Clinical trial NCT01131312: Randomized Clinical Trial on Clinical Management of ASCUS and LSIL (ALTS)
Official title: Randomized Clinical Trial on Clinical Management of ASCUS and LSIL (ALTS)
Study type: INTERVENTIONAL
Overall status: COMPLETED
Phase: PHASE3
Conditions: Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia
Keywords: Cervix
CIN
HPV
Triage
ASCUS/LSIL
Pap Smear
HPV Test
Lead sponsor: National Institutes of Health Clinical Center (CC)
Sponsor class: NIH
First posted: 2010-05-26
Enrollment: 5060
Sex: FEMALE
Minimum age (years): 18
Maximum age (years): 100
Standard ages: ADULT
OLDER_ADULT
Accepts healthy volunteers: no
Allocation: RANDOMIZED
Intervention model: PARALLEL
Primary purpose: SCREENING

Brief summary: Approximately 65 million Pap smears are performed each year in the United States. The vast majority of results are negative (no abnormality identified) but about 5 percent to 8 percent are reported as abnormal. Most low-grade changes regress spontaneously; only a minority of such lesions would progress to a cancer precursor without treatment. However, there is no way to determine morphologically which patients are at risk or progression. Therefore, both high- and low-grade lesions were often managed with colposcopy and directed biopsy.

Epidemiologic, virologic and molecular studies have clearly demonstrated that human papillomavirus (HPV) is the central cause of cervical cancer. The motivation for the Atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS)- Low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) Triage Study (ALTS) trial was to use the information we have gained about the role of HPV to design better treatment and prevention strategies to reduce the burden of cervical cancer and its precursors.

ALTS consisted of three management strategies: (1) immediate colposcopy of all women; (2) repeat cytology with colposcopy only if the results show a high grade lesion; and (3) HPV testing and repeat cytology in combination, with referral to colposcopy if either the HPV test is positive or the cytology shows a high grade lesion. Four Clinical Centers University of Alabama, Birmingham Alabama (AL); Magee-Womens Hospital, Pittsburgh Pennsylvania (PA); University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City OK; and University of Washington, Seattle Washington (WA) enrolled approximately 5,000 women with recent diagnosis of ASCUS or LSIL. Participants were followed at six month intervals for a total of 2 years.

The ALTS database and ALTS specimens continue to be a valuable research resource in studies of cervical cancer precursors, screening tests, visual assessment of the cervix and investigation of biomarkers.

Detailed description: Approximately 65 million Pap smears are performed each year in the United States. The vast majority of results are negative (no abnormality identified) but about 5 percent to 8 percent are reported as abnormal. Most low-grade changes regress spontaneously; only a minority of such lesions would progress to a cancer precursor without treatment. However, there is no way to determine morphologically which patients are at risk of progression. Therefore, both high- and low-grade lesions were often managed with colposcopy and directed biopsy. It was anticipated that determining alternative management strategies would yield important potential benefits including fewer medical complications from over treatment, reduced patient anxiety associated with referral for cytologic abnormalities, as well as cost savings.

Epidemiologic, virologic and molecular studies have clearly demonstrated that human papillomavirus (HPV) is the central cause of cervical cancer. The motivation for the ALTS trial was to use the information we have gained about the role of HPV to design better treatment and prevention strategies to reduce the burden of cervical cancer and its precursors.

ALTS consisted of three management strategies: (1) immediate colposcopy of all women; (2) repeat cytology with colposcopy only if the results show a high grade lesion; and (3) HPV testing and repeat cytology in combination, with referral to colposcopy if either the HPV test is positive or the cytology shows a high grade lesion. Four Clinical Centers University of Alabama, Birmingham AL; Magee-Womens Hospital, Pittsburgh PA; University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma City OK; and University of Washington, Seattle WA - enrolled approximately 5,000 women with recent diagnosis of ASCUS or LSIL. Participants were followed at six month intervals for a total of 2 years. The main results from ALTS showed that for women with ASCUS cytology, HPV triage was at least as safe as universal immediate colposcopy in the detection of high-grade lesion and would allow approximately half of women to return to routine follow up without additional procedures (colposcopy). No efficient triage strategy was identified for women with LSIL cytology.

The ALTS database and ALTS specimens continue to be a valuable research resource in studies of cervical cancer precursors, screening tests, visual assessment of the cervix and investigation of biomarkers.

Eligibility criteria: * Inclusion Criteria:

  * Diagnosis of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) or low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL)
  * 18 years or older
  * Able to give informed consent with reasonable likelihood of follow-up

Exclusion Criteria:

* Previous Hysterectomy
* History of excisional or ablative treatment of cervix, such as laser treatment, radiation therapy, cauterization (burning), freezing or surgery such as cone biopsy or loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP).
* Already known to be pregnant
* Already known to be human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) positive (HIV may negatively affect the clinical history of human papillomavirus (HPV), making triage less appropriate.

Primary outcomes:
measure: Percentage of Participants With Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia III (CIN III)
timeFrame: up to 2 years
Secondary outcomes:
measure: Percentage of Participants With Cumulative Detection of Clinical Center Histologically Confirmed Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia 2 (CIN2) and Above (High Grade Lesion) Over the 2 Years of the Trial.
timeFrame: up to 2 years
Other outcomes:
Locations:
city: Oklahoma City
country: United States
facility: University of Oklahoma
state: Oklahoma
city: Pittsburgh
country: United States
facility: Magee Womens Hospital
state: Pennsylvania
city: Seattle
country: United States
facility: University of Washington
state: Washington
Study officials:
affiliation: National Cancer Institute (NCI)
name: Mark H Schiffman, M.D.
role: PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATOR
References:
citation: Boshart M, Gissmann L, Ikenberg H, Kleinheinz A, Scheurlen W, zur Hausen H. A new type of papillomavirus DNA, its presence in genital cancer biopsies and in cell lines derived from cervical cancer. EMBO J. 1984 May;3(5):1151-7. doi: 10.1002/j.1460-2075.1984.tb01944.x.
citation: Cox JT, Lorincz AT, Schiffman MH, Sherman ME, Cullen A, Kurman RJ. Human papillomavirus testing by hybrid capture appears to be useful in triaging women with a cytologic diagnosis of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance. Am J Obstet Gynecol. 1995 Mar;172(3):946-54. doi: 10.1016/0002-9378(95)90026-8.
citation: Dyson N, Howley PM, Munger K, Harlow E. The human papilloma virus-16 E7 oncoprotein is able to bind to the retinoblastoma gene product. Science. 1989 Feb 17;243(4893):934-7. doi: 10.1126/science.2537532.