Primary HPV Testing vs Co-testing for Cervical Cancer Screening

Outcome and Economics Support that Co-testing is Superior

In 2014, the FDA approved a DNA HPV test for primary cervical cancer screening in women 25 years and older. This article provides foundational evidence demonstrating the diagnostic superiority of co-testing compared with primary high-risk HPV testing alone (HPV testing). Using an extensive modeling analysis, a screening span of up to 40 years, and a constructed cohort of 1 million women, we predicted that co-testing would result in thousands of fewer invasive cervical cancer cases and deaths and would save the healthcare system $39 million over the 40 years, as compared to a strategy using primary HPV testing alone. These findings are not only relevant when considering Women’s Healthcare policies, but they also direct attention to real-world outcomes and economics critical to selecting the best strategies for cervical cancer screening.