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Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Arquivos de Ciências da Saúde da UNIPAR is the property of Associacao Paranaense de Ensino e Cultura and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Arquivos de Ciências da Saúde da UNIPAR is the property of Associacao Paranaense de Ensino e Cultura and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Human papillomavirus is a sexually transmitted infection that affects millions of people around the world. It is a public health problem due to its association with cervical cancer. The objective is to know the level of knowledge that young people have about HPV and its vaccine in Latin America. The research was qualitative descriptive, using the structure of the PRISMA method, as a search tool in various databases of high academic prestige. The systematic review showed that young people had low levels of knowledge about HPV and the vaccine, but their knowledge about HPV, its prevention and its relationship with cervical cancer increased after the educational intervention, achieving a comprehensive understanding of the HPV situation among young people, focusing on the importance of prevention and education to reduce morbidity and mortality from cancers associated with this infection. The study is expected to be a valuable resource for health professionals, researchers and public policy makers seeking effective strategies to protect the health of young people in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Saúde Coletiva is the property of MPM Comunicacao and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Arquivos de Ciências da Saúde da UNIPAR is the property of Associacao Paranaense de Ensino e Cultura and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

As cervical cancer is considered one of the leading causes of death for women globally, different screening techniques have emerged. As the Papanicolaou technique generates high numbers of false negatives due to only testing 20% of a sample, the liquid-based cytology technique was developed to test 100% of the sample and improve accuracy. However, as the larger sample size has made it difficult to detect the lesion images through a microscope, studies have looked for ways to intelligently analyze sample. The aim of this study is to develop an artificial intelligence image recognition system that detects the lesion level of cervical cancer of liquid-based Pap smears under the Bethesda classification of cancer (NILM/LSIL/HSIL/SCC). For this purpose, six activities were carried out: dataset selection, data augmentation, optimization, model development, evaluation and system construction. A dataset built from publicly available Pap smear images and passed through data augmentation algorithms generated a total of 2,676 images. Two models, ResNet50V2 and ResNet101V2, were developed under Deep Learning and Transfer Learning protocols. The evaluation showed that the ResNet50V2 model obtained better performance, where the classification of HSIL and SCC type images obtained a precision of 0.98 and achieved an accuracy of 0.97. Finally, the system based on the ResNet50V2 model was built and its performance was validated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the outcomes of The Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes-Elimination of Cervical Cancer in The Americas (ECHO-ELA) program, which was developed as a tri-lateral cooperation between Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), the U.S. National Cancer Institute (NCI) and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (MD Anderson). The program's purpose is to disseminate strategies for cervical cancer prevention and is structured around the three pillars of the World Health Organization's (WHO) Cervical Cancer Elimination Strategy and the associated 90-70-90 target goals. The target audience includes health authorities from Latin American and Caribbean countries, as well as PAHO's non-communicable disease Focal Points in country offices as well as clinical and public health collaborators. The virtual sessions are held in Spanish for 1.5 hours every month using the ECHO® format. From May 2020 to June 2021, 14 ECHO sessions were held with an average of 74 participants per session (range: 46 -- 142). We conducted two anonymous surveys (baseline and follow up) and two focus groups. Respondents stated that the topics they learned the most about included the state of HPV vaccination in the region and strategies for implementing HPV vaccination. Identified needs included support between ECHO sessions and country-specific technical assistance. The ECHO-ELA program provides a forum for increased collaboration between countries in Latin America/ Caribbean and the dissemination of best-practice strategies to reach the WHO Cervical Cancer Elimination target goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

O Ministério da Saúde tem como meta a prevenção da mortalidade materna por câncer cervical através de um programa de rastreamento com o testede Papanicolaou, visando a detecção precoce da doença – prevenção secundária e o tratamento adequado das lesões. Já é demonstrado na literaturaque a citologia oncótica tem alta especificidade, mas baixa sensibilidade, não se mostrando um teste de rastreamento efetivo para uma doença de altaprevalência, como é o caso da infecção por HPV e sua maior consequência, o câncer cervical, aqui no Brasil. Testes de rastreio mais sensíveis e debaixo custo como a Inspeção Visual com Ácido acético – IVA e a cervicografia estão sendo propostos como coadjuvantes à citologia oncótica. Nocaso aqui descrito fica reforçada a importância do uso destes testes coadjuvantes, além de condutas diagnósticas e terapêuticas mais efetivas para oscasos detectados.

