On Wednesday 29 April 2026 at 14:00, Dina Overgaard Eriksen defends her PhD dissertation entitled “Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2. Studies in women undergoing active surveillance”. 

Moderate cervical cell changes (CIN2), caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), may either disappear on its own or develop into severe cell changes or cervical cancer if left untreated. To avoid unnecessary surgery that can affect future pregnancies, many women are today offered follow-up in a control programme with regular hospital visits instead of immediate treatment. This approach is called active surveillance. However, it is important to ensure that this approach is safe. 
In this PhD project, data from Danish nationwide health registries were used to study women diagnosed with CIN2.

The results show that the use of active surveillance has increased markedly in Denmark since the late 1990s. We found women who were followed in a controlprogramme did not have a higher risk of developing other HPV-related cancers, (ie. vulva, vaginal and anal cancer), compared with women who underwent immediate surgical treatment. The project also examined whether HPV vaccination after diagnosis could reduce the risk of development into severe cell changes or cancer. The results showed no protective effect among women undergoing active surveillance.
Overall, the findings add to existing knowledge about the benefits and harms of active surveillance for CIN2 and strengthen the basis for individualized counseling of women.

The summary is written by the PhD student.

The defence is public and takes place in Aula, Regional Hospital Gødstrup. Please see the press release for more information. 

Contact

PhD student Dina Overgaard Eriksen
Mail: dinaoeriksen@clin.au.dk 
Phone: +45 28146478

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