The Netherlands is the first country to transition its national cervical cancer screening program from Pap to primary HPV screening

• Roche has been awarded a 5-year contract by the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment (RIVM) in the Netherlands for implementation of the cobas^® HPV Test as the first-line, primary screening test in the national cervical cancer screening program.
• RIVM recognizes that HPV primary screening offers significant benefits over their existing Pap program and sees HPV Primary Screening as the solution to help reduce the rate of cervical cancer in the Netherlands.
• The tender bid process had stringent and comprehensive qualification criteria, one of which was to utilize DNA PCR-based technology. The cobas^® HPV Test was chosen based on its ability to meet the performance and quality needs of the RIVM.

Listen to experts' perpectives:

A negative cobas^® HPV Test provides more confidence that ≥CIN3 will not develop within 3 years vs cytology alone

The ATHENA study, the largest US prospective registrational clinical study of its kind, evaluated the performance of the HPV Primary Screening Algorithm with the cobas^® HPV Test in women ages 25 and older. To review more of this data supporting a new paradigm in the fight against cervical cancer, click here.

Because cytology is known to have limited sensitivity¹ and relies on subjective classifying borderline cytological abnormalities, it is possible that some women at risk of having or developing cervical pre-cancer may be overlooked for further testing and early intervention. Learn more here about why HPV Primary Screening is a better solution.

Learn More

• Roche Press Release
• FAQ on HPV, cervical cancer and the cobas^® HPV Test

EXPERT INSIGHT

“The movement towards a national HPV screening program will lead to a more efficient and effective use of resources and, most importantly, fewer women will develop cervical cancer. Selecting the appropriate HPV test is a crucial first step for the success of this program.”

Dr. R.L.M. Bekkers

Gynecologist/Gynecologic Oncologist

The Netherlands

EXPERT INSIGHT

“We know that cytology has good, proven performance in reducing the burden of cervical cancers in the last 70 years ; however this has come to a crossroad. The new scientific evidence from multiple studies points to the greater value of HPV HR (high-risk) testing in primary screening – its sensitivity and negative predictive value - those are the most important parameters in a screening program.”

Dr. Teresa Fraga

Gynecologist, Portugal