The present study is a randomised pilot study that evaluated a culturally tailored video promoting information about cervical cancer (CC), developed with Amazonian women in treatment for CC. The sample included 63 patients in treatment for CC who were randomly assigned to three groups of 21 patients. The experimental group watched an informative video about CC. The active control group watched a video on healthy habits and the passive control group received no intervention. The groups were compared in terms of change in knowledge and illness perceptions, over time. The results showed that the experimental group was the only one with a significant increase in knowledge (β =.166; p =.03) that was not maintained over time (β = –.195; p =.04). Threatening illness perceptions about the disease increased in all groups over time (β =.105; p =.001). Future studies should replicate the results testing the efficacy of an audiovisual strategy in a larger sample, in health services that serve populations with similar social and cultural characteristics. This study emphasises the importance of interprofessional oncology teams providing clear information regarding CC, during all stages of the disease, and patients' treatment. What is already known on this subject? Latin American countries, such as Brazil, the low coverage of screening for CC can be related to the low education of women and their difficulty of access to health care. Hence, educational interventions may be a good strategy to reinforce the importance of screening and increase knowledge about illness prevention and treatment. What the results of this study add? An audiovisual informational intervention on CC was developed, addressing prevention, causes, control, consequences and treatment while respecting the patients' cultural and social reality through an approach that is simple and easy to understand. The group that watched the informative video was the only one that increased knowledge, revealing that it was a good CC informational strategy. What are the implications of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research? This study confirmed the importance of developing informational and educational strategies that are appropriate to patients' social and cultural reality. The video is now available to health teams in primary, secondary and tertiary care units, as a strategy for health promotion and CC prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the role of statistical modeling in the production of sound epidemiological objects in a context in which data are perceived as fragile and precarious. It analyzes the use of Markov chain modeling in the evaluation of cost-effectiveness of HPV vaccines in Colombia. Markov chain modeling has an important role in producing a "national" cohort of women in which it is possible to test the "virtual" effectiveness of HPV vaccines, transforming information that comes from international literature into national and local data. This modeling device plays a key role in the datafication of cervical cancer and HPV vaccination. The datafication of disease and populations allows connecting the calculative domains of epidemiology and economic valuation. Drawing on studies on data production, statistics and modeling I examine the role of statistics and data dynamics in the making of HPV vaccination as a public health matter. This paper offers a juxtaposition of two analytical domains entangled by the Markov chain. On the one hand, it presents an analysis of a set of technoscientific practices showing where and how a statistical enumerated entity that purports to represent cervical cancer becomes a socio-politically agential entity in the institutional life of the State. On the other, the paper discusses how social difference is left out the model. The exclusion of social difference from data production is coherent with the socio-political workings of Colombian healthcare and vaccination policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On the 2nd of December 2003, in the Official Journal of the European Union it was published the “Council Recommendation on cancer screening” which had issued recommendations, setting out principles of best practice in the early detection of cancer. The recommendations called on all EU countries to take a common action to implement national, population-based screening pro-grams for breast, cervical and colorectal cancer, as an in te gral part of the Community Agreement duties in or der to complete the national policies, with the aim to im prove the public health. A first report, published in 2008, showed that, despite the documented progress, the mem ber states had fallen short of the established target set for the minimum number of examinations by more than 50%. The second report, consisting in the European Coun cil’s recommendations implementation concerning can cer screening, was elaborated and published in 2017, with the attendance of 28 member states. In a subsequent re port regarding the European Council’s recommendations im-ple men ta tion status, Romania appears in the minority of EU member states that do not have yet organized po pu la-tion-screening programs for breast cancer and colorectal can cer. In 2020, Romania declared a 0.2% coverage rate of breast examination, an inviting rate of 0.2%, and an 82% participation rate for breast cancer screening. Re gar ding cervical cancer screening, the coverage rate is 9.2%, the inviting rate is 65% and the participation rate is 14.2%. The general intent of European Union’s plan to com bat can cer subsides in the prevention, detection and treat-ment improvement, as well as cancer management in the EU, reducing health inequalities between and inside the member states. The technical support offered to the mem ber states could contribute to the increase of screening rates, while guides and structural support could contribute to assuring a comparably high health system quality in all Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) of the cervix involve dysplastic change, or abnormal cell maturation and their progression can result in cervical carcinoma. Some studies have reported the importance of the immune system in the process of tumor progression. Therefore, it is important to characterize the inflammatory infiltration as a possible marker of prognosis. Aim: to analyze density of the inflammatory infiltrate in different degrees of SIL and in cervical cancer to understand local and systemic changes in the interactions between HPV associated cervical lesions and the immune system. Methods: one hundred and eight (108) cervical biopsy specimens were obtained from patients treated at the tertiary hospital and were stratified into four groups: Low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL), High-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL), cervical cancer (CC) and negative for intraepithelial lesion and malignancy (NILM). Histomorphometric analysis was performed from the identification and quantification of inflammatory cells in ten (10) fields per sample in images captured by a digital system