[HPV screening coverage and cancer]

Abstract

The incidence of cervical cancer after a normal cytology test has been increasing, and now women with a normal cytology have a cancer risk almost as high as the general population. The incidence of cervical cancer after a negative HPV test is about 7 times lower than after a normal cytology test. The 2015 Swedish national screening program recommended HPV screening for women aged 30-70, but some regions did not start implementing HPV screening until 2021. Conceivably, high cancer risks after normal cytology could be explained if women with a recent normal cytology have not been offered HPV screening. The regional HPV test coverage varies between 62% and 89%, with higher coverage linked to lower cancer incidence (r=-0.50; p=0.022). Efforts to increase the coverage of HPV screening as soon as possible are advisable for imminent control of cervical cancer.