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CONCERVE Study Demonstrates that Clinical Regression of High-Grade Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia Is Associated
With Absence of FAM19A4/miR124-2 DNA Methylation

Publication: DOI: 10.1200/JCO.21.02433

PURPOSE
Cervical screening can prevent cancer by detection and treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or 3 (CIN2/3). Screening also results in considerable overtreatment because many CIN2/3 lesions show spontaneous regression when left untreated.
In this multicenter longitudinal cohort study of women with untreated CIN2/3, the prognostic value of FAM19A4/miR124-2 methylation was evaluated for clinical regression.

STUDY DESIGN
Women with CIN2/3 were prospectively followed for 24 months. Surgical excision was replaced by a wait-and-see policy. FAM19A4/miR124-2 methylation was evaluated on all clinician-collected samples and self-collected samples collected at baseline. Every 6 months, human papillomavirus (HPV) testing and cytology were conducted on a clinician-collected sample, and a colposcopic examination was performed by a gynecologist to exclude progression. At the final study visit, two biopsies were taken. Clinical regression was defined as histologically confirmed absence of CIN21 or an HPV-negative clinician-collected sample with normal cytology. Regression incidences were estimated using the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULTS
• 80/ 114 women included were diagnosed with CIN2 and 34/ 114 with CIN3. During the study, 65.8% of women (75/114) did not receivesurgical treatment.
• Women with a negative FAM19A4/miR124-2 result on the baseline clinician-collected sample showed more clinical regression (74.7%) than women with a positive methylation result (51.4%).
• Regression in women with a negative FAM19A4/miR124-2 methylation test was highest when cytology was atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance/low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (88.4%) or HPV16 was negative (85.1%).

CONCLUSION
• Most women with untreated CIN2/3 and a negative baseline FAM19A4/miR124-2 methylation test showed clinical regression.
• Methylation, in combination with cytology or HPV genotyping, can be used to support a wait-and-see policy in women with CIN2/3