and analyzed using the software Leica Qwin Pro V 3.5.1, Leica Microsystems Ltd. Differences between groups were evaluated by Anova followed by Tukey test. Tests yielding p values < 0.05 were considered significant. Results: we found a significant increase in the average number of lymphocytes (cells/mm² and cells/field) in samples of CC in relation to the other groups. No statistical difference was observed in relation to neutrophils, plasma cells and eosinophils. Conclusion: cervical cancer specimens had significantly more lymphocytes than NILM, or LSIL and HSIL, suggesting that this cell type plays a central role in cellular immunity against cervical carcinoma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast and cervical neoplasm continue to represent a major public health issue in Romania, with significant differences between Romania and the European Union, as well as within Romania. In addition to the conceptual errors, we tried to identify the functional determinants of screening failure in Romania. The national program should be reshaped, focusing on the rural population, ensuring the population-based character of screening, using individual invitations through the screening register or database that must be connected to the population record database, with a fixed date of the appointment included in the invitation and a continuum of services for positive cases. The optimal solution should be to set up regional screening centers with financial autonomy, with dedicated financial resources from European funds and funds from national programs of the Ministry of Health and the Health Insurance House, with dedicated staff, well-individualized locations, with equipment intended exclusively for the conduct of screening programs, based on standardized procedures of medical practice guidelines and mechanisms that ensure quality in accordance with European guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colposcopies are diagnostic procedures conducted to detect precancerous and cancerous lesions on the cervix and are often done as a sequelae of histological abnormalities found on cervical screening exams, such as precancerous abnormalities, positive human papillomavirus (HPV) results, or a past medical history of cervical dysplasia. Colposcopies, while often necessary to ensure the health of the patient, can induce a lot of anxiety and distress in the time leading up to the procedure, often due to fear of the procedure itself, anticipation of pain, as well as fear regarding the results of the colposcopy. Experiencing physical pain and discomfort during gynecological procedures can negatively influence a woman's willingness to comply with future medical appointments, often exacerbating feelings of anxiety and distress. A systematic search was conducted to identify the relevant articles published within the last 10 years pertaining to pain management in colposcopy procedures. The search strategy aimed to identify studies involving the utilization of anesthesia or analgesics for pain management or prevention during colposcopy, with a focus on randomized controlled trials. This systematic review aims to review the existing literature on the use of anesthetics in colposcopy and its effect on patient outcomes, investigating the current strategies of anesthesia use in the setting of a colposcopy, as well as their efficacy in improving pain., Competing Interests: Conflicts of interest: In compliance with the ICMJE uniform disclosure form, all authors declare the following: Payment/services info: All authors have declared that no financial support was received from any organization for the submitted work. Financial relationships: All authors have declared that they have no financial relationships at present or within the previous three years with any organizations that might have an interest in the submitted work. Other relationships: All authors have declared that there are no other relationships or activities that could appear to have influenced the submitted work., (Copyright © 2024, Akel et al.)

Resumo Introdução O câncer cervical é uma neoplasia maligna que atinge milhares de mulheres, e a estratégia de prevenção considerada mais efetiva para essa doença é por meio Papanicolaou. Objetivo: o objetivo deste artigo é compreender os sentidos do Papanicolaou para um grupo de mulheres que realizou a prevenção do câncer cervical. Método Trata-se de uma pesquisa qualitativa, com abordagem etnográfica, com nove mulheres em idade reprodutiva, moradoras do Jardim Keralux, localizado na zona leste da cidade de São Paulo. A escolha desse local deveu-se ao fato de que é um bairro cuja população é considerada vulnerável para o acesso das redes de prevenção ao câncer de colo do útero. Foi realizada uma análise de conteúdo das entrevistas. Resultados O Papanicolaou é carregado de significados que deslizam entre os planos físico e moral da vida desse grupo de mulheres. O Papanicolaou torna visível não só a doença no interior do corpo feminino, reforçando a crença nas possibilidades de tratamento e cura, mas também o leque de relações nas quais as mulheres estão envolvidas, particularmente as de gênero do contexto sociocultural. Conclusão O Papanicolaou passa a fazer parte do cuidado à saúde desse grupo de mulheres, reforçando suas crenças na prevenção do câncer cervical.

Las lesiones de cérvix se han asociado a infección por Virus Papiloma Humano (VPH). 300 mujeres mayores de quince años que acudieron al Hospital Universitario de Los Andes (HULA), fueron estudiadas para identificar lesiones, detectar y tipificar VPH, y determinar factores asociados. Se realizó citología, colposcopia, cepillados cervicales utilizando (DNA collection device Digene®) y biopsias en los casos pertinentes. Se aisló el ADN mediante (QIAamp DNA Mini Kit QIAGEN®), siendo cuantificado y almacenado a -20 ºC. Se detectó VPH por Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa (PCR) de regiones L1 y E6/E7. La genotipificación por PCR anidada múltiple E6/E7, C. trachomatis se detectó por PCR. El VPH se detectó en 35 % (105) muestras, 88,46 % (92/105) fueron positivas para al menos uno de los genotipos evaluados. VPHAR se encontraron en 97,82 %, (90/92), VPH18 en 82 % (74/90), VPH16 en 44 % (40/90). 56,52 % (52/92) correspondieron a infecciones múltiples, VPH18/16 (20/52) fue la más frecuente. C. trachomatis se detectó en 9 % (27/300) pacientes. La citología mostró cambios sugestivos de infección en solo 16,35 % de las pacientes VPH positivas. 17/18 biopsias sugirieron infección viral y fueron positivas para VPH AR por biología molecular (94,44 %). La colposcopia sugirió infección viral en 46,15 %. El 66,34 % de pacientes fueron menores de 35 años. Se encontró relación estadísticamente no significativa entre infección por VPH, número de parejas sexuales, coinfección con C. trachomatis y hábito tabáquico. Estos resultados muestran elevada frecuencia de infección por VPH AR, asociada a factores epidemiológicos, cuyo diagnóstico certero y tratamiento oportuno son claves en la prevención de su transmisión y del desarrollo de lesiones en cérvix.

