Scientific evidence for the effectiveness of primary and secondary (screening) prevention of cervical cancer

Abstract

The evidence of HPV vaccination effectiveness is overwhelming. The randomized clinical trials showed that all three vaccines currently in use, bivalent (CERVARIX), quadrivalent (GARDASIL) and nanvalent (GARDASIL9) effectively prevent HPV infection, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 1–3 and invasive cervical cancer. The results of clinical trials have been confirmed by real life evidence – population data from countries were vaccination of 12–13 girls started in 2006–08. HPV vaccination is safe. This is proven by long term follow up of the cohorts of vaccinated women. In 2020 the WHO Director-General has issued a call for action to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem. The document includes the interim targets for 2030: vaccination of 90% of girls by 15 years; HPV testing based screening at age 35 and 45 of 70% of women; treatment of 90% of women with screening detected cervical pathology; treatment of 90% of women with precancerous lesions and cancer of the cervix. Under elimination of cervical cancer WHO means the decrease in its incidence down to 4 cases per 100 000 population. This goal will be achieved by 2030 in countries that started HPV vaccination 15 years ago in 2006–2007.In Russia incidence of cervical cancer is on increase since 1993 from 10, 2 to 16, 1 in 2018. It is predicted that the increase will continue and in 2030 the age standardized incidence rate will reach 20 per 100 000 women. HPV vaccination and HPV test based screening will change the direction of the trend from increase to decrease and save several hundreds of lives