A report on the current status of European research on the use of human papillomavirus testing for primary cervical cancer screening.

Cervical cancer remains a significant public health concern, both at a global and a European level. A number of new technologies such as diagnostic tests for human papillomavirus (HPV) have a potential to assist with the reduction of this disease. However, both the efficacy and the cost-effectiveness of these new technologies must be established in properly designed trials before they can be implemented within national public health programs. Our study reviews the randomized controlled trials that are currently being conducted in Europe to establish the performance of HPV testing as a primary cervical cancer screening test.