Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease 

About: Journal of Lower Genital Tract Disease is an academic journal published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. The journal publishes majorly in the area(s): Colposcopy & Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. It has an ISSN identifier of 1089-2591. Over the lifetime, 1824 publications have been published receiving 31486 citations.

Natural History of Cervicovaginal Papillomavirus Infection in Young Women Gyf Ho

Abstract: BACKGROUND Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is highly prevalent in sexually active young women. However, precise risk factors for HPV infection and its incidence and duration are not well known. METHODS We followed 608 college women at six-month intervals for three years. At each visit, we collected information about lifestyle and sexual behavior and obtained cervicovaginal-lavage samples for the detection of HPV DNA by polymerase chain reaction and Southern blot hybridization. Pap smears were obtained annually. RESULTS The cumulative 36-month incidence of HPV infection was 43 percent (95 percent confidence interval, 36 to 49 percent). An increased risk of HPV infection was significantly associated with younger age, Hispanic ethnicity, black race, an increased number of vaginal-sex partners, high frequencies of vaginal sex and alcohol consumption, anal sex, and certain characteristics of partners (regular partners having an increased number of lifetime partners and not being in school). The median duration of new infections was 8 months (95 percent confidence interval, 7 to 10 months). The persistence of HPV for > or =6 months was related to older age, types of HPV associated with cervical cancer, and infection with multiple types of HPV but not with smoking. The risk of an abnormal Pap smear increased with persistent HPV infection, particularly with high-risk types (relative risk, 37.2; 95 percent confidence interval, 14.6 to 94.8). CONCLUSIONS The incidence of HPV infection in sexually active young college women is high. The short duration of most HPV infections in these women suggests that the associated cervical dysplasia should be managed conservatively.

Accuracy of the Papanicolaou Test in Screening for and Follow‐up of Cervical Cytologic Abnormalities: A Systematic Review

Abstract: Ann Intern Med 2000;132:810–9 Commissioned by the federal Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, this meta-analysis reviewed articles comparing Pap testing with a reference standards, such as histology, colposcopy, repeat cytology, or combinations these techniques. These data were used to complete 2 × 2 tables to calculate indices of accuracy. Many studies were derived from colposcopy clinics; patients without prior abnormal smears have a lower prevalence of abnormality. In the 12 studies with least biased estimates, Pap test sensitivity ranged from 30–87% and specificity from 86–100%. Results varied depending on the threshold designation of abnormality for cytology (ASCUS vs. LGSIL vs. HGSIL) and for comparison test (CIN1 vs. CIN2–3). Comment: As the authors point out, the utility of cytologic screening in cervical cancer prevention lies not in the accuracy of a single smear, since sensitivity is less than ideal, but in the accuracy of lifetime screening. A single smear should not be relied on to determine the presence or absence of disease. (LSM)

2001 Consensus Guidelines for the Management of Women with Cervical Cytological Abnormalities.

Abstract: EACH YEAR APPROXIMATELY 50 million women undergo Papanicolaou testing in the United States. Of these, approximately 3.5 million (7%) are diagnosed with a cytological abnormality requiring additional follow-up or evaluation. Determining which women with cytological abnormalities are at risk for significant cervical disease, performing appropriate diagnostic workups, and treating cancer precursors present a major public health challenge. There are a number of reasons why comprehensive, evidence-based guidelines are needed for the management of women with cervical cytological abnormalities. One reason is that a National Cancer Institute workshop recently revised the criteria used by cytologists to render certain cytological interpretations, as well as the terminology used for reporting cervical cytology results (ie, the Bethesda System). Other reasons include a better understanding of the pathogenesis and natural history of human papillomavirus (HPV) and cervical cancer precursors, and the availability of data from the National Cancer Institute’s randomized Atypical Squamous Cells of Undetermined Significance/Low-grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion (ASCUS/LSIL) Triage Study (ALTS) (D. Solomon, MD, written communication, September 6-8, 2001). Moreover, existing guidelines were developed before sensitive molecular methods for detecting high-risk types of HPV and liquid-based cytology methods became widely available. Data are now available suggesting that these new technologies, when used together, are attractive alternatives to older approaches for managing women with cer-

American Cancer Society, American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, and American Society for Clinical Pathology Screening Guidelines for the Prevention and Early Detection of Cervical Cancer

