Clinical Research Directory

C-3002: Enhancing Cervical Cancer Screening Access and Follow-up Care at 'CASCADE' Clinical Sites in the United States

The purpose of the CASCADE-3002 project is to improve access to cervical cancer screening among women with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) receiving care at U.S.-based CASCADE clinical sites. This study will assess the cervical cancer screening cascade and identify multilevel factors that impede access to screening among women with HIV attending Infectious Disease clinics in Georgia and Maryland. In parallel, the study will explore and develop implementation strategies for human papillomavirus (HPV) self-collection to increase screening uptake, adherence, and appropriate clinical follow-up in this population at elevated risk for cervical cancer. Cervical cancer remains a preventable malignancy; however, women with HIV are at substantially increased risk and experience higher rates of cervical cancer compared with women without HIV. The World Health Organization has called for the global elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem, defined as fewer than 4 incident cases per 100,000 women annually, with targets for vaccination, screening, and treatment coverage. Although the United States has the tools to approach near-elimination, disparities in healthcare access and screening persist, particularly among women with HIV.

The Effect of a Transtheoretical Model-Based Educational Intervention on First-Year Nursing Students' HPV Knowledge, Health Beliefs, and Vaccination Behavior Intentions

The purpose of this study is to examine the impact of a structured educational program based on the Transtheoretical Model (TTM) on HPV knowledge, health beliefs, and vaccination behavioral intentions among first-year nursing students. The study will also evaluate how the intervention affects students' HPV vaccine readiness compared to the TTM. The primary questions addressed by the study are: * Does the TTM-based educational intervention increase students' knowledge about HPV and the HPV vaccine? * Does the program change students' health beliefs regarding susceptibility, severity, benefits, and barriers to HPV and the HPV vaccine? * Does the program improve students' intentions and readiness to receive the HPV vaccine? * Do students move to a higher behavioral readiness stage (from Precontemplation to Contemplation, Preparation, Action, or Maintenance) after the intervention? The researcher will compare the TTM-based educational intervention with a control group that did not receive structured education to determine whether a personalized, stage-based approach is more effective in improving HPV-related outcomes among nursing students. Participants will: * Complete baseline questionnaires measuring HPV knowledge, health beliefs, and vaccination intention. * The experimental group (intervention group) will receive personalized TTM-based education, face-to-face instruction in modules aligned with the five TTM phases (Precontemplation, Contemplation, Preparation, Action, and Maintenance). * The experimental group will participate in educational sessions designed to raise awareness, correct misinformation, support decision-making, and encourage protective behaviors. * The control group will not receive any educational program. * All participants in the experimental and control groups will complete the same questionnaires again to assess changes after the intervention. The TTM-based educational intervention provides: * Staged counseling * Information about HPV and the HPV vaccine * Activities to raise awareness, strengthen motivation, and support vaccination adoption * Personalized feedback based on student readiness * Structured modules focusing on knowledge, belief, and behavior change strategies The study population included first-year nursing students enrolled in the Faculty of Health Sciences. A total of 88 participants will be recruited and randomly assigned to either the intervention (n=44) or control (n=44) groups through simple randomization. The results of this study are expected to contribute to the development of evidence-based education strategies in nursing, support of behavioral change models in health education, and strengthen the role of future nurses in HPV prevention, vaccine advocacy, and public health practice.

The Role of Circulating Tumour DNA in Head and Neck Cancer

Cancers of the throat, oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC), are highly prevalent across Scotland. Over the past 10 years, both global and Scottish cases of OPSCC have increased, particularly those associated with human papillomavirus (HPV). However there has been little change in techniques for diagnosis and monitoring. Although imaging technologies are improving, results of imaging are often indeterminate and clinicians require additional tools to make informed decisions. With this in mind our research team have established a range of blood- based tests which detect and monitor cancer DNA fragments shed by tumours into the blood stream in OPSCC patients. Our initial studies have shown that such tests, which are minimally invasive compared to surgical biopsy, hold the potential to provide an accurate, "real-time" method to monitor patient response to treatment, identify early relapse and assist in clinical decision making. The investigators aim to expand these results to assist clinical decisions for both virally associated and non-viral associated OPSCC. Following this, the investigators will focus on the poorest prognosis OPSCC group (non-HPV tumours) by applying state-of-the-art DNA detection and sequencing technologies to analyse tumour- derived DNA fragments in the bloodstream, to follow treatment response and to develop new methods for detecting relapse and resistance to treatment in OPSCC. Ultimately, the investigators envisage that the implementation of such genetic assays of tumours and the fragments that they release into the bloodstream will provide a transformative shift in the clinical assessment and quality of life of OPSCC patients in Scotland.

Validation of a Lab-free Low-cost Screening Test for Prevention of Cervical Cancer

The purpose of this study is to validate Automated Visual Evaluation (AVE), specifically the CINFinder version developed by DL Analytics, a point-of-care screening and triage diagnostic tool for cervical cancer based on the assessment of digital images through artificial intelligence. Several teams around the world have developed versions of AVE as a triage technology but none as a screening tool.

Effect of HPV Education on Women's Knowledge

This interventional study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of an educational program on women's knowledge of Human Papillomavirus (HPV), HPV vaccination, and screening. HPV is a major public health concern worldwide and a leading cause of cervical cancer. Although cervical cancer is preventable through vaccination and early screening, HPV awareness among women remains limited in Türkiye. Educational interventions are therefore essential to improve knowledge and promote preventive health behaviors. The study population consists of 110 women attending courses at the Suzan and Abdulhakim Bilgili Public Education Center in Onikişubat, Kahramanmaraş, Türkiye, between August 2025 and December 2025. No formal sample size calculation was performed. Instead, 80 women who met the inclusion criteria and voluntarily agreed to participate were included in the study. Participants were randomly assigned to either the intervention group (education) or the control group (no education). The HPV education program is delivered in two 1-hour sessions using PowerPoint presentations and informational brochures developed from current literature and reviewed by experts in women's health nursing. Data are collected before and after the educational sessions using a Personal Information Form and the HPV Knowledge Scale (HPV-KS), which measures participants' knowledge about HPV infection, vaccination, and screening. Statistical analyses will be conducted using SPSS 22.0, with descriptive statistics and inferential tests (paired-sample t-test, independent-sample t-test, repeated-measures ANOVA, and non-parametric equivalents) applied as appropriate. A p-value \< 0.05 will be considered statistically significant. It is hypothesized that women receiving HPV education will demonstrate significantly higher post-intervention knowledge scores compared to those in the control group.

Primary HPV Self-Collection in Indonesia

The purpose of this study is to implement human papillomavirus (HPV) self-collection in Indonesia.