Issues

Out-of-pocket fees are a barrier to follow-up care after an abnormal cervical cancer screening test. Among commercially insured Virginians, out-of-pocket costs for follow-up services averaged $144/patient; 34% of cervical cancer screenings were classified as low value. Reallocating low-value cervical cancer screening expenditures to enhance coverage for follow-up care can improve screening outcomes.

The p16/Ki-67 dual-stained cytology (DS) test was recently approved in the United States as a reflex test for cervical cancer screening following positive high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) test results. Adding DS reflex to hrHPV and cervical cytology co-testing strategies in the United States is expected to be cost-effective per life-year or quality-adjusted life-year gained.

Overall cancer risk is associated with leisure-time physical activity such as duration, intensity, type, and diversity in overweight males, but not in the general population. The decreased risk was most noticeable for colorectal cancer. Our results suggest that physical activity may reduce the risk of cancer among overweight Asian males.