Cervical cancer screening and prevention in low-resource settings
Bradford, L.; Goodman, A.
Clinical Obstetrics and Gynecology 56(1): 76-87
2013
ISSN/ISBN: 0009-9201 PMID: 23337844 DOI: 10.1097/grf.0b013e31828237acDocument Number: 574012
Cervical cancer is both preventable and curable, yet it remains one of the leading causes of mortality in women worldwide. Approximately 88% of cervical cancer cases are diagnosed in low-resource countries, yet very few resources are allocated to prevention and treatment programs. In fact, it is estimated that only 5% of women in low-resources countries are screened appropriately for cervical cancer. Cytology-based programs are not feasible because of lack of healthcare infrastructure and cost, thus alternative methods of cancer screening, such as visual inspection with acetic acid and HPV-DNA testing, have been intensively studied and are reviewed in this article.