Open AccessScreening for Human Papillomavirus in a Low- and Middle-Income Country
Author(s) -
Aaron Atkinson,
Carlos Alberto Matute Mandujano,
Suyapa Bejarano,
Linda S. Kennedy,
Gregory J. Tsongalis
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
journal of global oncology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.002
H-Index - 17
ISSN - 2378-9506
DOI - 10.1200/jgo.18.00233
Subject(s) - papanicolaou stain , medicine , cervical cancer , genotyping , human papillomavirus , polymerase chain reaction , genotype , hpv infection , gynecology , family medicine , cancer , virology , obstetrics , oncology , environmental health , biochemistry , chemistry , gene
PURPOSE Low- and middle-income countries have high incidences of cervical cancer linked to human papillomavirus (HPV), and without resources for cancer screenings these countries bear 85% of all cervical cancer cases. To address some of these needs, brigade-style screening combined with sensitive polymerase chain reaction–based HPV testing to detect common high-risk HPV genotypes may be necessary. METHODS We deployed an inexpensive DNA extraction technique and a real-time polymerase chain reaction–based HPV genotyping assay, as well as Papanicolaou testing, in a factory in San Pedro Sula, Honduras, where 1,732 women were screened for cervical cancer. RESULTS We found that 28% of participants were positive for high-risk HPV, with 26% of HPV-positive participants having more than one HPV infection. Moreover, the most common HPV genotypes detected were different than those routinely found in the United States. CONCLUSION This work demonstrates a deployable protocol for HPV screening in low- and middle-income countries with limited resources to perform cytopathology assessment of Pap smears.