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CytoJournal 2023We undertook this study to find out the spectrum of the cervical smear pattern along with the clinical profiles of patients who underwent cervical Papanicolaou (Pap)...
OBJECTIVES
We undertook this study to find out the spectrum of the cervical smear pattern along with the clinical profiles of patients who underwent cervical Papanicolaou (Pap) smear evaluation in our newly started tertiary care center. We also tried to find the possible clinical cause for unsatisfactory smears and factors for epithelial cell abnormality.
MATERIAL AND METHODS
The present study was a retrospective observational study. Pap smears cases with their clinical findings mentioned on the requisition form and cytopathology observations were retrieved from the archives of the department of pathology. Fisher's exact test was used for statistical analysis.
RESULTS
Five hundred and ninety-four cases were included in the study. The most common age group was 36- 40 years. White discharge per vaginum was the most common clinical presentation. The negative for squamous intraepithelial lesions or malignancy was the most common interpretation (86.87%). Cervical erosion had statistically significant associations with unsatisfactory smears, while bacterial vaginosis had with satisfactory smears. Epithelial cell abnormality was seen in 4.62% patients. We observed a statistically significant association of cervical mucoid discharge, and inflammation with "no epithelial cell abnormality" cases, while postmenopausal bleeding was associated with "epithelial cell abnormality" cases.
CONCLUSION
In the presence of clinical factors like cervical erosion, which may affect the quality of Pap smear, proper sampling techniques are to be used by health-care providers. The careful evaluation of Pap smears, especially in cases of cervical mucoid discharge, postmenopausal bleeding, and inflammatory smears is required to ensure that epithelial cell abnormalities are not overlooked.
PubMed: 37681076
DOI: 10.25259/Cytojournal_8_2023 -
Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) Jun 2023: Cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Human papilloma virus (HPV) is known to cause cervical cancer. The incidence and... (Observational Study)
Observational Study
: Cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women. Human papilloma virus (HPV) is known to cause cervical cancer. The incidence and mortality of cervical cancer has drastically reduced due to effective vaccination against HPV in developed countries. The projected rise in cervical cancer cases in Latin American and Caribbean countries necessitates a study to evaluate awareness about HPV, cervical cancer, the HPV vaccine, and prevention among women in Antigua and Barbuda. : This was an observational, cross-sectional study. The participants were women aged between 18 and 65 years, residing in Antigua and Barbuda. The study was conducted over the period of February to April 2023. After taking informed consent electronically, sociodemographic and behavioral data was collected through questionnaires sent out as links and QR-codes and were analyzed by Qualtrics. The association between the demographic groups and awareness about HPV, cervical cancer, the HPV vaccine, and prevention was analyzed by a Chi-square test. : In total, 467 women were included in the study. The percentage of participants aware of HPV was 91.6% ( = 412). A total of 70.7% ( = 318) and 56.7% ( = 255) women were aware that cervical cancer is caused by HPV and is sexually transmitted, respectively. Although 70.6% ( = 315) of participants were aware that the vaccine protects against HPV, only 12.8% ( = 57) were vaccinated. Of the participants, 49.7% (n = 192) were willing to get vaccinated. The percentage of participants aware of the Papanicolaou (Pap) smear procedure was 98.9% ( = 435) and 87.8% ( = 382) had a Pap smear within the last 10 years while 12.2% ( = 53) never had a Pap smear screening. The willingness to know more information about HPV and the HPV vaccine among the participants was 77% ( = 335). : The overall awareness among women in Antigua and Barbuda about HPV, cervical cancer, the HPV vaccine, and prevention was high. We recommend a national health education program and vaccine drive to complement our findings.
