Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Cervical Cancer Screening among HIV-infected Women at Srinagarind Hospital: A Cross-Sectional Study

Uptake of cervical cancer screening and associated factors among human immune virus positive women attending antiretroviral therapy clinic in public health facilities, Northeast Ethiopia, 2022: A cross-sectional study

Background

Although cervical cancer is the most prevalent cancer in women and has a high morbidity, mortality, and low quality of life burden among human immune virus-positive women, there is little evidence of it in northeastern Ethiopia.

Objective

Sought to determine the magnitude and associated factors of cervical cancer screening among human immune virus-positive women in public health facilities in northeastern Ethiopia.

Methods and material

A multicentered, institution-based cross-sectional study with 401 participants using the systematic random sampling technique was employed. The data was gathered through personal interviews and chart reviews. The predictors were established via multivariate logistic regression analysis.

Result

The magnitude of cervical cancer screening was 19.2% (15.7%-22.9%). Multiparity, bad obstetric history, hearing about cervical cancer, recommendations from medical professionals, duration of antiretroviral therapy >10 years, a family record of cervical cancer, and knowing cervical cancer were revealed to be predictors of testing for cervical cancer.

Conclusion

The magnitude of cervical cancer screening was 19.2% (15.7%-22.9%). Multiparity, bad obstetric history, hearing about cervical cancer, recommendations from medical professionals, duration of antiretroviral therapy >10 years, a family record of cervical cancer, and knowing cervical cancer were revealed to be predictors of testing for cervical cancer.

Survival after Diagnosis of Cervical Cancer Patients at a Tertiary Referral Hospital in Northeast Thailand

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer (CC) is the third most common cancer in women globally, including Thailand, where the incidence rate was 16.2 cases per 100,000 individuals in 2018. Survival rates for patients with this condition have not improved over recent years. This study evaluated the survival rate and median survival time after diagnosis among CC patients, and investigated factors associated with survival in Northeast Thailand.

METHODS

This study included CC patients admitted to the gynecological ward at Srinagarind Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Thailand from 2010 to 2019. Survival rates and median survival time since the date of diagnosis and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Multiple cox regression was performed to investigate factors associated with survival which were quantified by adjusted hazard ratios (AHR) and their 95% CIs.

RESULTS

Of 2,027 CC patients, the overall mortality incidence rate was 12.44 per 100 person-years (95% CI: 11.7 - 13.22), median survival time was 4.82 years (95% CI: 3.92 - 5.72), and 10-year survival rate was 43.16% (95% CI: 40.71 - 45.59). The highest 10-year survival rate was 87.85% (95% CI: 82.23 - 91.78) found among those with stage I CC, followed by those who received surgical treatment, which was 81.22% (95% CI: 74.47 - 86.35). Factors that were associated with decreased survival included age ≥60 years (AHR = 1.25; 95% CI: 1.07 - 1.46), health insurance with the Universal Health Coverage Scheme (UCS) (AHR = 6.26; 95% CI: 5.13 - 7.64), malignant neoplasms histopathology (AHR = 1.36; 95% CI: 1.07 - 1.74), and treatment with supportive care (AHR = 7.48; 95% CI: 5.22 - 10.71).

CONCLUSION

Among patients diagnosed with CC, those with stage I had the highest 10-year survival rate. CC patients with older age, UCS, malignant neoplasms histopathology, and received supportive care showed the highest survival association.

Barriers to and Facilitators of Cervical Cancer Screening among Women in Southeast Asia: A Systematic Review

In Southeast Asia, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women. Low coverage for cervical cancer screening (CCS) becomes a roadblock to disease detection and treatment. Existing reviews on CCS have limited insights into the barriers and facilitators for SEA. Hence, this study aims to identify key barriers and facilitators among women living in SEA. A systematic literature review was conducted on Pubmed, Embase, PsycINFO, CINAHL, and SCOPUS. Primary qualitative and quantitative studies published in English that reported barriers and facilitators to CCS were included. The Mix Methods Appraisal Tool was used for the quality assessment of the included studies. Among the 93 included studies, pap smears (73.1%) were the most common screening modality. A majority of the studies were from Malaysia (35.5%). No studies were from Timor-Leste and the Philippines. The most common barriers were embarrassment (number of articles, n = 33), time constraints (n = 27), and poor knowledge of screening (n = 27). The most common facilitators were related to age (n = 21), receiving advice from healthcare workers (n = 17), and education status (n = 11). Findings from this review may inform health policy makers in developing effective cervical cancer screening programs in SEA countries.