HPV remains largely misunderstood by general public: Roche Survey

GWI research commissioned by Roche and carried out across 12 countries in Latin America and Europe has revealed that half of those polled have either limited or no awareness of the important role human papillomavirus (HPV) plays in cervical cancer (1).

HPV is a common virus transmitted through sexual contact and is the primary cause of cervical cancer, responsible for over 99 per cent of cases (2).  Every year, more than 600,000 women worldwide are diagnosed with cervical cancer and over 340,000 die, with nine in every ten of these women living in low-resource countries (3). However, 93 per cent of cervical cancers could be prevented entirely through appropriate screening and HPV vaccination (4).

The research also demonstrated that with screening rates varying between regions, significant barriers continue to exist that are preventing women from seeking testing (1). Respondents in all countries, including both developed and developing nations, reported that concerns about the testing procedure being painful were common (up to 63 per cent in some countries), as well as a sense of discomfort about discussing their sexual history or sexuality with a healthcare provider (up to 57 per cent in some countries) (1).

“Thousands of women are needlessly dying from cervical cancer every year.  This survey highlights some of the most important barriers to screening, as well as the opportunities we have to prevent disease and improve women’s health,” said Joanna Sickler, Vice-President, Health Policy and External Affairs, Roche Diagnostics. “With many women reporting being open to new screening tools like self-collection, it has never been more important that communities, health systems, governments and innovators come together to seize this opportunity, and provide the early detection and treatment needed to avoid so many preventable deaths.”

The WHO is focused on accelerating the elimination of cervical cancer globally, (2) with its latest guidelines recommending HPV DNA testing as primary screening for all women (5). Its strategy seeks to ensure that by 2030, 90 per cent of girls are fully vaccinated against HPV by age 15. It also aims for 70 per cent of women to have been screened using a high-performance test by age 35, and again by age 45, with 90 per cent of those eligible linked to treatment. This, along with vaccination against HPV, could prevent more than 62 million deaths in the next 100 years (2).

More than 50 per cent of new cervical cancers occur in women who have never been screened or have not been screened in the previous five years of their lives (6). Many factors can contribute to individuals not participating in cervical cancer screening programs, such as access to healthcare, social and economic barriers, history of traumatic experience, cultural concerns and embarrassment.

The many barriers preventing women from seeking HPV screening could explain the widespread interest in self-testing revealed by the survey. In European countries, where testing is more routinely available, 57 per cent of women were interested in the opportunity to collect their own samples for testing. This figure rose to 77 per cent in Latin American countries, where routine screening is less readily available because of a lack of infrastructure and available appointment means.

This discrepancy was also reflected in healthcare professional-reported results, which showed 72 per cent of healthcare professionals and government workers in Latin American countries agree their country needs a self-collection programme, compared to 48 per cent in Europe.

Susana Wong, Patient Advocate and Director, Lazo Rosado, Perú, is working to expand access to HPV testing in her country. She notes, “We know very well how to prevent and treat cervical cancer. Now, with HPV molecular tests and vaccination, there really is hope to eliminate this disease. This test gives you the opportunity to live and to live well with your family. It can help women to empower themselves as to their health.”

Men demonstrated even lower awareness levels than women, particularly in Europe. While 55 per cent to 76 per cent of men in Latin America reported some understanding of HPV, only 35 per cent to 51 per cent of men in Europe had any understanding of HPV at all. The lower awareness among men highlights the need for educational initiatives to include men, given their potential role in the transmission and prevention of HPV.

“This survey highlights both the challenges ahead and the significant opportunities we have to advance HPV prevention,” Sickler said. “By enhancing public education about HPV risks and reimagining how we deliver care, we can drive higher screening rates and make meaningful progress in combating cervical cancer.”

Fighting cervical cancer

Screening for HPV can help identify women who are at risk of developing cervical cancer so that the disease can be treated early before invasive cancer has a chance to develop. In poorer countries, women are often diagnosed with cervical cancer at a more advanced stage, where the opportunity for a cure is low.

In September 2024, Roche officially joined the Global HPV Consortium. This presents an opportunity to collaborate globally, aligning our efforts with other organisations to advance cervical cancer prevention efforts and raise the prominence of early screening and timely detection using high-performance HPV-DNA tests.

Roche already partners with health systems and governments in more than 55 countries to support their cervical cancer screening programs with the cobas® HPV test. As a result of these collaborations, more women have been accessing HPV molecular testing. For example, since 2021, when Roche and the Perúvian Ministry of Health started working together, along with other government organisations and patient advocates, more than 300,000 unscreened or underscreened women, some in remote areas of the Amazon rainforest, have been tested for HPV using Roche’s self-collection solution as the primary strategy to expand access.

The cobas HPV test is also part of the Roche Global Access Program, which aims to improve access to cost-effective resources, implement scale-up programs, and contribute to the elimination of diseases in the regions with the greatest need.

Survey participants:

References: 

1. GWI/Roche HPV Health Understanding Study 2024. Available at: https://www.roche.com/stories/survey-hpv-cervical-cancer
2. Centers for Disease Control, Cancers caused by HPV https://www.cdc.gov/hpv/parents/cancer.html#:~:text=Cervical%20cancer%20and%20HPV,be%20prevented%20by%20HPV%20vaccination.
3. World Health Organization. Global strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem. Article [Internet; updated 2020 November 17; cited 2023 Jan 3] Available from: https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240014107
4. World Health Organisation. Cervical Cancer Factsheet https://www.who.int/health-topics/cervical-cancer#tab=tab_1
5. World Health Organization. 2020. Global strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem. Available at https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240014107. Accessed 16 May 2023.
6. Subramaniam A, Fauci JM, Schneider KE, Whitworth JM, Erickson BK, Kim K, Huh, WK. Invasive cervical cancer and screening: what are the rates of unscreened and underscreened women in the modern era? J Low Genit Tract Dis. 2011 Apr;15(2): 110-3. doi:10.1097/LGT.0b013e3181f515a2. PMID: 21263352; PMCID: PMC4465558. Accessed on 12 July 2024.