Abstract: An update to the American Cancer Society (ACS) guideline regarding screening for the early detection of cervical precancerous lesions and cancer is presented. The guidelines are based on a systematic evidence review, contributions from 6 working groups, and a recent symposium cosponsored by the ACS, the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, and the American Society for Clinical Pathology, which was attended by 25 organizations. The new screening recommendations address age-appropriate screening strategies, including the use of cytology and high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) testing, follow-up (eg, the management of screen positives and screening intervals for screen negatives) of women after screening, the age at which to exit screening, future considerations regarding HPV testing alone as a primary screening approach, and screening strategies for women vaccinated against HPV16 and HPV18 infections. CA Cancer J Clin 2012;62:147-172. V C

2019 ASCCP Risk-Based Management Consensus Guidelines for Abnormal Cervical Cancer Screening Tests and Cancer Precursors.

Abstract: This is the fourth American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP)-sponsored consensus guidelines for management of cervical cancer screening abnormalities, after the original consensus conferences in 20011 and subsequent updates in 20062 and 2012.3 An interim guidance publication providing management recommendations for primary HPV screening was released in 2015.4 This document updates and replaces all previous guidance. The key difference between 2019 guidelines and previous versions is the change from primarily test results–based algorithms (e.g., “Colposcopy is recommended for patients with HPV-positive atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance [ASC-US], low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion [LSIL],” etc.) to primarily “risk-based” guidelines (e.g., “Colposcopy is recommended for any combination of history and current test results yielding a 4.0% or greater probability of finding CIN 3+,” etc.). See Box 1 for essential changes. Tables of risk estimates for possible combinations of current screening test results and screening history (including unknown history) have been generated from a prospective longitudinal cohort of more than 1.5 million patients followed for more than a decade at Kaiser Permanente Northern California (KPNC). All KPNC estimates of risk underlying guideline decisions are detailed in the accompanying article by Egemen et al.5 The applicability of these risk estimates to other United States regions and populations has been confirmed in other data sets from screening programs and clinical trials.6 Many patients, especially those with minor abnormalities, can be managed by identifying their risk level using Tables 1A to 5B in Egemen et al5 and linking it to a recommended clinical action (return to routine screening, surveillance with repeat testing at 1- or 3-year intervals, colposcopy, or treatment). To facilitate use of these tables, the same information will be accessible via smartphone app (for purchase) and web (no cost) through http://www.asccp.org. Decision aids may facilitate use of the tables.7 Common abnormalities are managed using risk estimates outlined in Section E, and rare abnormalities are managed via the result-specific consensus recommendations outlined in Sections G-K. Box 1. Essential Changes From Prior Management Guidelines 1) Recommendations are based on risk, not results. Recommendations of colposcopy, treatment, or surveillance will be based on a patient's risk of CIN 3+ determined by a combination of current results and history (including unknown history). The same current test results may yield different management recommendations depending on the history of recent past test results. 2) Colposcopy can be deferred for certain patients. Repeat HPV testing or cotesting at 1 year is recommended for patients with minor screening abnormalities indicating HPV infection with low risk of underlying CIN 3+ (e.g., low-grade cytologic abnormalities after a documented negative screening HPV test or cotest). At the 1-year follow-up test, referral to colposcopy is recommended if results remain abnormal. 3) Guidance for expedited treatment is expanded (i.e., treatment without colposcopic biopsy). Expedited treatment was an option for patients with HSIL cytology in the 2012 guidelines; this guidance is now better defined. For nonpregnant patients 25 years or older, expedited treatment, defined as treatment without preceding colposcopic biopsy demonstrating CIN 2+, is preferred when the immediate risk of CIN 3+ is ≥60%, and is acceptable for those with risks between 25% and 60%. Expedited treatment is preferred for nonpregnant patients 25 years or older with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) cytology and concurrent positive testing for HPV genotype 16 (HPV 16) (i.e., HPV 16–positive HSIL cytology) and never or rarely screened patients with HPV-positive HSIL regardless of HPV genotype. Shared decision-making should be used when considering expedited treatment, especially for patients with concerns about the potential impact of treatment on pregnancy outcomes. 