HPV Testing For Cervical Cancer Screening
There are an estimated 12,000 cases and 4,200 deaths due to cervical cancer in the U.S. per year. The vast majority of cervical cancers are caused by persistent infections with human papillomavirus (HPV). While most HPV infections are transient, persistent infections with any of 14 high-risk types (HR-HPV) may lead to cervical cancer. Cervical cytology plus HR-HPV testing (co-testing) is now recommended for most women in cervical cancer screening guidelines published earlier this year by the American Cancer Society (ACS), the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP), and American Society for Clinical Pathology (ASCP). There currently are 4 U.S. FDA-cleared assays for HR-HPV testing. This presentation will review the role of HR-HPV in cervical cancer development, the use of HR-HPV testing for cervical cancer screening in current guidelines, and provide an overview of FDA-cleared HR-HPV tests.
