JAMA Intern Med

Self-collection boosts cervical cancer screening in underserved populations

June 11, 2025

Mailed self-collection, especially when paired with patient navigation, is a scalable, effective strategy to increase cervical cancer screening in underserved populations.

Study details: The PRESTIS randomized trial (NCT03898167) evaluated 2,474 underscreened patients in a Houston safety-net health system. Participants were randomized to one of three arms: telephone reminder for clinic-based screening; telephone reminder plus mailed self-collection kit; or telephone reminder plus mailed self-collection kit and patient navigation. The primary outcome was cervical cancer screening participation within 6 months, defined as either clinic-based screening or return of a self-collection kit, assessed via EHR.

Results: Screening participation at 6 months was 17.4% in the telephone reminder group, 41.1% in the group who had an at-home HPV test mailed to them, and 46.6% among patients who received the at-home test kit and a follow-up phone call from a patient navigator.

Source:

Montealegre JR, et al. (2025, June 6). JAMA Intern Med. Self-Collection for Cervical Cancer Screening in a Safety-Net Setting: The PRESTIS Randomized Clinical Trial. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/40478588/