Promoting Comprehensive Cervical Cancer Prevention and Better Women Health in Cameroon (PCCCP)

In sub-Saharan Africa, cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women because of the difficulty in implementing screening programs. The main obstacles in these countries are poverty, lack of healthcare infrastructures and trained practitioners. With the availability of new technologies, researchers are looking for new strategies adapted to low- and middle-income countries to identify cervical precancerous lesions. Current evidence shows that Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) testing is more effective than cytology (Pap smear) for cervical cancer screening in resource-limited settings. Indeed, the GeneXpert® HPV test offers the opportunity to prevent cervical cancer (CC) in a single visit: rapid detection of high-risk HPV (HPV) infection followed by same day treatment of HPV-positive women during the same visit (screen-and-treat approach). However only a small proportion of HPV-positive women will develop cervical (pre)cancer, making it important to select those to treat. This triage can be achieved by colposcopy, cytology and visual inspection after application of acetic acid (VIA). Though VIA is the triage test recommended by WHO for resource-limited countries, it has not yet been widely assessed in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The main objective of the investigators is to assess the performance of HPV-test followed by Visual Inspection after application of Acetic acid and Lugol's iodine VIA/VILI to detect cervical precancerous lesions in a screen-and-treat strategy in Cameroon (sub-Saharan Africa) where there is no cervical cancer-screening program. The investigators organized a successful free screening campaign in Cameroon in 2015 that allowed to identify the expectations of women and their eagerness to benefit from prevention of gynecological cancers and sexually transmitted diseases.

Vaginal specimens for HPV test will be collected by participants themselves using flocked swabs after explanations by co-investigators. Two transport mediums will be used for those self-collected vaginal samples: NaCl 0.9%.

Sensitivity and specificity of HPV test followed by VIA/VILI to detect cervical precancerous lesions in sub-Saharan Africa using histology as gold standard

VIA/VILI is assessed by pelvic examination and Sensitivity and specificity are measured by using histology as gold stantard

Provide teaching material for professional training on cervical cancer prevention through VIA/VILI (cervical images database)

To assess the acceptability of self-HPV, patients complete a questionnaire comprising different questions about the collection device (embarassment, comfort, anxiety and confidence about the test). Likert Scale 4 points : 1 (not at all) to 4 (very).

Thermal ablation efficacy rate will be assessed according to the biopsy proven CIN2+ rate after thermoablation treatment at the 6 and 12-month follow-up. The absence of CIN2+ will determine the success of the treatment in a patient who previously had a CIN2+ lesion. Adverses event : bleeding, complications, hospitalization

To assess the acceptability of thermoablation, patients completed a questionnaire comprising different questions about treatment tolerance, pain and following side effects. Respondent were invited to rate answers on a likert scale of 1 (no accpetability) to 4 (high acceptability)

Increase awareness on gynecological pathologies, including cervical cancer, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV, vaginal fistula in the community of the study area,

Inclusion Criteria: Women aged 30-49 years, able to comply with the study protocol Exclusion Criteria: Pregnancy Previous total hysterectomy Conditions impairing examination of the cervix

Petignat P, Kenfack B, Wisniak A, Saiji E, Tille JC, Tsuala Fouogue J, Catarino R, Tincho E, Vassilakos P. ABCD criteria to improve visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) triage in HPV-positive women: a prospective study of diagnostic accuracy. BMJ Open. 2022 Apr 4;12(4):e052504. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-052504.

Metaxas T, Kenfack B, Sormani J, Tincho E, Lemoupa Makajio S, Wisniak A, Vassilakos P, Petignat P. Acceptability and safety of thermal ablation to prevent cervical cancer in sub-Saharan Africa. BMC Cancer. 2022 Feb 2;22(1):132. doi: 10.1186/s12885-022-09202-2.