Master's student
Anne Sofie Øhlenschlæger
Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Unit D, Odense University Hospital (OUH)
| Projekt styring | ||
| Projekt status | Open | |
| Data indsamlingsdatoer | ||
| Start | 01.09.2024 | |
| Slut | - | |
Follow-up in postmenopausal women who are high-risk HPV positive and cytology negative at screening for cervical cancer
Short summary
Postmenopausal women with HPV infection are at risk of developing cervical precancerous lesions. The Danish Health Authority recommends HPV screening every five years for women aged 60-64. If positive, but without cell changes, annual follow-ups are done. This project aims to investigate how many women develop cell changes in the years after a positive HPV test, reviewing records from OUH's Gynecology and Obstetrics Department to assess the need for improved screening and follow-up care.
Rationale
Cervical cancer is a significant health issue for postmenopausal women, primarily caused by chronic high-risk HPV infections. Although the Danish Health Authority introduced an HPV screening program for women aged 60-64, women who test positive for high-risk HPV but do not have treatment-requiring cellular changes are still at risk of developing precancerous lesions. These women undergo annual follow-ups to monitor for disease progression. However, research has shown that follow-up practices vary, with many women undergoing prolonged monitoring, which may cause unnecessary discomfort and anxiety. This study aims to investigate how many postmenopausal women, who tested positive for high-risk HPV but do not have treatment-requiring cellular changes at screening for cervical cancer, develop such changes in the years after their initial test. By reviewing test results in the national pathology register, Patobank, from women who have had outpatient contact with the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Unit D, at OUH, the study will investigate the adequacy of current follow-up practices and explore potential improvements in the screening and follow-up program for postmenopausal women.
Description of the cohort
The cohort for this study consists of postmenopausal women who had outpatient contact with OUH's Gynecology and Obstetrics Department in the past five years due to the detection of high-risk HPV in a cervical sample and were older than 60 years during this period. These women tested positive for high-risk HPV but did not have treatment-requiring cervical changes (CIN2+) at the time of screening. After their positive HPV test, they were referred to the Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Unit D, at Odense University Hospital (OUH) for follow-up. The study will collect data from the Danish Pathology Register (Patobank) regarding the screening history of women to assess how many of these women develop CIN2+ during the follow-up period after testing positive for high-risk HPV without concurrent treatment-requiring cervical lesions
Data and biological material
This study utilizes data from the Danish Pathology Register (Patobank), accessed through the Electronic Patient Record (EPJ SYD) system.