Work

Efficacy of Combination Treatment for Cervical Precancer Among Women Living with HIV in South Africa: Secondary Outcomes from the ACT 2 Randomized Controlled Trial

Year: 2026

Type: preprint

Abstract: Objective: We report secondary histologic and high-risk HPV (hrHPV) outcomes from the Acceptability and Feasibility of Combination Treatment for Cervical Precancer Among South African Women Living with HIV (ACT 2) Trial. Methods: We conducted a double-blind Phase 2b feasibility trial of loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) combined with adjuvant intravaginal 5-fluorouracil (5FU) cream. Women living with HIV (WLWH) and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2/3 underwent LEEP and were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive 8 doses of 5FU or placebo cream. Our secondary outcomes were (a) regression of cervical disease and (b) clearance of hrHPV. Results: From March 2023 to January 2025, 180 participants underwent LEEP and were randomized to 5FU or placebo cream. Median age was 41 years (IQR: 35-45), 29% had HPV16, 18% had HPV18/45; 99% of women were virologically suppressed (<200 copies/mL) and median CD4 count was 636 cells/uL (IQR: 376-873). 172 participants (95.6%) completed follow-up. At week 24, 96.3% (78/81) in the 5FU group and 82.0% (73/89) in the placebo group regressed to CIN1 or normal histology (PD 14.3%, CI 5.3%, 23.3%). Among participants with positive LEEP margins at week 0, 88.0% (22/25) in the 5FU versus 61.3% (19/31) in the placebo group regressed to CIN1 or normal (PD 26.7%, CI 5.4%, 48.1%). Genotype-specific hrHPV clearance was similar in both groups (5FU: 58.0%, 40/69; Placebo: 53.8%, 43/80; PD 4.2%, CI -11.7%, 20.2%). Conclusion: Clinical outcomes from our Phase 2b trial demonstrates that intravaginal 5FU post-LEEP may be a beneficial adjuvant treatment for CIN2/3. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT05413811.

Source: medRxiv

DOI: 10.64898/2026.03.19.26348810