Objective: To explore the role of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing in the improvement of the recognition of cervical cancer and precancerous lesions in women with abnormal cervical cytology.
Methods: A total of 2152 women with abnormal cervical cytology were submitted to both HPV DNA testing and biopsy guided by colposcopy and the results were correlated.
Results: Positive rate of high-risk HPV DNA in groups of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US), atypical squamous cells, cannot exclude high-grade (ASC-H), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions was 53.7, 53.2, 84.6 and 93.0%, respectively. In each group, the detection rate of grade 2,3 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN 2,3) or cervical cancer in patients with positive HPV DNA was significantly higher than that with negative HPV DNA (P<0.05). In ASC-US group, the negative predictive value of high-risk HPV DNA testing for detection of CIN 2,3 and cervical cancer was 99.8% and the sensitivity 98%.
Conclusion: HPV DNA testing is a useful indicator in the management of patients with ASC-US and plays an important role in the evaluation of risk for CIN 2,3 and cervical cancer.