Human Papillomavirus Selected Properties and Related Cervical Cancer Prevention Issues

High-risk human papillomavirus strains are widely known to be the causative agents responsible for cervical cancer development. Aggregated damage caused by papillomaviruses solely is estimated in at least 5% of all malignancies of the human body and 16% in cancers that affect the female genital area. Enhanced understanding of the complex issue on how the high extent of carcinogenicity is eventually formed due to the infection by the Papoviridae family would contribute to enhancing current prevention strategies not only towards cervical cancer, but also other HPV associated cancers. This review article is aimed at presenting the key points in two directions: the current cervical cancer prevention and related aspects of HPV behavior. Virtually all applied technologies related to HPV diagnostics and screening programs, such as HPV tests, colposcopy-based tests (VIA/VILI), conventional and liquid-based cytology, currently available are presented. Issues of availability, advantages, and drawbacks of the screening programs, as well as vaccination strategies, are also reviewed in the article based on the analyzed sources. The current point of view regarding HPV is discussed with emphasis on the most problematic aspect of the HPV family concerning the observed increasing number of highly carcinogenic types. Present trends in HPV infection diagnostics throughout the human fluids and tissues are also reported, including the latest novelties in this field, such as HPV assay/self-sample device combinations. Besides, a brief outline of the related prevention issues in Kazakhstan, the leading country of Central Asia, is presented. Kazakhstan, as one of the post-soviet middle-income countries, may serve as an example of the current situation in those terrains, concerning the implementation of globally accepted cervical cancer prevention strategies. Along with positive achievements, such as the development of a nationwide screening program, a range of drawbacks is also analyzed and discussed.

Colposcopy accuracy in diagnosing cervical precancerous lesions in western Kazakhstan

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In the present case series study, colposcopy showed inferior efficiency in CIN2+ detection compared to cytology.

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The sensitivity of colposcopy performance at HSIL was 56.6% vs. 89.6% for cytology.

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The probability for HSIL occurrence increased up to 39.7 times at HPV viral load raising.

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Outcomes of the study evidence the insufficiency of screening modality in Kazakhstan based on cytology and colposcopy only.

This retrospective cohort study focused on colposcopic accuracy for the diagnosis of cervical premalignant lesions using cytology and histology, as well as HPV data not included in current cervical screening practices in Kazakhstan. Colposcopy performance was assessed using the modified Reid index in women aged 18–63 years. In total, 1,129 colposcopic-HPV-cytology triple samples and 94 histology findings were collected. The sensitivity of colposcopy was 81.6% with specificity 72.6% for LSIL but fell to 56.6% with specificity 88.3% for CIN2+ vs. 89.6% and 74.5% for cytology at CIN2+, respectively. The ORs for high-grade lesion occurrence within each colposcopy group at viral load rising vs. ORs for HPV-negative women were 3.4; 5.3; and 39.7, respectively (p < 0.0001). Total attributive agreement between the colposcopy and histology findings reached 55.3%, κ 0.47 ± 0.06 vs. 0.62 ± 0.08 for cytology, and 0.34 ± 0.13 and 0.58 ± 0.1, for specialists, respectively. Outcomes obtained for colposcopy alone failed to show satisfactory reliability. Globally adopted primary HPV screening would be the best option despite the related costs.