Integrated cervical cancer screening in Mayuge district Uganda (ASPIRE Mayuge)
| ISRCTN | ISRCTN12767014 |
|---|---|
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN12767014 |
| ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT) | NCT04000503 |
| Clinical Trials Information System (CTIS) | Nil known |
| Protocol serial number | F15-00496CIHR |
| Sponsor | University of British Columbia |
| Funder | Canadian Institutes of Health Research |
- Submission date
- 14/05/2019
- Registration date
- 17/05/2019
- Last edited
- 17/12/2024
- Recruitment status
- No longer recruiting
- Overall study status
- Completed
- Condition category
- Cancer
Plain English summary of protocol
Background and study aim
Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers with vaccination and effective screening available, yet it still is responsible for unnecessary deaths globally. The vast majority of cases of cervical cancer occur in the developing world with sub-Saharan Africa carrying the highest burden due to poor infrastructure and competing health needs. Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are the most common sexually transmitted infections (STI) globally. There are two types of HPV (types 16 and 18) that are considered to be "high risk" (HR-HPV) because they cause cervical cancers and pre-cancerous cervical lesions. If detected early through cervical cancer screening tests, pre-cancerous cervical lesions can be treated before they become invasive. There are three primary screening approaches to cervical cancer screening in use globally: Pap smears, HPV-DNA testing, and Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA). A Pap smear is a procedure where a health professional takes a sample of cells from a woman's cervix and then sends the sample to a lab to test for abnormalities. This is an inefficient screening tool in LMIC as it requires complex infrastructure, trained staff, and clinical sites to test the specimens. An HPV-DNA test involves obtaining a sample by swabbing the vaginal canal and testing the sample to detect high-risk types of HPV. Although this method still relies on infrastructure and trained personnel, samples can be self-collected. VIA involves a practitioner applying acetic acid to the cervix during a speculum exam. The practitioner then inspects and classifies lesions as 'screen positive' (white), 'screen negative' (non-white), or suspicious (ulcerated or necrotic). ‘Screen positive’ lesions are treated immediately with cryotherapy, (known as ‘see and treat’). ‘Suspicious’ lesions undergo colposcopy for definitive diagnosis and treatment. VIA is the current recommended approach for cervical cancer screening in low resource settings without access to HR-HPV testing, by the WHO. It can be conducted by mid-level practitioners, can be locally based, and requires little infrastructure or laboratory support beyond training for introduction.
The ASPIRE intervention includes participant self-collection of a vaginal sample for HPV testing. The primary objective of this study is to compare cervical cancer screening follow-up using two implementation approaches for self-collected HPV testing in a rural, low-resource setting: 1) community health workers recruiting women door-to-door and 2) community health meetings. Our primary outcome for each arm will be the proportion of total screened women who complete VIA follow-up and treatment after testing positive for high-risk HPV type.
Who can participate?
Women with no hysterectomy or cervical cancer history, between the ages of 25 and 49, who have not previously been screened and treated for cervical cancer and who have provided written consent.
What does the study involve?
Women will be recruited either door-to-door or at a community health day to participate in the study. A community health worker will educate women and offer them the opportunity to screen for cervical cancer through the self-collected screening method. Women who are HPV positive will be referred for further testing (VIA) and treatment if necessary.
What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
Participants will be educated about the benefits of cervical cancer screening and its cause (HPV). They will be able to access HPV and cervical cancer screening and treatment if needed. They will also benefit from being tested and treated for chlamydia and gonorrhoea if they have it. Findings from this study will also help identify the best method for integrating cervical cancer screening into rural communities throughout Uganda.
There are no known risks to the self-collecting the HPV specimen. It may feel mildly uncomfortable but it should not be painful. The VIA involves a pelvic exam, this can be uncomfortable but should not be painful. If participants require treatment of a pre-cancer lesion with cryotherapy (localized freezing of abnormal tissue on the cervix to destroy these abnormalities) this is uncomfortable and will result in vaginal discharge for a few weeks, there is a very small chance participants may develop an infection and require some medication to treat this. After a year has passed participants will be offered a pelvic examination for follow-up at which time a biopsy will be done. This may hurt for less than a minute and may cause vaginal spotting for a few hours.
Where is the study run from?
1. Women's Health Research Institute (Vancouver, Canada)
2. Uganda Cancer Institute (Kampala, Uganda)
3. Kigandalo Health Centre (Kigandalo, Uganda)
4. Mayuge Health Centre (Mayuge, Uganda)
5. Buwaisawa Health Centre (Buwaisawa, Uganda)
When is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
January 2018 to December 2021
Who is funding the study?
Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)
Who is the main contact?