Topics: Female; Humans; Adolescent; Young Adult; Adult; Middle Aged; Aged; Male; Human Papillomavirus Viruses; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Vaginal Smears; Papillomavirus Infections; Antigua and Barbuda; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Surveys and Questionnaires; Papillomavirus Vaccines
PubMed: 37512042
DOI: 10.3390/medicina59071230 -
Cureus May 2024The evolutionary journey of cervical cancer screening has been a major medical success story, considering the substantial role it has played in dwindling the disease... (Review)
Review
The evolutionary journey of cervical cancer screening has been a major medical success story, considering the substantial role it has played in dwindling the disease burden. Through sustained collaborative efforts within the medical community, significant advances have been made from the humble yet path-breaking conventional Pap smear to the current automated screening systems and human papillomavirus (HPV) molecular testing. With the integration of artificial intelligence into screening techniques, we are currently at the precipice of circumventing the pitfalls of manual cytology readings and improving the efficiency of the screening systems by a significant margin. Despite the technological milestones traversed, the high logistics and operational cost, besides the technical know-how of operating the automated systems, can pose a major practical challenge in the widespread adoption of these advanced techniques in cervical cancer screening programs. This would suggest the need to adopt strategies that are tailored to the demands and needs of the different settings keeping their limitations in mind. This review aims to take the reader through the entire evolutionary journey of cervical cancer screening programs, highlight the individual merits and demerits of each technique, and discuss the recommendations from the major global guidelines.
PubMed: 38903362
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.60769 -
Journal of Cancer Epidemiology 2023Despite being one of the most preventable forms of cancer, cervical cancer remains an important public health problem, especially in developing countries. However, there...
BACKGROUND
Despite being one of the most preventable forms of cancer, cervical cancer remains an important public health problem, especially in developing countries. However, there is limited evidence regarding awareness and practice of screening for cervical cancer among women in resource-poor settings like Nepal. This study is aimed at assessing the awareness of cervical cancer, risk perception, and practice of Pap smear tests among adult women of Dhulikhel municipality of Kavreplanchowk district in Nepal. . A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 422 women (aged 18-45 years) residing across the Dhulikhel municipality of Nepal. Systematic random sampling method with face-to-face interviews was conducted to collect data. A descriptive analysis was performed to assess the sociodemographic characteristics of the participants. The chi-square test was used to determine the factors associated with risk perception and participants' demographic characteristics.
RESULTS
The mean age (±SD) of the participants was 30.7 ± 7.9 years. This study found that around 55% and 38% of women had heard about cervical cancer and Pap smear test, respectively. Of those who had heard of the Pap test, only 37.6% had ever practiced the test. Similarly, 33.2% and 12.1% knew about the correct age group and time interval to perform the Pap test, respectively. Among those who had heard about cervical cancer, nearly 57% had positive perceptions toward cervical cancer. In addition, risk perception of cervical cancer was found to be associated with participant age, family type, and marital status.
CONCLUSION
The women had inadequate knowledge and practice of cervical cancer and Pap smear test. This study concluded the need for a context-specific and effective health awareness program to promote preventive measures for cervical cancer and enhance the practice of Pap smear test in the community.
PubMed: 37663110
DOI: 10.1155/2023/6859054 -
Journal of Education and Health... 2023Cervical cancer remains a reproductive health burden. Pap smear (PS) screening can detect cervical cancer early but is underused despite being subsidized. Motivational...
INTRODUCTION
Cervical cancer remains a reproductive health burden. Pap smear (PS) screening can detect cervical cancer early but is underused despite being subsidized. Motivational factors play a role in promoting PS screening. This study aimed to determine the women's motivation toward PS screening based on Protection Motivation Theory (PMT), which mainly focused on sexual and screening status.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The study was conducted electronically throughout Malaysia from January to February 2022 by disseminating Google Form (https://forms.gle/cD7fkUKYR4Cq6kZC8) via multiple WhatsApp groups to reach 526 women aged 21-65 years. The questionnaire consists of 24 items based on seven PMT constructs [perceived vulnerability, perceived severity, self-efficacy, response efficacy, fear (threat appraisal), response costs (coping appraisal), and protection motivation]. The descriptive statistics and independent -test was used to analyze data using IBM SPSS Statistics software, version 25.
RESULTS
Most respondents were sexually active [80.6% ( = 424)] and have heard of PS screening [95.8% ( = 504)]. More than half of respondents did not have PS screening in the last three years [59.3% ( = 312)]. Sexually active women have heard and have undergone PS screening feel less threatened with low coping appraisals. Undergoing PS screening made women perceived more response efficacy ( =. 011), more self-efficacy ( <. 001), and higher protection motivation ( <. 001) toward PS screening.
