Future directions in cervical screening
Recruitment for the Compass Trial has closed.
If you are a trial participant, this site contains information relevant to you. We anticipate that all trial participants will complete the final clinical aspects by 31st December 2026.
We now know that long term infection with certain types of HPV is the main cause of cervical cancer. The Compass Trial is comparing HPV testing to the Pap smear for cervical cancer screening.
Overseas research has shown that a test for these HPV types is, in fact, a better cervical cancer screening test than the Pap smear.
Thank you for supporting cervical cancer research through your ongoing participation in the Compass Trial.
You are one of over 76,000 Australian women helping improve cervical cancer prevention.
Thank you for your participation in the Compass trial. Your support of the trial is providing important monitoring and quality information for the Renewal of the National Cervical Screening Program.
The Compass trial seeks to confirm with research evidence the modelled performance of HPV testing compared with cytology testing. This is the first trial in the world undertaking this comparison among vaccinated women.
Trial recruitment is now complete and some patients remain under trial follow-up expected to be complete by December 2026.
Take a look
News & Events
Key findings from the Compass-PLUS study have just been published that detail factors associated with intention to attend and actual attendance of cervical screening….
Professor Karen Canfell AC, Director of The Daffodil Centre—a collaborative initiative…
In 2021 the clinical management guidelines for individuals in whom HPV (not 16/18) is detected and reflex cytology is negative were reviewed…
Tens of thousands of women will undergo the trial in NSW, Victoria and South Australia over the course of the next five years…
