HPV-vaccinated women may need fewer cervical cancer screenings

A Norwegian modelling study reported that women vaccinated against HPV between ages 12 and 24 could be screened every 15–25 years, reducing lifetime screenings to two or three, and suggested screening can stop after age 65; the findings rely on accurate vaccination records and organised screening systems.

A Norwegian study reported that women vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV) can be screened for cervical cancer much less often than current three- to five-year schedules. Researchers combined government health data with computer modelling and published their results in Annals of Internal Medicine. The modelling examined vaccines that target two HPV types and ones that target nine types. An accompanying editorial noted that implementing tailored schedules depends on having accurate vaccination records and organised screening systems. Key findings: - The study indicates women vaccinated at ages 12–24 could be screened every 15–25 years, equating to about two or three lifetime tests. - Those vaccinated between ages 19–21 were modelled to need screening every 20 years starting at age 25, while vaccination at 25–30 was modelled to support screening every 10 years. - The analysis stated screening could stop after age 65 under these strategies. - Recommendations were based on government data and modelling and considered vaccines including a nine-type HPV vaccine (Gardasil 9), as the article notes. - The authors and an accompanying editorial warned that these approaches depend on accurate vaccination records and organised screening programmes, which are not available everywhere. Summary: The study suggests that, for women who received HPV vaccination at younger ages, much longer screening intervals could be effective and would reduce the number of lifetime cervical tests. Wider application of such tailored schedules will depend on the availability of reliable vaccination records and organised screening systems; in places without those systems, implementation could be difficult. Undetermined at this time.