Research Summary

Dr. George Sawaya is an obstetrician-gynecologist and a professor in Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences and Epidemiology & Biostatistics at UCSF. His main research interest is in cervical cancer screening with particular interest in patient-centered and economic effects of various screening strategies. He has served as an invited expert to CDC and the American Cancer Society.

He is the director of the Colposcopy and Cervical Dysplasia Clinic at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital and UCSF. He has received the Academic Senate Distinction in Teaching Award and is a member of the UCSF Academy of Medical Educators. He served as the inaugural Director of the Pathways to Discovery Program in Clinical and Translational Research and currently serves as Director of the UCSF Center for Healthcare Value.

Dr. Sawaya earned a medical degree at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine. He completed his internship and residency at UCSF and a fellowship in UCSF's Department of Epidemiology & Biostatistics. He is a former member of the US Preventive Services Task Force.

Research Funding

  • March 8, 2013 - February 28, 2017 - Using comparative effectiveness analyses to optimize cervical cancer screening, Principal Investigator. Sponsor: NIH/NCI, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA169093
  • December 1, 1974 - September 29, 2006 - General Clinical Research Center, Co-Investigator. Sponsor: NIH/NCRR, Sponsor Award ID: M01RR000079
  • August 8, 1997 - July 31, 2002 - CERVICAL CANCER SCREENING IN OLDER WOMEN, Principal Investigator. Sponsor: NIH/NCI, Sponsor Award ID: K08CA074973
  • March 8, 2013 - February 28, 2017 - Using comparative effectiveness analyses to optimize cervical cancer screening, Principal Investigator. Sponsor: NIH/NCI, Sponsor Award ID: R01CA169093

Education

Hendrix College, Conway, AR, BA, 1985, Organic Chemistry
Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN, MD, 1990, Medicine
University of California San Francisco, Fellow, 1994-96, Clinical Research Methods and Biostatistics

Honors & Awards

  • 2003
    Exceptional Education Contributions Award, Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences, UCSF
  • 2007
    Academic Senate Distinction in Teaching Award, UCSF
  • 2005-2009
    Outstanding Resident Teaching Award, UCSF
  • 2010
    Essential Core Teaching Award: Commitment to Teaching, UCSF Class of 2012