Dr. Gina Ogilvie
Gina.Ogilvie@bccdc.ca
Contact information
Public
BC Women's Hospital
Women's Health Research Institute
Box 42 4500 Oak Street
Vancouver
V6H 3N1
Canada
 ORCID ID |
0000-0001-6150-8703 |
|---|---|
| Phone | 604-875-2424 x 7917 |
| bpayne@cw.bc.ca |
Scientific
BC Women's Hospital, Women's Health Research Institute
Box 42 4500 Oak Street
Vancouver
V6H 3N1
Canada
| Phone | (604) 875-2424 x6488 |
|---|---|
| Gina.Ogilvie@bccdc.ca |
Scientific
University of British Columbia, Northern Medical Program
3333 University Way
Prince George
V2N 4Z9
Canada
| Phone | 250-960-5430 |
|---|---|
| Sheona.Mitchell-Foster@unbc.ca |
Scientific
Uganda Cancer Institute, Department of Gynecological Oncology
Upper Mulago Hill Road
P.O.BOX 3935
Kampala
P.O.BOX 3935
Uganda
| Phone | +256 414 540 410 |
|---|---|
| carolynnakisige@gmail.com |
Study information
| Primary study design | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Study design | Multicentre pragmatic cluster randomized controlled trial |
| Secondary study design | Cluster randomised trial |
| Study type | Participant information sheet |
| Scientific title | Integrated cervical cancer screening in Mayuge district Uganda (ASPIRE Mayuge): a pragmatic cluster randomized control trial |
| Study acronym | ASPIRE Mayuge |
| Study objectives | More women will receive screening via the community health meeting but the engagement to care (i.e., visual inspection with acetic acid-our main outcome) will be less compared to the door-to-door arm. |
| Ethics approval(s) | Approved 29/05/2018, University of British Columbia Children’s & Women’s Research Ethics Board (A2-141A, 950 West 28th Avenue, Vancouver, BC V5Z 4H4; cwreb@bcchr.ubc.ca; (604) 875-3103), ref: H17-03332 |
| Health condition(s) or problem(s) studied | Cervical cancer and cervical pre-cancer |
| Intervention | The purpose of this randomized control trial is to test the effectiveness of cervical cancer screening follow-up completion using two implementation approaches for self-collected HPV (human papilloma virus) testing in a rural, low-resource setting: 1) community health workers recruiting women door-to-door and 2) community health workers recruiting women at community health meetings. This study will also help to further understand how current patient referral systems are working between health facilities, patient and provider preferences for integrated care and health system related barriers to integrated cervical cancer screening. Clusters will be stratified by study region and randomized using a computer-based system to one of two treatment arms in a 1:1 allocation sequence. Arm 1: Women will be educated and offered self-collection cervical cancer screening, STI screening, and education on HIV by a community health worker via door-to-door recruitment. Arm 2: Women will be educated and offered self-collection cervical cancer screening, STI screening, and education on HIV by a community health worker via community health meeting recruitment. Women who test positive for high-risk HPV types will be referred to a designated health centre for VIA follow-up screening and treatment if indicated. |
| Intervention type | Mixed |
| Primary outcome measure(s) |
The difference in the rate of follow-up care for women who test positive for HR-HPV types out of all women screened in each trial arm. This will include the total number of women who completed self-collection cervical cancer screening at baseline and the proportion of women who complete VIA follow-up and treatment after testing positive for high-risk HPV type at endline (two weeks). |
| Key secondary outcome measure(s) |
1. HPV prevalence at baseline: Total number of women who test positive for HPV out of the total number of samples obtained. |
| Completion date | 31/12/2021 |
Eligibility
| Participant type(s) | Other |
|---|---|
| Age group | Adult |
| Lower age limit | 25 Years |
| Upper age limit | 49 Years |
| Sex | Female |
| Target sample size at registration | 1655 |
| Total final enrolment | 2019 |
| Key inclusion criteria | 1. Women with no previous history of hysterectomy or invasive cervical cancer 2. Aged 25-49 years old 3. Not previously been screened and treated for cervical cancer 4. Provided written informed consent |
| Key exclusion criteria | Do not fulfil inclusion criteria. |
| Date of first enrolment | 01/06/2019 |
| Date of final enrolment | 30/09/2021 |
Locations
Countries of recruitment
- Canada
- Uganda
Study participating centres
P.O. Box 3935
Uganda
Mayuge District
Uganda
Uganda
Uganda
Vancouver
V6H 2N9
Canada
Results and Publications
| Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to share | Yes |
|---|---|
| IPD sharing plan summary | Available on request |
| IPD sharing plan | The datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are available from the corresponding author on reasonable request |
Study outputs
| Output type | Details | Date created | Date added | Peer reviewed? | Patient-facing? |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Results article | 10/04/2023 | 11/04/2023 | Yes | No | |
| Results article | 05/02/2024 | 17/12/2024 | Yes | No | |
| Protocol article | protocol | 31/01/2020 | 03/02/2020 | Yes | No |
| Other publications | Participant experiences | 15/04/2023 | 06/06/2024 | Yes | No |
| Participant information sheet | Participant information sheet | 11/11/2025 | 11/11/2025 | No | Yes |
| Preprint results | 28/03/2022 | 30/06/2022 | No | No |
Editorial Notes
17/12/2024: Publication reference added.
06/06/2024: Publication reference added.
11/04/2023: The following changes have been made:
1. Publication reference added.
2. The NCT number has been added.
30/06/2022: Added preprint and total final enrolment.
01/02/2022: The study contact has been updated.
13/12/2021: The following changes were made to the trial record:
1. The overall end date was changed from 31/12/2026 to 31/12/2021.
2. The recruitment end date was changed from 30/12/2021 to 30/09/2021.
3. The plain English summary was updated to reflect these changes.
03/02/2020: Publication reference added.
17/05/2019: Trial’s existence confirmed by University of British Columbia Children’s & Women’s Research Ethics Board.