CONCLUSIONS
Women's motivation related to PS screening needs to be highlighted. Future development of health education strategy should include motivation focused in emphasizing the threat and coping appraisal into educational plan to ensure women come forward for screening.
PubMed: 38144028
DOI: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_1842_22 -
Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) Jul 2023Cervical cancer is the most common form of cancer worldwide. Consequently, it is crucial that women are encouraged to undergo interventions early via Papanicolaou (Pap)...
Cervical cancer is the most common form of cancer worldwide. Consequently, it is crucial that women are encouraged to undergo interventions early via Papanicolaou (Pap) smear screenings to improve their health. In light of this, this study explored the knowledge of and attitudes towards cervical cancer and Papanicolaou (Pap) smear screenings among women in the Caleb Motshabi district, South Africa. Four focus group discussions were carried out among 19 women. The interviews/discussion were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim and then analysed thematically. In this regard, seven main themes emerged that provided insight into the perceptions of the participants regarding their knowledge of and attitudes towards cervical cancer and Papanicolaou (Pap) smear screenings. While the majority of participants were aware of cervical cancer and Pap smears, they lacked more specific knowledge of what this cancer is or its related causes. Although some participants had had a Pap smear done, they neither knew how the procedure was done nor the reasons for it. In addition, most mentioned receiving information about this procedure from their peers rather than healthcare workers. Notably, those with previous experience indicated that they had regular screenings. Furthermore, they better understood exactly how it is done. The findings emphasised women's limited knowledge of cervical cancer and Pap smears. It further highlighted the need for sustainable education programmes and mobile clinics to encourage an awareness of and accessibility to this particular type of screening within South African communities. Therefore, intervention strategies that make people aware of this specific cancer and encourage the uptake of Papanicolaou (Pap) smear screenings are crucial, as is the continued advocacy for sustained educational programmes and accessible healthcare services.
PubMed: 37510530
DOI: 10.3390/healthcare11142089 -
The Lancet Regional Health. Southeast... May 2024Screening of cancers is an important intervention in reducing the incidence and mortality related to cancers. Bhutan is one small country that is witnessing an... (Review)
Review
Screening of cancers is an important intervention in reducing the incidence and mortality related to cancers. Bhutan is one small country that is witnessing an increasing incidence and mortality related to cancers. The government implemented a time-bound population-level screening for gastric, cervical and breast cancers from 2020 to 2023 with an overall coverage of 91.2% of the eligible population. Among 370,225 individuals screened for , 32.4% tested positive; among 53,182 who underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and biopsy, 255 (0.07%) had gastric cancer. Among 10,749 tested for HPV DNA, 9.3% were positive; among 9887 evaluated with colposcopy and biopsy, 154 (0.13%) had cervical cancer. For breast cancer screening, 72,283 underwent clinical breast examination, 845 mammography and cancer was detected in 73 (0.10%) individuals. In this article, we review how Bhutan implemented a population-level cancer screening programme with on boarding of multiple stakeholders and the participation of people across all districts.
PubMed: 38444883
DOI: 10.1016/j.lansea.2024.100370 -
Cureus Sep 2023Background Exfoliation of the surface cells of the normal epithelium occurs as a result of physiological turnover. Epithelial cells are constantly renewed, and they are...
Background Exfoliation of the surface cells of the normal epithelium occurs as a result of physiological turnover. Epithelial cells are constantly renewed, and they are exfoliated or shed as they migrate from the basal layer to the uppermost layer of the epithelium. Oral exfoliative cytology involves the collection and microscopic evaluation of these shed cells or scraped epithelial cells, quantitatively and qualitatively. The objective of the present study was to analyze and compare the cytomorphometric features like cellular area, nuclear area, and nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio from buccal mucosal smears of adolescent and geriatric patients. This study highlights the changes in cell morphology in different age groups (adolescent and pediatric), which could be attributed to hormonal, habitual, and aging factors. Material and methods Buccal smear sample was collected from a total of 60 individuals belonging to the age groups of 11-19 years and above 60 years. The smears were stained with H&E and PAP (Papanicolaou) stain. Photomicrographs were taken in 40x, and measurements were calculated using ImageJ software (National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, Maryland, United States). Cellular size, nuclear size, and nucleo-cytoplasmic ratio were analyzed and compared between the two age groups using independent t-tests using IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 22.0 (Released 2013; IBM Corp., Armonk, New York, United States). Results A significant difference was observed in the cellular area and nuclear area between the two age groups with a p-value of 0.00. No significant findings were present in the nucleo-cytoplasmic area of the two age groups. Conclusion Cytomorphometric analysis has shown that there were variations in the cytoplasmic and nuclear areas among different age groups.
