HPV FOCAL DECADE: Long-Term Follow-Up
An extension of the original FOCAL study to determine the long term effectiveness and safety of primary HPV testing
Using the cohort of women who enrolled in the original trial, the HPV FOCAL DECADE: Long Term Follow-Up project will determine the long term efficacy of HPV-based primary cervical cancer screening over both single and multiple screening rounds and evaluate triage pathways to determine cervical cancer disease outcomes to 120 months after the baseline screen. This research will help shape the clinical care for millions of women who receive cervical cancer screening to reduce and eventually eradicate cervical cancer in North America through earlier detection and enhanced prevention.
Coordinator: Laurie Smith
Click the graphic summary to learn more about FOCAL and FOCAL DECADE publications.
The HPV FOr CervicAL Cancer (FOCAL)
The largest randomized trial in Canada assessing primary HPV testing for cervical cancer screening
HPV FOCAL was the largest clinical trial of its kind in North America. The goal of this study was to determine if a screening test for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) was better than the standard (the Pap smear, or "cytology") as primary screening for cervical cancer.
HPV FOCAL is evaluating the effectiveness and safety of HPV testing compared to the Pap test for cervical cancer prevention. The study recruited over 25,000 BC women, aged 25-65 engaged in cervical cancer screening. Women were randomly assigned to receive the standard of care, cytology (Pap) testing and managed according to provincial guidelines, or they were assigned to primary HPV testing with management determined by the results of HPV testing. This trial is embedded in the BC Cervical Cancer Screening Program, with the ultimate goal of implementing HPV screening provincially in the futures.
