Start so young? Defense of the primary HPV test as a screening test for cervical cancer in women aged 25 and over in Brazil.

Abstract

e17531 Background: Cervical cancer (CC) is the most frequent type of cancer on woman at reproductive age and on the puerperal pregnancy cycle in Brazil. It is a disease that can be prevented with the resources already available at Brazil’s public healthcare system.The most important risk factor for developing cervical cancer is infection with human papillomavirus (HPV). With the covid 19 pandemic, there was an advance in the possibility of carrying out an HPV test by PCR by through the government initiative "uterus is life" and we was asked what age should start the HPV test in the proposed screening organized. Methods: Descriptive, observational, cross sectional study Carried two cancer centers( using an adapted form, between 2020 2021 Sociodemographic data, cancer characteristics. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data and evaluation of secondary data from the ministry of health (DATASUS) This study was approved by the institution’s ethics committee. Recife, Brazil. Results: From 2021 -2022, 240 patients with CC mean age 50,48y (SD ± 13.8; range 24-87), 15, 8 % < 35 y, age of first sexual intercourse: mean age 16,7 (SD ± 3.2, range 11- 30) and 79,6 % < 18y. age of first pregnancy mean 18 (SD ± 6.54; range 12- 36) 77,4 % < 18 y.In the year 2019 of the number of patients undergoing treatment in the Brazilian public system (SUS), by age group, 14.076 patients <35 y (58%). $821,000 was spent in 2019 on anticancer chemotherapy for CC in women < 35 y. Conclusions: With a view to establishing an organized screening policy using the HPV test, considering the window of opportunity to diagnose the non-invasive cervical cancer stage, the onset of sexual activity and the age of first pregnancy among patients with invasive cervical cancer and the representativeness of patients with < 35 years undergoing treatment for advanced CC. The "Utero é Vida" initiative recommended starting the screening of the HPV test from the age of 25 y, in addition to intensifying vaccination coverage against HPV.