Excisional Treatment of Cervical Dysplasia in Australia 2004-2013: A Population-Based Study

Abstract

Background. Excisional treatment of preinvasive cervical dysplasia has been associated with adverse pregnancy outcomes. We aimed to examine trends in the rate of excisional treatment in reproductive age women in the era of HPV vaccination. Methods. National data for Australia regarding histological diagnoses of cervical dysplasia and excisional treatment for the period from 2004 to 2013 inclusive were obtained from two datasets and used to calculate age-stratified incidence rates of excisional treatment and of excisional treatments per diagnosis of dysplasia. Results. The incidence of low-grade squamous dysplasia fell in all age groups, while the incidence of high-grade dysplasia fell in the 20-to-24-year group but rose slightly for older age groups. The rate of excisional treatment fell in women aged under 35 but there was no significant change for women 35 years or older. The rate of all excisional treatments (loop excision + cone biopsy) per high-grade diagnosis (CIN2 + CIN3 + adenocarcinoma in situ) fell across all three age-bands in both datasets. Conclusion. To ensure that the use of excisional treatment is appropriate, with lower rates for younger HPV-vaccinated women, close surveillance, audit, and ongoing education will be required.