In a recent study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal , researchers modeled the impact of three priority actions of the Canadian Partnership Against Cancer (CPAC) on the time to eliminate cervical cancer in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Study: Strategies to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer in British Columbia, Canada: a modelling study . Image Credit: SewCreamStudio/Shutterstock.
com Nine high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV) account for over 90% of global cervical cancer cases. Early detection/treatment and HPV vaccination can prevent cervical cancer. While cytological screening of cervical cancer has been successful, the incidence of the cancer has been relatively unchanged since the mid-2000s in Canada.
In Canada, school-based vaccination programs for HPV have been introduced for girls in 2007 and boys in 2013. Given that the first vaccination cohorts have recently reached the screening-eligible age, the current screening-eligible population remains largely non-vaccinated. Further, HPV testing has more sensitivity than cytological detection.
Besides, self-collected vaginal samples could be used for HPV testing, which could improve screening uptake. The World Health Organization committed to cervical cancer elimination, defined as an annual age-standardized incidence rate (ASIR) < 4 per 100,000 females. Likewise, the CPAC launched an action plan for eliminating cervical cancer by 2040 and provided strategies and targets in three priori.