Selected Publications

  1. Qin J, Shahangian S, Saraiya M, Holt H, Gagnon M, Sawaya GF. Trends in the use of cervical cancer screening tests in a large medical claims database, United States, 2013-2019. Gynecol Oncol. 2021 Sep 07.  View on PubMed
  2. Sawaya GF, Holt HK, Lamar R, Perron-Burdick M, Smith-McCune K. Prioritizing cervical cancer screening services during the COVID-19 pandemic: Response of an academic medical center and a public safety net hospital in California. Prev Med. 2021 10; 151:106569.  View on PubMed
  3. Moscicki AB, Chang C, Vangala S, Zhou X, Elashoff DA, Dehlendorf C, Sawaya GF, Kuppermann M, Duron Y, Wyand FL, Navarro SK, Thiel de Bocanegra H. Effect of 2 Interventions on Cervical Cancer Screening Guideline Adherence. Am J Prev Med. 2021 05; 60(5):666-673.  View on PubMed
  4. LaCoursiere DY, Scott JR, Chelmow D, Young AE, Sawaya GF, DeLancey J, Learman LA. In Reply. Obstet Gynecol. 2021 02 01; 137(2):375.  View on PubMed
  5. Perkins RB, Guido RL, Saraiya M, Sawaya GF, Wentzensen N, Schiffman M, Feldman S. Summary of Current Guidelines for Cervical Cancer Screening and Management of Abnormal Test Results: 2016-2020. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2021 01; 30(1):5-13.  View on PubMed
  6. Holt HK, Sawaya GF, El Ayadi AM, Henderson JT, Rocca CH, Westhoff CL, Harper CC. Delayed Visits for Contraception Due to Concerns Regarding Pelvic Examination Among Women with History of Intimate Partner Violence. J Gen Intern Med. 2021 07; 36(7):1883-1889.  View on PubMed
  7. LaCoursiere DY, Scott JR, Chelmow D, Young AE, Sawaya GF, Delancey J, Learman LA. Contributions, Aspirations, and Challenges of Academic Specialist Divisions in Obstetrics and Gynecology. Obstet Gynecol. 2020 11; 136(5):981-986.  View on PubMed
  8. Sawaya GF, Lamar R, Perkins RB. Managing Minimally Abnormal Cervical Cancer Screening Test Results. JAMA. 2020 10 20; 324(15):1557-1558.  View on PubMed
  9. Perkins RB, Guido RL, Castle PE, Chelmow D, Einstein MH, Garcia F, Huh WK, Kim JJ, Moscicki AB, Nayar R, Saraiya M, Sawaya G, Wentzensen N, Schiffman M. Response to Letter to the Editor Regarding: 2019 ASCCP Risk-Based Management Consensus Guidelines for Abnormal Cervical Cancer Screening Tests and Cancer Precursors. J Low Genit Tract Dis. 2020 10; 24(4):426.  View on PubMed
  10. Holt HK, Kulasingam S, Sanstead EC, Alarid-Escudero F, Smith-McCune K, Gregorich SE, Silverberg MJ, Huchko MJ, Kuppermann M, Sawaya GF. Discussing Cervical Cancer Screening Options: Outcomes to Guide Conversations Between Patients and Providers. MDM Policy Pract. 2020 Jul-Dec; 5(2):2381468320952409.  View on PubMed
  11. Silverberg MJ, Leyden WA, Lam JO, Chao CR, Gregorich SE, Huchko MJ, Kulasingam S, Kuppermann M, Smith-McCune KK, Sawaya GF. Effectiveness of 'catch-up' human papillomavirus vaccination to prevent cervical neoplasia in immunosuppressed and non-immunosuppressed women. Vaccine. 2020 06 15; 38(29):4520-4523.  View on PubMed
  12. Perkins RB, Guido RS, Castle PE, Chelmow D, Einstein MH, Garcia F, Huh WK, Kim JJ, Moscicki AB, Nayar R, Saraiya M, Sawaya GF, Wentzensen N, Schiffman M, 2019 ASCCP Risk-Based Management Consensus Guidelines Committee . 2019 ASCCP Risk-Based Management Consensus Guidelines for Abnormal Cervical Cancer Screening Tests and Cancer Precursors. J Low Genit Tract Dis. 2020 04; 24(2):102-131.  View on PubMed
  13. Qin J, Saraiya M, Martinez G, Sawaya GF. Prevalence of Potentially Unnecessary Bimanual Pelvic Examinations and Papanicolaou Tests Among Adolescent Girls and Young Women Aged 15-20 Years in the United States. JAMA Intern Med. 2020 02 01; 180(2):274-280.  View on PubMed
  14. Lyson HC, Le GM, Zhang J, Rivadeneira N, Lyles C, Radcliffe K, Pasick RJ, Sawaya G, Sarkar U, Centola D. Social Media as a Tool to Promote Health Awareness: Results from an Online Cervical Cancer Prevention Study. J Cancer Educ. 2019 Aug; 34(4):819-822.  View on PubMed
  15. Nguyen C, Sawaya GF, Hoffman A. Effect of cost exposure on medical students' preferred mammography screening strategies: A randomized comparison. Med Teach. 2019 11; 41(11):1293-1297.  View on PubMed
  16. Sawaya GF, Sanstead E, Alarid-Escudero F, Smith-McCune K, Gregorich SE, Silverberg MJ, Leyden W, Huchko MJ, Kuppermann M, Kulasingam S. Estimated Quality of Life and Economic Outcomes Associated With 12 Cervical Cancer Screening Strategies: A Cost-effectiveness Analysis. JAMA Intern Med. 2019 07 01; 179(7):867-878.  View on PubMed
  17. Zhang J, Le G, Larochelle D, Pasick R, Sawaya GF, Sarkar U, Centola D. Facts or stories? How to use social media for cervical cancer prevention: A multi-method study of the effects of sender type and content type on increased message sharing. Prev Med. 2019 09; 126:105751.  View on PubMed
  18. Martinez GM, Qin J, Saraiya M, Sawaya GF. Receipt of Pelvic Examinations Among Women Aged 15-44 in the United States, 1988-2017. NCHS Data Brief. 2019 Jun; (339):1-8.  View on PubMed
  19. Sawaya GF, Smith-McCune K, Kuppermann M. Cervical Cancer Screening: More Choices in 2019. JAMA. 2019 May 28; 321(20):2018-2019.  View on PubMed
  20. Le GM, Radcliffe K, Lyles C, Lyson HC, Wallace B, Sawaya G, Pasick R, Centola D, Sarkar U. Perceptions of cervical cancer prevention on Twitter uncovered by different sampling strategies. PLoS One. 2019; 14(2):e0211931.  View on PubMed

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