Cervical Cancer Prevention Using Self-sampling and Human Papillomavirus Detection

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are evaluating whether self-sampling combined with human papillomavirus (HPV) testing can increase cervical cancer screening among women in the Czech Republic who have not been regularly screened. Cervical cancer remains a significant health issue there, causing around 800 new cases and 400 deaths yearly, largely due to low screening participation. This trial aims to find effective methods to encourage more women to participate in screening and to assess the prevalence of high-risk HPV in the population. The trial compares three ways of offering a self-sampling device called the Evalyn Brush: sending it by mail to women randomly selected from a commercial database, mailing it via gynecologists to women who have not participated in screening for at least three years, and providing it through general practitioners to similar non-attending women. Participants perform cervicovaginal self-sampling at home or at their general practitioner's clinic, and the collected samples are tested with an approved HPV DNA diagnostic test. The study includes about 5,000 women in each group. Participants will be women aged 30 to 65 years (with some allowance above 65 in one group) living in the Czech Republic who are capable of self-sampling. The research team will collect and analyze participation rates in screening over 12 months, HPV prevalence, and sociodemographic data. Women may also volunteer to have leftover biological samples stored for future research. The study monitors outcomes related to screening attendance and HPV presence to better understand how to improve cervical cancer prevention efforts.

Self-sampling for Non-attenders to Cervical Cancer Screening