title: Follow-up of screening patients conservatively treated for cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2-3.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the frequency and correlates of non-adherence to follow-up among patients conservatively treated for CIN2-3.
  
  
  METHODS
  Study population comprised 1560 patients aged 25-64 years from a screening programme in northern Italy. The regional standard protocol was used as a reference. Multinomial logistic regression analysis was used to estimate the odds ratio probability of a patient being lost to follow-up (no check-ups within 27 months of treatment) or incompletely followed-up (1-3 negative check-ups) versus having 4 negative check-ups.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three hundred twenty-six patients (21%) were lost to follow-up, 678 (43%) were incompletely followed-up, 352 (23%) presented for 4 negative check-ups and 204 (13%) were diagnosed with persistent disease. The probability of no or incomplete follow-up was greater for patients who lived in the urban district, who were treated in private settings (versus screening centres), who exhibited a visibile squamocolumnar junction on pre-treatment colposcopy, who were treated with cold knife excision and local destructive therapy (versus loop diathermy excision), and whose surgical specimens had positive excision margins.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Adherence to the reference protocol was poor. Factors involved in follow-up failures require greater clinical attention.
authors.affiliation: Cervical Cancer Screening Unit, Bologna Health Care District, Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Cristiani
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: De Nuzzo
authors.forename: Silvano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Costa
authors.forename: Sonia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Prandi
authors.forename: Dino
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Davi
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Turci
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Naldoni
authors.forename: Patrizia
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Schincaglia
authors.forename: Licia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Caprara
authors.forename: Franco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Desiderio
authors.forename: Marilena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Manfredi
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Farneti
authors.forename: Natalina
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Collina
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Falcini
authors.forename: Pier Giorgio
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Dataro
authors.forename: Priscilla Sassoli
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: de Bianchi
authors.forename: Lauro
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bucchi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy / Q000453:epidemiology; D008403:Mass Screening; D008875:Middle Aged; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016312:Treatment Refusal; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000628:therapy*