Evidence map›Paper›PMID 30832697›Full record

ArticleBMC women's health2019

Massive single visit cervical pre-cancer and cancer screening in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.

Justin Lussy Paluku, Tamar E Carter, Miriam Lee, Susan A Bartels

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC women's health, 2019. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
1.0field-weighted citation impact, top 25% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

4 authors at 4 institutions in 5 countries.

Justin Lussy PalukuHEAL Africa Hospital, Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo. justin.healafrica@gmail.com.ORCID 0000-0002-1380-9998
Tamar E CarterBioinformatics and Genomics Department, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, USA.
Miriam LeePindara Hospital, Queensland, Australia.
Susan A BartelsDepartments of Emergency Medicine and Public Health Sciences, Queen's University, Kingston, Canada.
Flinders Private Hospital · AUQueen's University · CAUniversity of Goma · CDUniversity of North Carolina at Charlotte · US

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIn the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), practical and affordable strategies for cervical cancer screening are needed to detect and treat pre-cancerous and cancerous lesions in a timely fashion. This study presents the results of mass cervical cancer screenings in eastern DRC using a "screen and treat" approach.

methodsIn two mass cervical cancer screening campaigns, patients underwent a combination of visual inspection of the cervix with acetic acid, visual inspection of the cervix with Lugol iodine solution, and colposcopy with or without loop electrosurgical excision procedure. Cervical biopsy samples were taken for histology analysis. Marital status, age, history of abnormal bleeding, and number of pregnancies were recorded for each patient and association analyses were performed.

resultsOf the 644 women who received cervical pre-cancer and cancer screening, 48 had suspicious pre-cancer and cancer lesions that were biopsied (7.45%). On histology analysis cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) was identified in 15 (2.33%), squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) was identified in 6 (0.93%) and non-neoplastic cervicitis was identified in 11 (1.71%). Abnormal bleeding was significantly associated with CIN/SCC but no significant association was observed for prior pregnancy, patients' home region, or age.

conclusionForty-eight women with suspicious pre-cancerous or cancerous lesions were successfully identified using the "screen and treat" approach in eastern DRC, suggesting that this approach is feasible for reducing cervical cancer morbidity and mortality. However, community awareness would be necessary, providers would have to be properly trained, referral and follow up mechanisms would have to be put in place, and equipment / supplies would have to be secured if the "screen and treat" approach is to be successful on a wider scale. There is ongoing need for HPV vaccination in DRC as a primary prevention strategy against cervical cancer.

Indexed as

AdultColposcopyDemocratic Republic of the CongoEarly Detection of CancerFemaleHumansMass ScreeningMiddle AgedPhysical ExaminationPregnancyUterine Cervical NeoplasmsYoung AdultCervical cancerDemocratic Republic of CongoLoop electrosurgical excision procedureScreen and treatScreeningVIAVILI

Identifiers

PMID30832697
PMCPMC6399865
OpenAlexW2918712970

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.