Cervical cancer is formed in the cells that line the cervix and the lower part of uterus. Due to the cost and low reasons and low supply of services for the detection of this type of cancer many women do not have access to an early an accurate diagnosis. With the purpose of solving this issue ir was created a certain method that helps us to automatically classify the different types of cervical cancer, such as mild type 1 and 2, and aggressive (type 3), using digital image processing techniques and deep learning. We have a built a computational model based on convolutional neural networks, transfer learning and data increase, which help us obtain a classification accuracy up to 97.35% on the validation data, thus, we can ensure the reliability of the results. With this work it was demonstrated that the proposed design can be used as a complement to improve the tools of the assisted diagnosis of cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases and is incriminated in a large proportion of cervical, oral and other genital cancers. HPV vaccination was first introduced in 2004 in women, but recently there have been debates about extending the vaccination programme to men. Objective. To measure the knowledge and awareness of human papillomavirus infection among young adults. Subjects and method. The participants are medical students, selected from a larger sample, who completed an anonymous web-based survey measuring awareness and knowledge of HPV infection. The subsample contains 169 students in the age range 18-20 years old, with 32.5% men, who had fully completed the survey. Results. Overall, 70.4% of the sample had heard about HPV before. The awareness of HPV was similar between women (74.6%) and men (61.8%) (p=0.089), but was higher with seniority in medical studies (p=0.020). Among those who had heard about HPV before, while only 4.2% had been HPV vaccinated, 71% knew that the prevention of cervical cancer was possible through HPV vaccination. The highest knowledge score was 18 (out of 23), with a median of 11. The most missed answers were related to questions regarding the types of HPV included in the tetravalent vaccine (12/119 correct answers), and other types of cancer where HPV is incriminated (18/119 correct answers). Conclusions. Our survey indicates that medical students have poor knowledge of HPV and low HPV vaccination rates. These have important implications in prevention strategy. Increasing knowledge about the implications of HPV infection may encourage primary and secondary cervical cancer prevention programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

De acuerdo a la historia natural del cáncer del cuello uterino, en donde las lesiones preneoplásicas de bajo y alto grado pueden presentar fenómenos de regresión o progresión, existe gran interés en la búsqueda de biomarcadores que permita predecir la evolución de las lesiones preneoplásicas del cérvix hacia la progresión o regresión de la enfermedad. Estos biomarcadores pudieran ser de origen genético, o epigenético que alteren la expresión de los genes y que pudieran estar asociados con la carcinogénesis en diferentes tipos de tejido humano. El objetivo del estudio fue analizar la expresión del mARN de los genes SFRP1, PTPRN, CDO1, EDNRB, CDX2, EPB41L3 y HAND1 en muestras negativas para lesiones intraepiteliales cervicales (n=9), muestras con lesiones intraepiteliales de bajo grado (n=10) y alto grado (n=11). Se realizó análisis de expresión de los genes mencionados mediante qRT-PCR y el análisis de los datos se realizó mediante la prueba no paramétrica de ANOVA. La diferencia estadística se determinó en valores p< 0,05. Para los genes EDNRB y CDX2 se observó disminución 66,7% en las muestras sin alteraciones histológicas cervicales, comparado con una disminución en la expresión del 50% en muestras con LIEBG y para el grupo de LIEAG del 36,4% para el gen EDNRB y del 27,3% para el gen CDX2 dando una diferencia estadísticamente significativa p= 0,02. Sugiriendo que EDNRB y CDX2 podrían ser útiles como posibles biomarcadores en la carcinogénesis cervical.

