Eurogin 2010 roadmap on cervical cancer prevention

Abstract

The EUROGIN 2010 roadmap represents a continuing effort to provide and interpret updated information on cervical cancer screening and vaccination against the cause of the disease, high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV). Contrary to the two previous reports in 2008 and 2009, the present roadmap gives equal room to HPV-based screening and HPV vaccination, as a result of the recent strengthening of the evidence on the efficacy and feasibility of both approaches. The superiority of HPV testing in primary screening compared to cytology (in more developed countries) and to cytology or visual inspection methods (in less developed countries) has been demonstrated in several randomised trials. High vaccine efficacy has been confirmed up to 7 years after vaccination; school-based programmes in some countries have been able to reach over 70% coverage among adolescent girls. Demonstration projects have indicated that the delivery of HPV vaccines in less developed countries is feasible and favourably received by populations where cervical cancer is very common. HPV-based screening can diminish cervical cancer incidence more quickly than HPV vaccination, but vaccination can eventually facilitate screening efforts, especially if new vaccines against a greater number of HPV types are introduced. The availability of two highly complementary prevention tools such as HPV testing and HPV vaccination makes it possible to conceive integrated strategies for the elimination of cervical cancer that have no precedent in the cancer field. HPV tests and HPV vaccines remain, however, too expensive, and large-scale financing of screening and vaccination in less developed countries is sorely lacking.