Improve Women’s Health through Integration of Cervical Cancer Screening in Routine Gynecologic Care

Background: Cervical cancer screening is one of the most effective cancer prevention strategies, but most women in Africa have never been screened. In 2007, the Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services, a large faith-based health care system in Cameroon, initiated the Women's Health Program (WHP) to address this disparity. Trained nurses provide fee-for-service cervical cancer screening using visual inspection with acetic acid enhanced by digital cervicography (VIA-DC), prioritizing care for women living with HIV/AIDS. They also provide clinical breast examination, family planning (FP) services, and treatment of reproductive tract infections (RTI) and refer for further tests and treatment indicated. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed and analyzed WHP medical records from women who presented for cervical cancer screening from 2007-2014. Results: In 8 years, WHP nurses screened 44,979 women for cervical cancer. The number of women screened increased nearly every year. The WHP is sustained primarily on fees-for-service, with external funding totaling about $20,000 annually. In 2014, of 12,191 women screened for cervical cancer, 99% received clinical breast exams, 19% received FP services, and 4.7% received treatment of RTIs. We document successes, challenges, solutions implemented, and recommendations for optimizing this screening model. Conclusion: The WHP's experience using a cost-recovery model and offering multiple services in a single clinic rather than stand-alone cervical cancer screening may be a practical model to make cervical cancer screening services accessible, comprehensive and sustainable. Integrating other women's health services enabled women to address additional health care needs.

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Opportunistic Breast Cancer Education and Screening in Rural Honduras

Journal of Global Oncology ◽

10.1200/jgo.2015.001107 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 2 (4) ◽

pp. 174-180 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Linda S. Kennedy ◽

Suyapa A. Bejarano ◽

Tracy L. Onega ◽

Derek S. Stenquist ◽

Mary D. Chamberlin

Keyword(s):

Breast Cancer ◽

Cervical Cancer ◽

Cancer Screening ◽

Health Services ◽

Women's Health ◽

Cervical Cancer Screening ◽

Cancer Education ◽

Breast Cancer Education ◽

Women’S Health Services

Purpose In Honduras, the breast cancer burden is high, and access to women’s health services is low. This project tested the connection of community-based breast cancer detection with clinical diagnosis and treatment in a tightly linked and quickly facilitated format. Methods The Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth College partnered with the Honduran cancer hospital La Liga Contra el Cancer to expand a cervical cancer screening program, which included self-breast exam (SBE) education and clinical breast exams (CBEs), to assess patient attitudes about and uptake of breast cancer education and screening services. The cervical cancer screening event was held in Honduras in 2013; 476 women from 31 villages attended. Results Half of the women attending elected to receive a CBE; most had concerns about lactation. Clinicians referred 12 women with abnormal CBEs to La Liga Contra el Cancer for additional evaluation at no cost. All referred patients were compliant with the recommendation and received follow-up care. One abnormal follow-up mammogram/ultrasound result was negative on biopsy. One woman with an aggressive phyllodes tumor had a mastectomy within 60 days. Multimodal education about breast cancer screening maximized delivery of women’s health services in a low-tech rural setting. Conclusion The addition of opportunistic breast cancer education and screening to a cervical cancer screening event resulted in high uptake of services at low additional cost to program sponsors. Such novel strategies to maximize delivery of women’s health services in low-resource settings, where there is no access to mammography, may result in earlier detection of breast cancer. Close follow-up of positive results with referral to appropriate treatment is essential.

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Selected Risk Factors for Cervical Cancer and Barriers to Cervical Cancer Screening

Acta Medica Martiniana ◽

10.2478/acm-2014-0009 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 14 (2) ◽

pp. 25-30

Author(s):

Szaboova V. ◽

Svlhrova V. ◽

Hudeckova V.

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Cervical Cancer ◽

Cancer Screening ◽

Women's Health ◽

Cervical Cancer Screening ◽

Hpv Infection ◽

Review Of Literature ◽

Positive Approach ◽

The World ◽

Reduce Risk

Abstract The article provides a review of literature on risk factors and cofactors for cervical cancer and barriers to cervical cancer screening. Cofactors of cervical cancer are risk factors that contribute to the development of cervical cancer but are not able to generate cancer on their own. Risk factors and cofactors of cervical cancer have been clearly identified in many studies. Therefore cervical cancer is a preventable type of cancer. The aim of this article was to describe in more detail the barriers to cervical cancer screening among women all over the world. The barriers to cervical cancer screening can be sorted according to the results of studies into five main groups: informational, psychological, socio-economic, behavioral and cultural, and geographical. Efforts to reduce risk factors and cofactors of HPV infection and cervical cancer and to increase knowledge about screening are necessary in a positive approach to preventing cervical cancer in society and to promote women’s health.

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