Clinical utility of CINTEC plus triage in equivocal cervical cytology and human papillomavirus primary screening

Abstract

Objectives: While cervical cytology is accepted triage for human papillomavirus (HPV)–positive women, the efficiency of cervical screening could be improved by exploiting disease markers with higher specificity. Methods: CINtec PLUS triage alone and combined with HPV 16/18 genotyping was performed on ThinPrep samples from HPV-positive women. Clinical performance and the potential to reduce or expedite colposcopy referrals were evaluated. Results: The 2-year sensitivity and specificity for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 3 or worse (CIN3+) were 90% and 42%, respectively. Specificity was improved over HPV testing in equivocal cytology and could cut the referral rate by about 40%. When combined with HPV 16/18 genotyping, CINtec PLUS triage of the 12 other high-risk HPV genotypes generally demonstrated better sensitivity for CIN3+ than separate triage of non-type-specific HPV-positive women. This strategy could reduce colposcopy referrals by 31%. Conclusions: These findings highlight the potential of CINtec PLUS to improve management pathways in HPV-positive women. CINtec PLUS cytology represents a sensitive and efficient triage in HPV-positive women. The clinical performance of the dual-stain was most notable in women younger than 25 years and could potentially improve management pathways.