E6 oncogene of the high-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) 16 was found to bind to and inhibit IRF3 (Interferon regulatory factor 3) that is involved in the regulation of innate immune response. On the other hand, IRF members are suggested to be modulated by epigenetic mechanisms. The aim of this study was to evaluate the methylation status of IRF3 gene promoter and IRF3 and IFN-β expression levels in hrHPV cervical lesions and cancer. Materials and methods: Cervical hrHPV positive and negative (control) samples were selected from the department biobank. Nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) were isolated from cervical specimens and cDNA synthesis was performed. Unmethylated C residue conversion was done via bisulfite treatment and direct quantitative methylation-specific PCR of genomic DNA was used to assess the degree of methylation of the samples. Expression levels of IRF3 and IFN-β were quantified by qRT-PCR using β-actin gene as reference. Statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism 6.0. Results: Compared with the control group, a significant increase of IRF3 promoter methylation was noted in all hrHPV positive samples (p = 0.0026). However, except a single SCC (Squamous Cervical Cancer) case, no hypermethylation of the IRF3 gene promoter is noted in any group. Moreover, IRF3 expression levels were found increased in precursor lesions and cervical cancer groups, the SCC group showing the highest expression levels. In LGSIL (Low Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion) group a significantly negative correlation between IFN-β expression level and IRF3 promoter methylation was found (r = -0.8929; p = 0.0123). No significant differences in IRF3 and IFN-β expression levels were observed when samples were stratified by HPV type (HPV16 vs other hrHPV). Conclusions: Obtained data suggest that hrHPV infection might contribute to IRF3 promoter methylation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the acceptability and safety of thermal ablation (TA) for the treatment of precancerous cervical lesions in women in Honduras.Methods: Human papillomavirus (HPV) and visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) screen-positive eligible women received TA. After treatment, women rated the level of pain experienced during treatment using the Wong-Baker FACES® pain-rating scale from 0 to 10. Short-term safety outcomes that could require medical attention were assessed one month after treatment.Results: A total of 319 women received TA treatment. The average pain rating was 2.5 (95% CI: 2.3-2.8), and 85% rated their pain levels as less than 6. No significant differences in low (below 6) or high (6 and above) pain were found by age or number of biopsies performed, but there was a significant difference by the number of TA applications (P < 0.01). When asked if they would recommend this treatment, all women said they would. At the one-month follow-up visit, the most common reported discomforts were bleeding (10%) and cramping (8.4%); 11 women reported severe lower abdominal pain, and none required medical attention.Conclusions: TA is safe and acceptable to patients as a treatment option for precancerous cervical lesions in low-resource settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Española de Quimioterapia is the property of Sociedad Espanola de Quimioterapia and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revista de la Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales is the property of Academia Colombiana de Ciencias Exactas, Fisicas y Naturales and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Cervical Cancer (CC) is the second cause of death in Mexico. Infection with the Human Papilloma Virus is a necessary condition during the carcinogenesis process. One of the characteristics of CC is that it presents an altered metabolism; cells tend to more efficiently capture glucose and increase glycolysis. Aberrant glycosylation is a hallmark of cancer, which reflects changes, such as the altered expression of glucosyltransferases and glucosidases. Therefore, the objective of the present work was to describe the expression pattern of CD43, pyruvate kinase II, and hexokinase II in healthy cervical tissue, tissue with CC and in CC cell lines. At this point, we find a higher expression of proteins when compared with healthy tissues. However, there would still be a lack of studies to show if they could be used as a prognostic factor for patients with epidermoid CaCu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following the success of the highly active antiretroviral therapy, the potential of multidrug combination regimen for the management of cancer is intensely researched. The anticancer effects of curcumin on some human cell lines have been documented. Lopinavir is a FDA approved protease inhibitor with known apoptotic activities. Dysregulated apoptosis is important for the initiation of cancer while angiogenesis is required for cancer growth and development, this study therefore investigated the effects of the combination of lopinavir and curcumin on cell viability, apoptosis and the mRNA expression levels of key apoptotic and angiogenic genes; BAX, BCL2 and VEGF165b in two human cervical cell lines; human squamous cell carcinoma cells - uterine cervix (HCS-2) and transformed normal human cervical cells (NCE16IIA). The two human cervical cell lines were treated with physiologically relevant concentrations of the agents for 120 h following which BAX, BCL2 and VEGF165b mRNA expression were determined by Real Time qPCR. The Acridine Orange staining for the morphological evaluation of apoptotic cells was also performed. The combination of lopinavir and curcumin up-regulated pro-apoptotic BAX and antiangiogenic VEGF165b but down-regulated the mRNA levels of anti-apoptotic BCL2 mRNA in the human squamous cell carcinoma (HCS-2) cells only. The fold changes were statistically significant. Micrographs from Acridine Orange staining showed characteristic evidence of apoptosis in the human squamous cell carcinoma (HCS-2) cells only. The findings reported here suggest that the combination of curcumin and the FDA approved drug-lopinavir modulate the apoptotic and angiogenic pathway towards the inhibition of cervical cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A infecção por um ou mais tipos de Papilomavírus Humano de alto risco oncogênico (HR-HPV) tem sido relacionada à alta predisposição de desenvolver câncer de colo do útero. O objetivo do presente estudo foi determinar a frequência de quatro tipos HR-HPVs (16, 18, 31 e 33) em mulheres assintomáticas do Agreste e Sertão Pernambucano e avaliar a predisposição de outros fatores de risco associados com a infecção. Foram coletadas amostras de secreção vaginal de mulheres atendidas no Programa de Saúde da Família - PSF da cidade de Serra Talhada-PE, no período de Janeiro a Dezembro de 2014. A detecção do DNA do HPV na secreção vaginal foi realizada usando a técnica de PCR convencional. Os dados clínicos, sociodemográficos e hábitos de vida foram coletados através de um questionário padrão. As análises estatísticas foram realizadas com o auxílio do software Bioestat 5.0. Das 302 mulheres avaliadas, 99,7% não possuíam anormalidades citológicas e 32,6% apresentaram infecção por um dos quatro tipos virais do HPV pesquisados, com maior prevalência para o HPV 31 (26,8%), seguido dos 33 (21,6%), 18 (6,2%) e 16 (4,1%). Desta forma, podemos concluir que mulheres infectadas por HR-HPV e assintomáticas podem estar predispostas ao desenvolvimento de lesões cervicais.

