Autocoleta para detecção do HPV como estratégia de rastreamento do câncer do colo do útero em área rural no Amazonas: um estudo quanti-qualitativo

Abstract

In Brazil, depending on the region, cervical cancer is the most incident type of cancer among women, excluding non-melanoma skin tumors. Although the national screening program using cytological examination has contributed over decades to the detection of precursor lesions and the prevention of this cancer, major challenges remain, such as increasing coverage and improving test efficiency. In this context, this study evaluated self-sampling using a national device for high-risk HPV testing in women from a rural area of Manaus, Amazonas. To achieve these results, 304 eligible women aged 25 to 64 years, living in the Pau Rosa community, were invited to participate. Among these, 34 granted recorded interviews. Participants received guidance on the ethical and legal aspects of the study and subsequently signed the Informed Consent Form (ICF), performed self-sampling, and completed an electronic questionnaire. Following sample collection and DNA extraction, duplex PCR (PGMY 09/11) was performed for generic HPV detection, and qPCR for HPV16 and HPV18 was carried out on all samples. The mean age of participants was 44.26 years, and the prevalence of HPV infection was 13.5% (41/304). The overall prevalence of HPV16 and HPV18 was 4.60% (14/304) and 0.66% (2/304), respectively. All interviewed women understood the instructions and adequately described the steps for vaginal self-sampling. It is concluded that vaginal self-sampling for high-risk HPV detection is a highly acceptable and feasible screening strategy for women in remote areas with a high incidence and mortality rate from cervical cancer.