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A Pilot Study of a Low-cost Optical Imaging Tool for Cervical Cancer Screening in Brazil

Kathleen Schmeler

3 Collaborator(s)

Funding source

University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center
Cervical cancer was previously the leading cause of cancer-related death among women in the United States. However, the incidence and mortality has decreased by approximately 70% over the past 40 years. This decline is largely due to screening programs that identify pre -invasive lesions that can be treated prior to progression to cancer. In comparison, cervical cancer continues to be the second leading cause of cancer and cancer-related deaths among women in Brazil and other Latin American countries. This inequity is largely due to the lack of early detection programs in developing countries, which can in turn be ascribed to a lack of appropriate screening tools. In developed countries, many cases of cervical cancer are prevented through established screening tests such as the Papanicolaou (Pap) test, enabling precancerous lesions to be diagnosed and treated early. However, to be effective, these screening programs require relatively high-level infrastructure and well trained personnel. Alternative solutions are necessary to support early screening for cervical cancer in developing countries, where resources are limited and incidence and mortality rates are rising.

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