The Overlooked Population at Risk for AIN: Women With High-grade Lower Genital Tract Dysplasia or Cervical Cancer.

Anal cancer incidence is increasing and although women compose more than half of all cases and those with HPV related lower genital tract dysplasia/malignancy have an even greater risk screening is currently not recommended. We therefore propose performing a prospective cohort study to determine the prevalence of anal dysplasia in women with high-grade lower genital tract dysplasia using high-resolution anoscopy HRA. This will then potentially lead to the development of a screening, diagnosis and treatment schema that can be implemented in all women with high-grade lower genital tract dysplasia. This study can potentially have a high impact on health delivery in women at high risk for anal cancer as this can transform the current treatment of anal cancer to a preventive screening program. This can later be implemented throughout Ontario and in all centers that treat women with cervical dysplasia.

The incidence of anal intraepithelial neoplasm (AIN also known as anal cancer) has increased in Ontario over the last 20 years. Two-thirds of the cases are found in women. The average time between diagnosis of anal cancer and previous cervical dysplasia or cancer is approximately 20 years. This study is giving the opportunity to detect and treat pre-invasive lesions and potentially prevent the development of anal cancer. Currently, no screening, diagnosis or treatment recommendation for anal dysplasia found in women with high-grade lower genital tract dysplasia.