PubMed: 37809272
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.44753 -
Viruses Sep 2023In the context of cervical cancer prevention, where human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is pivotal, HPV testing is replacing Pap Smear in primary screening. This...
In the context of cervical cancer prevention, where human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is pivotal, HPV testing is replacing Pap Smear in primary screening. This transition offers an opportunity for integrating self-sampling to enhance coverage. We evaluated the accuracy of HPV testing using self-collected urine and vaginal samples, comparing them to physician-collected cervical swabs. From a cohort of 245 women with abnormal cytology, we collected self-sampled vaginal, urine, and clinician-administered cervical specimens. Employing Anyplex™II HPV28 assay, outcomes revealed HPV positivity rates of 75.1% (cervical), 78.4% (vaginal), and 77.1% (urine). Significant, hr-HPV detection concordance was observed between self-taken cervical samples and clinical counterparts (k = 0.898 for vaginal; k = 0.715 for urine). This study extends beyond accuracy, highlighting self-collected sample efficacy in detecting high-grade cervical lesions. The insight underscores self-sampling's role in bolstering participation and aligns with WHO's goal to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030.
Topics: Female; Humans; Pregnancy; Colposcopy; Human Papillomavirus Viruses; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Papillomavirus Infections
PubMed: 37766295
DOI: 10.3390/v15091889 -
Medicine Jul 2023The number of hospital visits with cervical cancer as the chief complaint among South Korean women aged 20 to 39 has increased by 1.2 times between 2016 and 2020,...
The number of hospital visits with cervical cancer as the chief complaint among South Korean women aged 20 to 39 has increased by 1.2 times between 2016 and 2020, indicating a need for active screening for the disease. This study aimed to investigate the status of the Papanicolaou (Pap) test and identify factors influencing Pap test experience among South Korean women aged 20 to 39 years. An online questionnaire survey was conducted over 5 days starting from November 19, 2021. A total of 338 participants who were randomly sampled by age completed the survey. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, t test, χ2 test, and logistic regression. The mean age of the participants was 29.9 years, and participants with and without Pap test experience accounted for 60.7% and 39.3% of the total, respectively. There were significant differences in age, marital status, employment status, smoking status, experience of coitus, awareness of the National Cancer Screening Program, and human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination status according to the Pap test experience (P < .05) of the participants. Pap test attitude, Pap test self-efficacy, cervical cancer knowledge, HPV knowledge, and cancer prevention behavior scores were significantly higher in the Pap test experience group than in the no Pap test experience group (P < .05). Logistic regression analysis showed that experience of coitus (odds ratio [OR] = 10.46, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 4.54-24.11), marital status (OR = 5.96, 95% CI: 2.25-15.77), awareness of the National Cancer Screening Program (OR = 4.39, 95% CI: 1.66-11.58), HPV vaccination (OR = 2.62, 95% CI: 1.35-5.09), employment status (OR = 2.22, 95% CI: 1.08-4.59), and self-efficacy (OR = 1.09, 95% CI: 1.01-1.19) were the influencing factors in the Pap test experience group. To improve the Pap test screening rate among South Korean women aged 20 to 39, reinforcement strategies and intervention programs that involve age-specific approaches must be established.
Topics: Female; Humans; Adult; Uterine Cervical Neoplasms; Papillomavirus Infections; Early Detection of Cancer; Papanicolaou Test; Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice; Mass Screening; Republic of Korea; Vaginal Smears
PubMed: 37505160
DOI: 10.1097/MD.0000000000034539