Eastern Indian Screening Procedures for Cervical Cancer and Associated Factors

Ritika  Kedia

doi:10.51168/sjhrafrica.v5i12.1495

Authors

Ritika Kedia Assistant Professor, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Netaji Subhas Medical College and Hospital, Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, India

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.51168/sjhrafrica.v5i12.1495

Keywords:

Eastern India, cervical cancer, screening procedures, Sociodemographic variables and public health initiatives

Abstract

Background- Gynecological cancer, including cervical cancer, is the second greatest cause of death worldwide for women between the ages of 15 and 44, after heart disease. Among women worldwide, it has been observed that the highest risk of cancer of the cervix has been reported in those living in low- and middle-income countries. Cancer of the cervix is more prevalent in areas where there is a lack of screening and prevention programs.

Objectives- In this study, women in Eastern India who had their cervical cancer screening habits evaluated, and the sociodemographic traits associated with those practices were identified.

Materials and methods- The study was designed as a cross-sectional that took place at the Gouri Devi Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Durgapur, West Bengal, India. The study has been conducted for two years, i.e.,………….. Overall, a total of 100 participants were included to take part in the study. Ethical approval has been granted by the Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC), Gouri Devi Institute of Medical Sciences and Hospital, Durgapur, West Bengal, India under letter number-.

Results- Most of the participants were in the age group of 40 to 50 years. Education level among participants was that 40 participants had a primary level of education; 35 participants had a secondary level of education, and 25 participants had a higher level of education. It has been shown that most of the patients were not screened before.

Conclusion- This study highlights the discrepancy between cervical cancer awareness and screening practices in Eastern India, showing that whereas screening uptake is still insufficient, awareness of cervical cancer is high. Significant obstacles affecting screening participation include cultural beliefs, educational and socioeconomic inequalities, and financial limitations.

References

Kulothungan V, Sathishkumar K, Leburu S, Ramamoorthy T, Stephen S, Basavarajappa D, Tomy N, Mohan R, Menon GR, Mathur P. Burden of cancers in India-estimates of cancer crude incidence, YLLs, YLDs and DALYs for 2021 and 2025 based on National Cancer Registry Program. BMC cancer. 2022 May 11;22(1):527.

Varughese NR, Samuel CJ, Dabas P. Knowledge and practices of cervical cancer screening among married women in a semi-urban population of Ludhiana, Punjab. CHRISMED Journal of Health and Research. 2016 Jan 1;3(1):51-4.

Mishra GA, Pimple SA, Shastri SS. An overview of prevention and early detection of cervical cancers. Indian Journal of Medical and Paediatric Oncology. 2011 Jul;32(03):125-32.

Sankaranarayanan R, Nene BM, Shastri SS, et al. HPV screening for cervical cancer in rural India. N Engl J Med. 2009;360(14):1385-1394.

Arbyn M, Anttila A, Buntinx F, et al. Screening for cervical cancer. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2006;(3):CD007036.

World Health Organization. Global strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer as a public health problem. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2020.

Gakidou E, Nordhagen S, Obermeyer Z. Coverage of cervical cancer screening in 57 countries: low average levels and large inequalities. PLoS Med. 2008;5(6):e132.

Joshi S, Ghosh S, Saha S, et al. Barriers to cervical cancer screening among women in India: a review. J Cancer Educ. 2020;35(1):131- 139.

Nair S, Ahuja R, Shukla R, et al. Factors influencing uptake of cervical cancer screening in urban and rural areas of India. Asian Pac J Cancer Prev. 2015;16(10):4351-4356.

Gupta B, Johnson NW, Kumar N. Cervical cancer screening in India: challenges and solutions. Indian J Med Res. 2014;140(2):274-284.

Pradhan S, Singh D, Keshri S. Understanding barriers to cervical cancer screening in rural areas of India. BMC Public Health. 2018;18: 1185.

Bhatla N, Singh S, Awasthi S, et al. Evaluation of cervical cancer screening programs in India. Indian J Cancer. 2020;57(1):88-94.

Sharma M, Jha P, Roy D, et al. Cervical cancer screening and prevention in South Asia: a review of current strategies and future perspectives. Cancer Control. 2017;24(4):1-8.

Leung W, Chan S, Tam T, et al. Socioeconomic factors and cervical cancer screening participation in urban India. J Epidemiol Community Health. 2019;73(1):60-66.

Hsu C, Fong Y, Wang S, et al. Accessibility and utilization of cervical cancer screening services in low-income communities. Public Health. 2016; 139:105-112.

Mathur P, Grover S, Sharma M, et al. Cultural attitudes and barriers to cervical cancer screening in Northern India. J Cancer Educ. 2021;36(3):556-563.

Basu P, Pal A, Sinha D, et al. Socio-economic and educational factors affecting cervical cancer screening in India. Int J Cancer. 2018; 142 (10):2110-2119.

Muwonge R, Nene BM, Shastri SS, et al. Impact of HPV vaccination on cervical cancer incidence and mortality in India. Lancet Oncol. 2019;20(6):856-864.

Srinivasan K, Kaur M, Sharma A, et al. Enhancing cervical cancer screening through community-based interventions in rural India. J Community Health. 2017;42(3):565-572.

Rajaram S, Gehlot R, Bansal D, et al. Economic barriers to cervical cancer screening in India: a systematic review. Health Policy Plan. 2019;34(9):692-701.