HPV self-sampling in Sweden leading to faster elimination of cervical cancer

“With the new measures against human papillomavirus (HPV), we predict that cervical cancer elimination in Sweden could happen 5 years from now. If the pandemic had not occurred, it would have been much, much slower.”

Professor Joakim Dillner is a cancer specialist at the Karolinska Institutet in Sweden. He explains how the country was forced to rethink its approach to cervical cancer screening when non-emergency health care stopped in the capital region in April 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For 3 months, no one could access cervical cancer screening; then, when the national programme restarted, social distancing requirements meant clinics were unable to provide clinician-led sampling.

To solve the problem, HPV self-sampling kits were sent to all eligible women in the country, including those between 23 and 29 years of age who had previously been offered cytology-based screening (commonly called a Pap smear), which is conducted by a clinician. 

The Stockholm region, where 330 000 self-sampling kits were sent out, saw a dramatic 10% increase in population test coverage – from 75% to 85% – in just 1 year.

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