Rescreening Practices of Negative Papanicolaou Tests With Positive Human Papillomavirus Test Result: Survey Results of Laboratories Participating in the College of American Pathologists Gynecologic Cytology (PAP Education) Program.

TitleRescreening Practices of Negative Papanicolaou Tests With Positive Human Papillomavirus Test Result: Survey Results of Laboratories Participating in the College of American Pathologists Gynecologic Cytology (PAP Education) Program.
Publication TypeJournal Article
Year of Publication2021
AuthorsGoyal A, Davey DD, Souers RJ, Tabbara SO, Goodrich K, Booth CN
JournalArch Pathol Lab Med
Date Published2021 Apr 30
ISSN1543-2165
Abstract

CONTEXT.—: The yield of the prospective rescreening process for "negative for intraepithelial lesion or malignancy" (NILM) Papanicolaou (Pap) tests is higher with the inclusion of a greater proportion of high-risk cases. One of the suggested criteria for classifying a Pap test finding as high-risk is recent or concurrent high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) positivity.

OBJECTIVE.—: To evaluate how the results of HPV testing have been incorporated in the prospective rescreening of NILM Pap tests across a wide range of laboratories.

DESIGN.—: A questionnaire survey was sent to laboratories participating in the 2019 College of American Pathologists (CAP) Gynecologic Cytology (PAP Education) Program.

RESULTS.—: Of the 1507 participating laboratories, 667 (44%) responded to the survey. Most laboratories (59.4%; 396 of 667) had not incorporated HPV test/genotyping results to select NILM Pap tests for rescreening. Amongst the remaining laboratories, for NILM HPV-positive Pap test results, 112 (16.8%) had a policy to rescreen by a cytotechnologist only, 51 (7.6%) by a pathologist only, and 86 (12.9%) by both. Of 264 laboratories, 181 (68.6%) reported the cytology upon availability of the HPV test result and completion of the secondary review. Of 661 laboratories, 145 (21.9%) included consensus-type recommendations in the cytology report for such Pap tests.

CONCLUSIONS.—: This CAP survey provides significant information regarding the current trends in the use of HPV test results in prospective rescreening of NILM Pap tests. Future studies on quality improvement can further assist in the standardization of this process across different laboratories.

DOI10.5858/arpa.2020-0618-CP
Alternate JournalArch Pathol Lab Med
PubMed ID33929528
Related Faculty: 
Abha Goyal, M.D.

Pathology & Laboratory Medicine 1300 York Avenue New York, NY 10065 Phone: (212) 746-6464
Surgical Pathology: (212) 746-2700