Prevention plays a central role in early detection of cervical cancer. Common Sense Model proposes that the nature and organization of illness representations can guide actions related to health and how self-care is exercised. The aim of this study was to describe and compare illness perception, knowledge and self-care in women with and without cancer precursor lesions. Participants were 92 women (aged 18-59) from primary care unity divided into two groups: women with and without premalignant lesion. Measures for illness perception, knowledge and self-care were used. There was no statistically significant difference (t test e chi-square test) between groups in the variables analyzed. Despite the risk for cervical cancer, women with precursor lesions do not adjust their illness perceptions, knowledge and self-care to the situation. These data show the need to warn women against the cervical cancer risks, because their distorted perceptions and lack of knowledge about the disease may hamper the screening and control of cervical cancer.

In Europe, cervical cancer is the second most common type of cancer, after breast cancer, in women between 15 and 44 years old. The mortality of cervical cancer in Romania is the most important among European countries. The primary cause of cervical cancer is a persistent infection by some specific types of human papillomavirus (HPV). Cervical cancer can be prevented by vaccination against HPV infection and screening. Since 2007, many countries have introduced HPV vaccines into their national programs. Despite the efforts made, the vaccine coverage is low, and the difficulties encountered are related to concerns about vaccine safety. Many studies have demonstrated the safety of the HPV vaccine, both in pre-licensing studies and in studies conducted around 10 years after introduction into national immunization programs. Today, by vaccination with the nonavalent HPV vaccine, we can talk about the prevention of genital cancers in women and men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: In a previous article, follow-up was given to the reports of patients who went to different centers to take cervico-vaginal cytologies; in this one it is about observing the behavior of two groups whose samples were taken in different places, processed and read in the same laboratory by the same professional. OBJECTIVE: To review the frequency of morphological abnormalities in cervico-vaginal cytologies, in a particular laboratory, taking into account only the quantity, read by the same pathologist and compare their behavior, for four years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective, cross-sectional and comparative study based on the review of the cytologies studied between January 2014 and December 2017 received from the Liga de Lucha Contra el Cáncer de Ocaña. The cytologies were compared with samples from consulting rooms of specialists and institutions of Bucaramanga and neighboring communities; they were stained and read in the private laboratory by the same pathologist. RESULTS: In the previous article, 66,830 cervico-vaginal cytologies were reviewed and in the current 58,922, an amount that constitutes a representative sample to estimate reliable frequency rates. The percentage of abnormality in both jobs was variable. The previous one had a minimum of less than 1% and a maximum of 6.7% that tends to stabilize around 2%, with a slight tendency to increase and in this the fluctuation is towards the decrease, after obtaining very high figures: 10.3 to 8.7% in samples of the particular laboratory and more accentuated: 5.4 to 2.5% in those of the Liga de Lucha Contra el Cáncer de Ocaña. CONCLUSIONS: The results of the reading of 58,922 cervico-vaginal cytologies taken over a period of four years showed an increase in the number of abnormalities compared with other previous studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The superiority of liquid-based cytology over conventional cervical cytology has been controversial, however, one of its advantages is the application of molecular biology tests. OBJECTIVE: To describes the experience of liquid-based cytology after a positive HPV test (reflex liquid-based cytology) in a cytology laboratory of the Cervical Cancer Prevention and Control Program in Mexico. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive study was carried out where the database of the Cytology Laboratory of the General Hospital of León was analyzed. The following variables were collected: age, HPV test, cytological interpretation and histopathological diagnosis. RESULTS: Of 6,564 HPV tests, 919 (14%) were positive for high-risk human papilloma virus, of which 284 (30.1%) had some abnormality of squamous or glandular epithelial cells. The total number of interpretations of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion and to a greater degree were 51, of which 14 (27.4%) were positive for virus type 16, 9 (17.6%) for virus type 18 and 28 (55%) for pool of high risk. Of the 284 positive cases, only 33 (11.6%) biopsies were found. The positive predictive value of the reflex liquid-based cytology to detect any cellular abnormality was 90.1%. CONCLUSION: We consider that the reflex liquid-based cytology is a useful and reliable tool for the Program of Prevention and Control of Cervical Cancer in Mexico. