Improving Cervical Cancer Screening in Women Living With HIV Attending Chronic Disease Clinics in Semi-rural Tanzania

This study is to analyse the effect of a bundle of measures on the proportion of females being screened for cervical cancer in the Kilombero and Ulanga Antiretroviral Cohort (KIULARCO), comparing the time period before implementation (01/2017-01/2020) and after implementation (02/2020-06/2022). It is to assess the performance of two novel diagnostic tests (QuantiGene-molecular profiling histology (QG-MPH) and PT Monitor® immunoassay) and established tests (Seegene Anyplex™ II 28 HPV Test and Prevo-check®) as potential triage tests for the development of future clinical decision algorithms for CC screening.

Cervical cancer (CC) is the most common cancer among women living with HIV (WLWH) and the leading cause of cancer-related death in women in East Africa. Currently there are around 2800 WLWH in care at the Chronic Disease Clinic of Ifakara (CDCI), of whom only 8% attended CC screening services in the last three years. This research project is to assess (with a mixed-method, before-/after-study) the impact of a bundle of procedures, which consists of: portable colposcopy, Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) testing and treatment of precancerous cervical lesions by Loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP). This study is also to analyze the prevalence of cervical disease in the cohort, stratified by stage and co-infections, as well as the acceptability, feasibility and costs. Additionally, it will assess the performance of two novel diagnostic tests (QG-MPH and PT Monitor® immunoassay) and established tests (Seegene Anyplex™ II 28 HPV Test and Prevo-check®) as potential triage tests for the development of future clinical decision algorithms for CC screening. This is an implementational study nested within the KIULARCO study consisting of two interacting parts: a pre/post assessment of the impact of the bundle of interventions with mixed-methods study design and the diagnostic tests accuracy (evaluated with a cross-sectional study). The treatment investigated is regarded as standard treatment.