CERVICAL CANCER

Cervical cancer kills more than 288,000 women each year worldwide and disproportionately affects the poorest, most vulnerable women. At least 80 percent of cervical cancer deaths occur in developing countries, with most occurring in the poorest regions - South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and parts of Latin America. Health care providers in developing countries regularly see women with advanced, incurable cervical cancer. At this late stage, there is little they can do to save women's lives. Even drugs designed to ease cancer pain often are unavailable. Yet cervical cancer can be readily prevented, even in women at high risk for the disease, through screening and treatment using relatively simple technologies. When precancerous changes in cervical tissue are found and the abnormal tissue successfully treated, a woman will not develop cancer.

Major projects

Cluster randomized controlled trial involving 140,000 women to evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a single-round of visual, cytology and HPV screening in reducing cervical cancer incidence and mortality in Osmanabad district, India in collaboration with the Tata Memorial Hospital, Mumbai and the Nargis Dutt Memorial Cancer Hospital, Barshi, India Cluster randomized controlled trial involving 80,000 women to evaluate the efficacy and cost-effectiveness of a single-round of visual screening in reducing cervical cancer incidence and mortality in Dindigul district, India in collaboration with the Christian Fellowship Community Health Centre, Ambillikai and the Cancer Institute (WIA), Chennai, India Studies assessing the determinants of participation in screening Non-randomized controlled trial to evaluate the effectiveness of information education programmes in reducing cervical cancer mortality in Solapur District, India Multicenter randomized clinical trial to evaluate the comparative efficacy and sideeffects of single-versus double-freeze cryotherapy in the treatment of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) Multicenter cross-sectional studies in Asia and Africa to evaluate the test characteristics of cervical screening tests such as visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA), magnified visual inspection with acetic acid (VIAM), visual inspection with Lugols iodine (VILI), conventional cytology and HPV testing The performance of low technology visual screening in routine health care settings Screening Technologies to Advance Rapid Testing (START). A project to develop rapid, accurate and affordable biochemical tests to screen for cervical cancer. Collaboration with Programme for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH), USA, Nargis Dutt Memorial Cancer Hospital (NDMCH), Barshi, India and Tata Memorial Cancer Hospital (TMH), Mumbai, India and the Cancer Institute of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CICAMS), Beijing, China Development printed and digital learning resources for cytology, VIA, VILI,histology, colposcopy and treatment of CIN Evaluation of cervical screening programmes in Brazil, South Korea and Thailand Technical assistance to VIA screening programme in Bangladesh, India, Madagascar, Malawi, Nepal, Nigeria, Tanzania, Turkey, Uganda, Vanuatu, Zambia

About This Booklet

This National Cancer Institute (NCI) booklet is for youa woman who has just been diagnosed withcervical cancer. The disease begins on the surface of the cervix. If not treated, the cancer invades more deeply into the cervix. This is called invasive cervical cancer. In 2013, more than 12,000 women in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer. Most will be younger than 55. Learning about medical care for invasive cervical cancer can help you take an active part in making choices about your care. This booklet tells about

Diagnosis and staging Treatment and follow-up care Taking part in research studies You can read this booklet from front to back. Or you can read only the sections you need right now. This booklet has lists of questions that you may want to ask your doctor. Many people find it helpful to take a list of questions to a doctor visit. To help remember what your doctor says, you can take notes. You may also want to have a family member or friend go with you when you talk with the doctor to take notes, ask questions, or just listen.