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Resumen Objetivo La tomografía por emisión de positrones con 18-flúor-2-desoxi-D-glucosa (18F-FDG PET/TC) es considerada el método de imagen más preciso para la detección de las metástasis ganglionares o a distancia en el cáncer cervical. El volumen metabólico tumoral (VMT) y la glucólisis tumoral total (GTT) de 18F-FDG PET/TC constituyen mediciones volumétricas de las células tumorales, con captación incrementada de 18F-FDG. Se evaluó el valor pronóstico de VMT y GTT en pacientes con cáncer cervical avanzado (CCA). Métodos A 38 pacientes con CCA de un hospital universitario terciario se les realizó 18F-FDG PET/TC entre junio de 2009 y diciembre de 2015. Se analizaron diversos factores clínico-patológicos y parámetros de PET, para evaluar su relación con la supervivencia libre de progresión (SLP) y la supervivencia global (SG). Dichos parámetros fueron: valor estandarizado de captación máximo (SUVmáx), valor estandarizado de captación medio (SUVmedio), VMT y GTT del tumor primario, los ganglios pélvicos, los ganglios paraaórticos y el volumen metabólico metastásico, de existir. Resultados Un total de 38 pacientes con CCA cumplieron los criterios de inclusión. A todos ellos se les realizó 18F-FDG PET/TC con anterioridad a la quimiorradioterapia definitiva. En los análisis univariantes el tamaño tumoral mayor, las metástasis de los ganglios pélvicos, el VMT y la GTT reflejaron una asociación significativa con la SLP y la SG (el VMT HR = 1,55, p = 0,011 y la GTT HR = 1,43, p = 0,017 para la SLP; y el VMT HR = 1,82, p = 0,006 y la GTT HR = 1,67, p = 0,007 para la SG). Conclusión La suma de GTT y la suma de VMT pretratamiento parecen ser un factor pronóstico independiente para la SG y la SLP en pacientes con CCA tratados mediante quimiorradioterapia definitiva, y reflejan una medición mejor que la clásica de SUVmáx. Abstract Aim 18-Fluoro-2-deoxy- d -glucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET/CT) is considered to be the most accurate image method of detection of node or distant metastases in cervical cancer. Metabolic tumor volume (MTV) and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) of 18F-FDG PET/CT are volumetric measurements of tumor cells with increased 18F-FDG uptake. The prognostic value of MTV and TLG in patients with advanced cervical cancer (ACC) were evaluated. Methods 38 patients with ACC from one tertiary university hospital underwent 18F-FDG PET/CT between June 2009 and December 2015. Clinicopathologic factors and various PET parameters were analyzed to evaluate their relationship with recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS). These parameters were: maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax), mean standardized uptake value (SUV mean), metabolic tumor volume (MTV), and total lesion glycolysis (TLG) of the primary tumor, of the pelvic nodes, of the paraaortic nodes and the metabolic volume of the metastases if any. Results A total of 38 patients with ACC fulfilled the inclusion criteria. All of them underwent a 18F-FDG PET/CT before definitive chemoradiotherapy. In the univariate analyses higher tumor size, pelvic lymph node metastasis and both MTV and TLG showed a significant association with OS and with RFS (MTV HR = 1.55, p = 0.011 and TLG HR = 1.43, p = 0.017 for RFS and MTV HR = 1.82, p = 0.006 and TLG HR = 1.67, p = 0.007 for OS). Conclusion Pretreatment TLG sum and MTV sum seem to be independent prognostic factors for OS and RFS in patients with advanced cervical cancer treated with definitive chemoradiotherapy and they are better than the classic measurement of SUVmax. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: patients with cervical cancer (CC) receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy have several gastrointestinal adverse effects.Objective: to evaluate the effect of dietary symbiotic supplementation on fecal calprotectin (FCP), bacterial DNA levels, and gastrointestinal adverse effects in patients with CC.Methods: clinical, controlled, randomized, double-blind trial. Patients consumed symbiotics or placebo three times a day for seven weeks. FCP was assessed by Elisa method. DNA from probiotic and pathogenic bacteria were determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Diarrheal evacuations were evaluated with the Bristol stool form scale and nausea and vomiting were measured using the scale of the National Institute of Cancerology of the United States.Results: after a seven-week treatment, FCP concentration was lower in the symbiotic group compared to the control group (p < 0.001). Stool consistency in the placebo and symbiotic groups was similar at baseline. A significant improvement in stool consistency was obtained in both groups at the end of the intervention (p < 0.001). The concentrations and total proportions of the probiotic and pathogenic bacteria were similar in both groups. Nausea significantly diminished in both groups (p < 0.001) at the end of the trial. Furthermore, the symbiotic group had a statistically significant decrease in the frequency and intensity of vomiting when compared to the control group (p < 0.001).Conclusions: the symbiotic treatment decreases significantly the FCP levels and the frequency and intensity of vomiting in patients with CC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This paper discusses the knowledge and medical practices relating to cervical cancer in Brazil. It analyses the growing medical interest in the disease at the beginning of the twentieth century, the development of prevention techniques in the 1940s, and the emergence of screening programs in the 1960s. It argues that the development of knowledge on cervical cancer was related simultaneously to a number of factors: transformations in medical knowledge, the development of the idea that the disease should be treated as a public health problem, the increased concerns with women's health, and major changes to the Brazilian healthcare system. The article concludes by identifying a number of issues that are still proving to be obstacles to control of the disease.

