Self-collection testing could be a solution to increasing access to cervical cancer screening

Mail-in self-collection assessments for human papillomavirus (HPV) greater than doubled cervical most cancers screening participation amongst never- and under-screened U.S. girls, in response to a first-of-its-kind research from researchers at The College of Texas MD Anderson Most cancers Heart.

Within the real-world, randomized, PRESTIS research, printed at present in JAMA Inner Medication, 41% of those that acquired self-collection assessments and a phone reminder participated in cervical most cancers screening, in comparison with simply 17% of those that acquired solely a phone reminder. Including affected person navigation assist to self-collection assessments and the phone reminder additional elevated participation charges to 47%.

Too many ladies, particularly those that are uninsured, stay in rural areas or come from marginalized and underserved communities, don’t get screened for cervical most cancers. These outcomes present that self-collection testing might be an answer to growing entry to screening and, in flip, decreasing the burden of cervical most cancers within the U.S.”

Jane Montealegre, Ph.D., lead writer, affiliate professor of Behavioral Science

In Might 2025, the Meals and Drug Administration accepted the primary at-home screening take a look at for cervical most cancers, a illness that impacts practically 13,000 girls yearly. Whereas HPV vaccination and in-office screening have pushed important declines in cervical most cancers charges, disparities in outcomes proceed, particularly for girls of shade and people in rural and low-income counties.

Between Feb. 2020 and Aug. 2023, the PRESTIS research enrolled practically 2,500 girls aged 30-65 from the Houston space. Most (94%) have been from ethnic/racial minoritized populations, and 56% have been coated by a publicly funded monetary help program. Sufferers acquired one in all three screening intervention approaches: 1) a phone reminder for clinic-based screening; 2) a phone reminder with a mailed self-collection take a look at; and three) a phone reminder with a mailed self-collection take a look at and affected person navigation. Outcomes on screening participation have been collected at six months.

The researchers additionally discovered that over 80% of the ladies within the self-collection teams returned their kits, offering additional proof for the desire and improved suitability of this strategy inside this affected person inhabitants.

“As self-collection assessments change into out there within the U.S., it is vital that we collect knowledge to information how they’re rolled out. We wish to make it possible for they change into out there in clinics and well being facilities that take care of individuals who usually have the toughest time accessing well being care,” Montealegre mentioned. “By eradicating limitations, we’re hopeful that we will enhance the uptake of evidence-based screening assessments and make important progress towards this preventable illness.”

The subsequent steps for researchers will probably be learning combine self-collection HPV assessments in numerous main care settings.

Limitations of this research embrace results from the COVID-19 pandemic, unclear causes for participation refusal, and limitations round mailing the kits to peoples’ houses. The trial additionally didn’t consider variations within the sorts of follow-up appointments that sufferers want in the event that they take a look at constructive for HPV.

This research was supported via grants from the Nationwide Institutes of Well being, together with the Nationwide Institute for Minority Well being and the Nationwide Most cancers Institute (R01MD30175, P30CA016672, P30CA125123, P30CA138313).