4) Excisional treatment is preferred to ablative treatment for histologic HSIL (CIN 2 or CIN 3) in the United States. Excision is recommended for adenocarcinoma in situ (AIS). 5) Observation is preferred to treatment for CIN 1. Treatment remains acceptable for patients with repeat diagnoses of CIN 1 persisting 2 years or more. 6) Histopathology reports based on Lower Anogenital Squamous Terminology (LAST)/World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations for reporting histologic HSIL should include CIN 2 or CIN 3 qualifiers, i.e., HSIL(CIN 2) and HSIL (CIN 3). 7) All positive HPV tests, regardless of genotype, should have additional reflex triage testing performed from the same laboratory specimen (e.g., reflex cytology). Additional testing from the same laboratory specimen is recommended because the findings may inform colposcopy practice. For example, those with HSIL cytology and concurrent positive testing for HPV genotype 16 qualify for expedited treatment. HPV 16 or 18 infections have the highest risk for CIN 3 and occult cancer, so additional evaluation (e.g., colposcopy with biopsy) is necessary even when cytology results are negative. If HPV 16 and 18 testing is positive, and additional laboratory testing of the same sample is not feasible, the patient should proceed directly to colposcopy. 8) Continued surveillance with HPV testing or cotesting at 3-year intervals for at least 25 years is recommended after treatment of histologic HSIL, CIN 2, CIN 3, or AIS. Continued surveillance at 3-year intervals beyond 25 years is acceptable for as long as the patient's life expectancy and ability to be screened are not significantly compromised by serious health issues. The 2012 guidelines recommended return to 5-year screening intervals and did not specify when screening should cease. New evidence indicates that risk remains elevated for at least 25 years, with no evidence that treated patients ever return to risk levels compatible with 5-year intervals. Surveillance with cytology alone is acceptable only if testing with HPV or cotesting is not feasible. Cytology is less sensitive than HPV testing for detection of precancer and is therefore recommended more often. Cytology is recommended at 6-month intervals when HPV testing or cotesting is recommended annually. Cytology is recommended annually when 3-year intervals are recommended for HPV or cotesting. 9) Human papilloma virus assays that are Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved for screening should be used for management according to their regulatory approval in the United States. (Note: all HPV testing in this document refers to testing for high-risk HPV types only). For all management indications, HPV mRNA and HPV DNA tests without FDA approval for primary screening alone should only be used as a cotest with cytology, unless sufficient, exceptionally rigorous data are available to support primary HPV testing in management. The minimum amount of data required to generate a recommendation will include the patient's age and current test results, as we recognize that previous screening history is often not known. Increased precision of management guidance will be possible if information is available on test results within the past 5 years and previous precancer treatment within the past 25 years.3 Current results and past history are designed to generate the patient's risk estimate from data tables.5 Risk estimates are available for the following clinical situations: abnormal screening test results with unknown history, abnormal screening test results with medical record documentation of a preceding negative HPV test or cotest, surveillance of previous abnormal screening test results that did not require immediate colposcopic referral (e.g., follow-up after an HPV-positive cytology negative result), colposcopy/biopsy results, and follow-up surveillance tests after colposcopy or after treatment for, or resolution of, high-grade abnormalities (e.g., CIN 2+). The recognition that persistent HPV infection is necessary for developing precancer and cancer (defined as CIN 3+, which includes diagnoses of CIN 3, AIS, and cancer) underlies the 2019 guideline update. Prospective longitudinal data indicate that when a new abnormal screening test result follows a negative HPV test or cotest within the past 5 years, the estimated risk of CIN 3+ is reduced by approximately 50%.8 A negative cytology result within 3 years of a new abnormal screening test, however, does not confer a similar reduction in risk.9 The 2019 guidelines also recognize that a colposcopic examination performed according to accepted standards (e.g., using the KPNC colposcopy protocol or the ASCCP Colposcopy Standards10) confirming low-grade or normal histology reduces a patient's estimated risk of having precancer/cancer in the next 2 years.11 This allows patients with an HPV-positive ASC-US or LSIL result at their 1-year follow-up visit after a colposcopy confirming normal- or low-grade histology to return for repeat HPV or cotesting in 1 more year, rather than immediately return to colposcopy. Thus, incorporating a patient's history of previous HPV tests and colposcopy/biopsy results will permit detection and treatment of CIN 3+ while avoiding unnecessary interventions for patients with new HPV infections who are at lower risk.12