A Randomized Controlled Evaluation of HPV Testing for Cervical Cancer Screening

There is now an overwhelming body of data to show that HPV testing has the potential to improve the effectiveness of cervical cancer screening programs and thereby reduce rates of cervical cancer. As a result, there is a growing ethical dilemma in that we potentially have the means to prevent disease and death among Canadian women, and yet the studies that have been undertaken do not offer the standard of evidence that is required to change large-scale public health programs such as cervical cancer screening. In recognition of this, the Pan-Canadian Cervical Cancer Forum (PCCCF) has called for the evaluation of HPV testing within the context of a Canadian organised cervical cancer screening program. Given the potential health benefits that could be achieved, and that a pan-Canadian expert group has issued a consensus statement calling for the evaluation of HPV testing for primary screening, it is now an imperative that a properly designed and powered study be conducted to definitively establish whether it will provide the hypothesised health benefits within Canada.

The results of this trial will demonstrate whether or not the use of HPV testing as a single primary screening test within an organised Canadian cervical cancer screening program will be able to 1) provide further reductions in cervical cancer incidence, 2) allow the screening interval to be extended and 3) improve the cost-effectiveness of cervical cancer screening. If this trial demonstrates that HPV testing will provide these benefits, the BCCA will implement HPV testing as a single primary screening test within the provincial cervical cancer screening program and the trial will directly influence the provision of this service in BC. In addition, many other Canadian provinces and territories are either implementing or have plans to implement screening programs similar to the one in BC and by the time this trial is completed, many will have these programs operating. Therefore, the results of this trial will be directly applicable to these programs and constitute a demonstration project for the rest of Canada.

A list of women who are due for cervical screening will be sent to study collaborating Family Physicians (FPs) each month from the study centre in the provincial screening program. An invitation letter will be sent by the FP to potentially eligible women due for cervical cancer screening. If women are interested in participating, they will contact the study centre for more information. Study staff discuss the details of the trial with them, confirm eligibility and administer a short survey. Women who consent to the trial will visit the FP for their screening test and samples will be obtained and sent to the BC Central Laboratory Service (BC-CLS) where it will be randomized into one of the study arms:

Note: Recruitment to the safety arm was complete December 31, 2010 and from that point forward, women randomized 1:1 into the control or intervention arms only. A total of ~25,000 women (~9140 each in the Control and Intervention arms respectively, and ~6,000 in the Safety arm) will be enrolled in the FOCAL trial.

Control arm: