Chonnam Med J.  2002 Dec;38(4):348-351.

Comparison of Cytology, Cervicography and HPV Testing in Early Detection of Cervical Cancer

• Choi HS
• Kim SM
• Suh SP
• Nam JH

Abstract

244 women with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) or low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) cytology who underwent cervicography and testing for high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) by the hybrid capture assay were compared for their ability to detect CINII/III or cancer. Cervicography identified all 15 cancers, whereas high-risk HPV testing missed 3. Cervicography yielded sensitivities for detecting CINII/III or cancer of 80.6% (specificity, 53.7%). High-risk HPV testing yielded sensitivities for detecting CINII/III or cancer of 62.6% (specificity, 54.5%). The findings of this study demonstrate that cervicography and high-risk HPV testing are helpful adjunctive for detection of CINII/III or cancer in patients with ASCUS or LSIL cytology. However, both tests had relatively low specificity and positive predictive values for detecting CINII/III or cancer. Therefore, the optimal triage approach to managing women with ASCUS and LSIL cytology remains unclear. Until better triage methods become available, examination by colposcopy remains a viable option.

Keyword

Cervical cancer; Cervicography; Human papillomavirus

MeSH Terms

Colposcopy
Female
Humans
Sensitivity and Specificity
Triage
Uterine Cervical Neoplasms*