Combining Anal Cytology With High-Risk HPV Testing More Effective In Detecting Anal Cancers In People With HIV Than Either Test Alone, Study Finds

MedPage Today (7/23, Kahn) reports, “Combining anal cytology with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) testing was more effective in detecting anal cancers and precancers in people with HIV than either test alone, and reduced referrals for high-resolution anoscopy, according to a new study.” The research found that “of five approaches to anal cancer screening, high-risk HPV along with cytology triage had an acceptable sensitivity (85%), the highest specificity (48%), the highest positive-predictive value (54%), and the lowest percentage of referrals for high-risk anoscopy (66%).” The findings were presented at the AIDS 2024 meeting.