Current status of cervical cytology during pregnancy in Japan

PLoS One. 2021 Jan 7;16(1):e0245282. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245282. eCollection 2021.

Abstract

In Japan, uterine cancer screening during pregnancy is subsidized by public funds. We examined the current status of the results of cervical cytology conducted during pregnancy in Japan. We requested 2,293 obstetrical facilities to provide information on cervical cytology in pregnant women who delivered between October 2018 and March 2019. A total of 1,292 obstetrical facilities responded, with valid information on a total of 238,743 women. The implementation rate of cervical cytology during pregnancy was 86.8% in Japan. The prevalence of abnormal cervical cytology during pregnancy was 3.3% in total and 4.9% using a spatula/brush with liquid-based cytology (LBC). The prevalence of positive high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) in teenagers with atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) was significantly higher than women of other ages (p < 0.01). Because HPV vaccine coverage has dropped to less than 1% in Japan, a further study with various conditions will be needed to improve the accuracy of cervical cancer screening during pregnancy.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Age Factors
  • Atypical Squamous Cells of the Cervix / pathology
  • Cervix Uteri / cytology
  • Cervix Uteri / pathology
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Japan
  • Papanicolaou Test / statistics & numerical data
  • Papillomavirus Infections / epidemiology*
  • Papillomavirus Infections / pathology
  • Pregnancy
  • Pregnancy Complications / epidemiology*
  • Pregnancy Complications / pathology
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / epidemiology*
  • Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / pathology

Associated data

  • figshare/10.6084/m9.figshare.13347299

Grants and funding

The authors received no specific funding for this work.