Early colposcopic reassurance and discharge to routine recall does not increase subsequent high-grade referral or treatment rates.

Background The Jessop Wing Colposcopy Unit identified that between 1st April 2014 and 31st March 2015 the number of women referred with high-grade dyskaryosis and the number of women undergoing treatment increased by 21% and 19%, respectively. There was concern that referral and treatment rates were increasing because we were now seeing women, previously discharged to routine recall with prior low-grade cytology hrHPV positive, re-enter the system for their second round of screening. The aim of this study was to assess the reasons for our significant increase in referral and treatment rates. Methods A retrospective cohort study performed between 1st April 2012 and 30th June 2015 at the Jessop Wing Colposcopy Unit, Sheffield, UK. Results During the study period, 1765 women underwent large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ), of whom 1517 were referred with high-grade dyskaryosis. Fifty-six (4%) women undergoing treatment; and four untreated high-grade referrals were seen in the previous 3-5 years with low-grade cytology hrHPV positive and discharged to routine recall. There were no cases of invasive disease in the previously discharged groups. There was, however, a significantly higher likelihood of a negative LLETZ (P=.0066) in those women previously discharged to routine recall, and lower rates of CIN2 or worse identified. Conclusion Prior discharge to routine recall does not have any major influence on treatment rates or high-grade referrals. The finding of no invasive disease; lower rates of CIN2 or worse; and a significantly higher likelihood of a negative LLETZ in those women previously discharged to routine recall is reassuring and further reinforces the safety of HPV triage pathways.