The role of colposcopy in HPV vaccination era

Abstract

Colposcopy has traditionally played a crucial role in the assessment and management of abnormal cervical cytology and human papillomavirus (HPV) -related lesions. However, with the reduction in high-risk (HR) HPV types due to vaccination, the role of colposcopy in the HPV vaccination era is being questioned. The aim of this narrative review was to highlight the latest evidence from the world of HPV vaccination and the future role of colposcopy in the HPV vaccination era. PubMed, MEDLINE, Scopus, Web of Science were searched for relevant articles up to June 2024. HPV vaccination may influence colposcopic practice by reducing HR-HPV vaccine type, colposcopy referrals, colposcopic positive predictive value for CIN 2+, and by changing referral patterns, colposcopic performance, and procedures. The relative incidence of HPV-negative adenocarcinoma and its precursors may be increasing, presenting a new challenge that may increase the difficulty of colposcopic assessment. The role of colposcopy in the management of cervical abnormalities will vary according to vaccination status, vaccine type and timing of vaccination. As this evolves, colposcopy will need to adapt to provide optimal care tailored to individual risk profiles and to maintain the key role in cervical cancer prevention that it has acquired over the past decades. There will certainly be a need to improve the quality and performance of colposcopy by reducing inter- and intra-observer variability in colposcopic practice, including more objective patient selection, greater knowledge, expertise and skill, with the aim of achieving reproducible, sensitive and less biased assessment of cervical appearance.