Cervical cancer library

Screening and treatment

Featured resources

10 Key Findings and Recommendations for Effective Cervical Cancer Screening and Treatment Programs
Alliance for Cervical Cancer Prevention (ACCP)
In early 2007, the ACCP partners met to assess newly-analyzed results of key studies in India, South Africa, Peru, and Thailand. These new data spurred the partners to outline ten key findings and recommendations for global policy and practice related to cervical cancer screening and treatment in low-resource settings.

ACCP member journal articles on cervical cancer screening and treatment
ACCP
This listing includes findings from more than 20 ACCP demonstration and research projects, offering important insights into the potential effectiveness of different screening and treatment strategies under a range of conditions.

Alliance for Cervical Cancer Prevention: Shifting the Paradigm (2005)
International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics. 2005;89(S2).
This nine-article supplement addresses issues relevant to training staff to prevent cervical cancer in low-resource settings.

Cervical cancer page
International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC)
This page features numerous training and research resources that explore the accuracy, reproducibility, efficacy, benefits, harmful effects, and cost-effectiveness of screening interventions for cervical cancer.

Colposcopy and Treatment of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia: A Beginner’s Manual (2003)
Sellors J, Sankaranarayanan R, IARC
This online manual is designed to equip health care providers with the necessary skills to detect and treat cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, thereby preventing invasive cervical cancer in many women worldwide.

Comprehensive Cervical Cancer Control: A guide to essential practice (2006)
World Health Organization
This publication is designed to provide comprehensive practical advice to health care providers at all levels of the health care system on how to prevent, detect early, treat, and palliate cervical cancer.

Conclusions From ACCP Clinical Research in Developing Countries (2004)
ACCP
ACCP projects have focused on regions in which cervical cancer incidence and mortality are highest—sub-Saharan Africa, Latin America, and South Asia—and on reaching women in their 30s and 40s, since many women in these regions may be screened only once or twice in their lifetimes.

Course in Visual Methods for Cervical Cancer Screening: Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid and Lugol's Iodine (2004)
PATH
This manual is designed for trainers of clinicians who perform vaginal speculum
examination and screening methods to prevent cervical cancer. Please note that the online version below is a preview. The complete CD-ROM may be ordered by emailing rho@path.org.

HPV Vaccines and Screening in the Prevention of Cervical Cancer (2006)
Bosch F, Cuzick J, Schiller J, Garnett G and Meheus A, Franco E, Wright T, eds. Vaccine. 24(S3):S1–S264.
This 250-page publication provides a convenient summary of the vast literature of over 100 authors' individual areas.

Improving Screening Coverage Rates of Cervical Cancer Prevention Programs: A Focus on Communities (2004)
Cervical Cancer Prevention Issues in Depth No. 4. ACCP.
This paper describes the community focus taken by ACCP projects in eight countries. Included is an overview of the strategies used to increase screening coverage, and lessons learned about how to meet women’s needs effectively through a community focus.

Effectiveness, Safety and Acceptability of Cryotherapy: A Systematic Literature Review (2003)
Cervical Cancer Prevention Issues in Depth No. 1. ACCP.
This 62-page document is a systematic review of the literature on the use of cryotherapy as an outpatient treatment option for women with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. The review examines the available data on the effectiveness, safety, and acceptability of cryotherapy.

Outlook. Preventing cervical cancer: Unprecedented opportunities for improving women's health
Castilaw D, Wittet S. Outlook. 2007;23(1). PATH.
This 12-page issue of Outlook provides the latest evidence-based information about cervical cancer prevention. It summarizes key issues related to HPV transmission, new HPV vaccines, and strategies for introduction in low-resource countries. This issue also identifies new methods for early detection and treatment of cervical cancer.

Safety, acceptability, and feasibility of a single-visit approach to cervical-cancer prevention in rural Thailand: a demonstration project (2003)
Gaffikin L, Lauterbach M, Emerson M. The Lancet. 2003;361(9360):814–820.
This evaluation assessed the value of a single visit approach using a combination of visual inspection of the cervix with acetic acid and cryotherapy in a rural area. Although a variety of treatment options exist for use in an outpatient setting, cryotherapy was the treatment of choice for this joint JHPIEGO/Thailand project.

Screening cervical cancer in developing countries. Report of a World Health Organization Consultation (2002)
World Health Organization
This 89-page position paper focuses on cytology screening in middle-income countries with specific recommendations for improving efficacy and effectiveness of programs.

Visual inspection with acetic acid for cervical-cancer screening: test qualities in a primary-care setting
The Lancet. 1999;353(9156):869–873.
Naked-eye visual inspection of the cervix with acetic acid wash (VIA), or cervicoscopy, is an alternative to cytology in screening for cervical cancer in poorly resourced locations. This study tested the sensitivity, specificity, and predictive value of VIA done by nurse-midwives in a less developed country.

WHO/ICO Information Centre on HPV and Cervical Cancer
World Health Organization and the Institut Català d’Oncologia
This website offers country-specific reports on cervical cancer burden of disease, prevalence of HPV infections, and related factors for cervical disease to evaluate prevention strategies.

General screening and treatment resources

Cervical cancer prevention: safety, acceptability, and feasibility of a single-visit approach in Accra, Ghana.
Blumenthal PD, Gaffikin L, Deganus S, et al. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 2007;196(4):407.e1–407.e9.
This study assessed the safety and acceptability of a single-visit approach to cervical cancer prevention combining visual inspection of the cervix with acetic acid wash (VIA) and cryotherapy.

Cervical cancer screening and testing page
National Cancer Institute
Developed for both patients and health professionals, this page provides extensive information about tests used to screen for cervical cancer, as well as how to interpret test results.

Guidelines for cervical cancer screening programme (2005)
Government of India-World Health Organization Collaborative Programme
These guidelines have been developed for population-based cervical cancer screening programmes in India, and can be adapted according to available resources.

Medline Plus: Cervical cancer
National Library of Medicine and National Institutes of Health
Medline Plus provides listings of cervical cancer resources in the areas of prevention, screening, treatment, and research. The site also includes information about cervical cancer organizations, law, policy, and more. Resources are US-focused, but could be adapted for global contexts.

OncoLink: Cervical cancer
Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania
OncoLink offers a range of information, including an overview of cervical cancer, summaries of recent US meetings on cancer, and examples of provider and client information on Papanicolau (Pap) tests, colposcopy, and dysplasia treatment. The site is intended for a US audience, but much of the information (in particular the client-oriented material) could be adapted for use in other settings.

Twenty-third International Papillomavirus Conference and Clinical Workshop
This site contains abstracts and presentations from the 23rd International Papillomavirus Conference and Clinical Workshop on September 1–7, 2006 in Prague, Czech Republic.

Visual inspection with acetic acid for cervical cancer screening outside of low-resource settings (2005)
Jeronimo J, Morales O, Horna J, Pariona J, Manrique J, Rubiños J, Takahashi R. Pan American Journal of Public Health / Revista Panamericana de Salud Pública. 2005;17(1):1–5.
This study assessed VIA as a screening tool for use in a well-equipped health center in Peru, evaluated VIA as an alternative or adjunct to the Pap smear, and determined if VIA can play a role in better-resourced settings.