A systematic review and meta‐analysis of diagnostic accuracy of HPV tests for the screening of cervical cancer in low‐resource settings

Background HPV tests for the screening of cervical cancer in low‐income countries (LICs) might improve early detection and preventive efforts. Objectives To determine the diagnostic accuracy of HPV tests for detecting cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or worse (CIN 2+) in LICs. Search strategy The Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, and CINAHL databases were searched on June 1, 2020. References of relevant studies were hand‐searched. Selection criteria Diagnostic test accuracy studies were included if women had an HPV test for cervical cancer screening, followed by verification with colposcopy and colposcopy‐directed biopsy. The primary target was CIN2+. Data collection and analysis Two authors independently screened studies, extracted data, and assessed methodological quality. Bivariate diagnostic random‐effects meta‐analysis was used. Main results Eleven studies including 82 556 women were eligible, most of which were at low risk of bias. The pooled diagnostic odds ratio of hybrid capture test of samples collected from the cervix by healthcare providers for detecting CIN2+ and CIN3+ was 42.0 (95% confidence interval [CI] 20.7–76.3) and 97.1 (95% CI 35.3–215.0), respectively. Conclusions Evidence indicates that hybrid capture tests can be used for screening of cervical cancer in LICs. Future studies are warranted for self‐sampling and for low‐cost HPV tests. Testing for HPV has a potential role in the screening of cervical cancer in low‐resource settings.