On the issue of the effectiveness of HPV testing and cytological examination in the framework of the combined cervical cancer screening

The improvement of screening programs in the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, particularly the introduction of screening for the detection of human papillomavirus (HPV), will provide new opportunities for the early detection of cervical cancer. Objective. To assess the clinical sensitivity of HPV testing and cytology as screening methods and to develop an organizational model for improving their effectiveness based on the results obtained. Materials and methods. The following methods were used in the study: analytical, statistical, comparative analysis, sociological, expert assessment method, and content analysis of literature and regulatory framework. Results. The results show a higher clinical sensitivity of HPV testing (95% compared to conventional cytological examination, which does not detect 45—70% of precancerous or cancerous lesions). Conclusion. The study shows a higher clinical sensitivity of HPV screening compared to conventional cytological examination. Also, the low sensitivity of cytological examination does not support its use as the only screening method for detecting precancerous or cancerous lesions.