The objective of this health technology assessment (HTA) is to address the policy question by assessing the DTA, clinical utility, safety, cost-effectiveness, patients’ experiences and perspectives, ethical issues, and implementation issues of HPV testing as a primary screening tool for cervical cancer screening. This HTA will be conducted to inform decisionmaking, policy development, capacity planning, and recommendations around primary HPV-based testing for cervical cancer screening.
Research Questions
The HTA addressed the following research questions. For the purposes of this HTA, the diagnostic efficacy of primary HPV testing as a primary screening tool for cervical cancer includes evidence regarding the DTA and clinical utility (including safety and other clinical outcomes) of that screening strategy. Details on the specific interventions and outcomes are included in Table 1.
What is the diagnostic efficacy of primary high-risk HPV testing, with or without cytology triage, compared with primary cytology-based testing for asymptomatic cervical cancer screening?
What are the diagnostic efficacies of primary high-risk HPV testing strategies compared with each other for asymptomatic cervical cancer screening?
What is the comparative cost-effectiveness of primary high-risk HPV testing, with or without cytology triage, compared with primary cytology-based testing for asymptomatic cervical cancer screening Canada?
What are the perspectives of adults eligible for cervical cancer screening, their family members, and their caregivers regarding the value and impact of HPV testing for cervical cancer screening on their health, health care, and lives?
What ethical issues are raised by HPV testing for cervical cancer screening and how might they be addressed?
What are the main challenges, considerations, and enablers to implementing HPV testing for primary cervical cancer screening in Canada?
Separate reviews and analyses have been conducted to address each research question. Each is presented in a separate chapter that outlines the specific research methods used and results.
