Kenya.

The researchers used mathematical modelling to compare four different strategies: visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) and cryotherapy; VIA and cryotherapy or loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP); human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing and cryotherapy or LEEP; and enhanced screening technologies (either same-day HPV DNA testing or digitally enhanced VIA) and cryotherapy or LEEP. The modelling also estimated how intervention factors (e.g. diagnostic performance, losses to follow-up) would affect the success of screening and treatment programmes.

The researchers concluded that, beyond the choice of strategy, efficiently using the available options and addressing the intervention factors would be instrumental to the success of the programmes. This study adds to the results of a previous randomized clinical trial examining the effect of cryotherapy vs LEEP on cervical disease recurrence among women living with HIV and high-grade cervical lesions in Kenya.

Perez-Guzman P, Chung M, De Vuyst H, Dalal S, Mutai K, Muthoni K, et al.
The impact of scaling up cervical cancer screening and treatment services among women living with HIV in Kenya: a modelling study
BMJ Glob Health, Published online 29 March 2020;
http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/bmjgh-2019-001886​

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