title: Efficacy of self-sampling in promoting participation to cervical cancer screening also in subsequent round.
abstract: Offering self-sampling devices improves participation of under-screened women. We evaluated participation in routine screening following the self-sampling intervention in two organized population-based screening programmes located in North-East Italy. Data on participation at 3-years-interval after a randomized clinical trial assessing the response to two strategies offering self-samplers (sent at home or offered free at local pharmacy) with a control action (sending reminders for a cervical specimen taken at the clinic) in 30-64 yr-old women non-respondent to the regular call-recall invitation were analyzed. Up to April 2016, 2300 women out of the 2995 recruited in the trial in 2011 were re-invited to perform a screening test at clinic; overall, 698 women adhered. Participation was similar in the three arms (29-32%), and highest (47-68%) among those who participated in the previous round. Over the two rounds, 44.6%, 32.3% and 30.3% women had at least one test in the self-sampling at home, self-sampling at pharmacy and test at the clinic arms, respectively. Our data indicate that the beneficial effect of offering self-sampling devices to nonparticipating women is maintained over time. Self-samplers are useful to increase overall coverage; their sporadic use does not seem to increase the proportion of women regularly repeating the test.
authors.affiliation: Immunologia Diagnostica Molecolare Oncologica, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, Via Gattamelata, 64, 35128 Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Annarosa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Del Mistro
authors.affiliation: Immunologia Diagnostica Molecolare Oncologica, Istituto Oncologico Veneto IOV-IRCCS, Via Gattamelata, 64, 35128 Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Helena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Frayle
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Prevenzione, Azienda ULSS 17, Este-Monselice, 35042 Este, PD, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ferro
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento Materno-Infantile, Azienda ULSS 7, Pieve di Soligo-Conegliano, Via Brigata Bisogno, 4, 31053 Conegliano, TV, Italy.
authors.forename: Gianpiero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Fantin
authors.affiliation: Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, University of L'Aquila, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy; Epidemiology and Biostatistics Unit, ASL 4 Teramo, Italy.
authors.forename: Emma
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Altobelli
authors.affiliation: Servizio Interaziendale di Epidemiologia, Azienda Unità Sanitaria Locale, Via Amendola, 2, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy; IRCCS-Arcispedale S. Maria Nuova, 42122 Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Giorgi Rossi
keywords: Cervical cancer; HPV test; Participation; Screening; Self-sampling