Cervical cancer remains an important cause of morbidity and mortality for women in the United States, despite the wide availability and adoption of effective screening. Recent advances, including the introduction of human papillomavirus (HPV) testing and HPV vaccines, have resulted in a rapidly changing paradigm for cervical cancer prevention.
We are engaged in research evaluating optimal cervical cancer screening strategies that minimize associated screening harms, while maximizing benefits. Analyses utilize decision analytic models and comparative effectiveness analyses to identify novel screening strategies that provide similar benefits and harms, resulting in a range of options for cervical cancer screening, which might vary by individual factors including HIV infection and HPV vaccine use.
In addition, our researchers lead the Kaiser Permanente cervical cancer center within the Population-based Research Optimizing Screening Through Personalized Regimens (PROSPR), a national network of four health care systems in the United States. The goal of PROSPR is to improve the understanding of the entire cervical cancer screening and treatment process.
Researchers are also involved in local public health surveillance efforts to monitor trends in cervical precancer following the introduction of the HPV vaccine.