Introduction: Cervical cancer is one of the most common diseases among women, and cause considerable morbidity and mortality. Considering that cervical cancer is an important neoplasia in northeastern Brazil, and the prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is directly associated with it, this work had aimed to correlate the cytological and/or colposcopic findings with HPV infection status, and verify the performance of MY09/MY11 and GP5+/6+ primers for HPV detection. Material and method: Patients in this study were from Penedo-AL, a city with high level of poverty (poverty rate of 60.62%). Out of 70 patients with cytological and/or colposcopic changes, 32 agreed to participate in the study. Results: Regarding cytology, 21 (30%) patients presented atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US); 20 (29%), atypical glandular cells of undetermined significance (AGUS); 12 (17%), low-grade intraepithelial lesion (LSIL); five (7%), high-grade intraepithelial lesion (HSIL); and 12 (17%), positive colposcopy. From these, 27 (84%) presented the band gene encoding for human ß-globin. From the 27 patients, eight (30%) were positive for HPV. The results showed that the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) of HPV was detected in 15% and 30% by using MY-PCR and GP +-PCR, respectively. Conclusion: This study suggests that more than one type of oligonucleotide primer should be used in clinical samples to increase sensitivity for the detection of HPV.

Objetivo: evaluar el grado de reproducibilidad en la lectura de placas de citología cérvico-uterina entre cuatro centros de lectura especializados de la ciudad de Medellín, Colombia. Metodología: 181 placas de citología cérvico-uterina provenientes de un estudio de prevalencia de anormalidades citológicas en Pueblorrico, Antioquia, se sometieron a lectura en cuatro centros especializados de Medellín. Se le pidió a cada centro que realizara una lectura rutinaria manteniendo el estudio en ciego por medio de recodificación de las placas, evitando que se filtrara información entre centros. Se calculó la concordancia general y el índice kappa de Fleiss. Resultados: de las 181 placas, sólo en 55 placas los 4 centros concordaron en el resultado, obteniéndose un porcentaje de concordancia global del 30% y un índice kappa global de 0,31. Según la escala de Fleiss, se observó una baja reproducibilidad en la lectura de las placas citológicas entre los cuatro centros involucrados en el estudio. La concordancia por pares de centros presentó índices de kappa entre 0,3 a 0,7. Discusión: existe una alta variabilidad en la interpretación de los resultados citológicos entre los centros estudiados. Es necesario implementar procesos de entrenamiento y unificación de criterios de lecturas de la citología cervical en nuestro medio Objective: to assess the degree of reproducibility in the reading of cervical cytology smears among four specialized reading centers at Medellin, Colombia. Methodology: 181 cervical cytology smears from a study on the prevalence of cytological abnormalities in Pueblorrico, a town located in the southwestern region of the state of Antioquia in Colombia, were re-read by four specialized centers in Medellin. Each center was asked to conduct a blind routine reading of the smears to avoid disclosure of information between centers. The reproducibility was measured by percentage agreement and kappa. Results: of 181 smears only 55 matched across all 4 centers, with an overall concordance rate of 30% and an overall kappa of 0.31. According to Fleiss scale, poor reproducibility was observed. The concordance between pairs of centers ranged between 0.3 y 0.7. Discussion: there is a high variability in the interpretation of cytological results among centers in Medellin. It is necessary to implement training processes and to unify readings for cervical cytology criteria. -

Objectives. The purpose of this paper is to reassess the outcome of women diagnosed during pregnancy with high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN 2/3) who benefited from a cervical excisional procedure in order to avoid the progression of the lesions towards invasive cervical cancer. We will also review the latest data from literature regarding the well-known complications of this type of treatment. Materials and methods. We will discuss the results of recent studies which question the present recommendations regarding CIN 2/3 management in early gestation and also the prognostic variables of cervical cancer diagnosed shortly after birth. We will report two clinical cases from our recent experience on this topic: the case of a 33-year-old patient in which the cervical citology result at pregnancy admission was HSIL and, respectively, the case of a 30-year-old patient in which the diagnosis of invasive cervical cancer was established at six months after birth. Results. The rate of spontaneous regression of CIN 2/3 appears to be lower than previously thought (especially in patients over 25 years old) and the rate of progression to cervical cancer varies between 2.7% and 9.7%. In addition, patients diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer in the postpartum period have worse survival rates than those diagnosed during pregnancy and are at higher risk of recurrent disease (particularly if they delivered vaginally). Conclusions. The delay in early diagnosis of a cervical lesion which is potentially curable can lead to invasive neoplasia, for which the therapeutic management is more complex. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of West Indian Medical Journal is the property of West Indian Medical Journal (WIMJ) and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Médicas UIS is the property of Universidad Industrial de Santander and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Bilateral acute optic neuritis is a rare and challenging clinical presentation, often associated with conditions like multiple sclerosis or neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder. We present the case of a 40-year-old woman with a complex medical history, including poorly differentiated squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix (stage IIIC), who presented with a swift and profound bilateral vision loss. Despite initial treatment with high-dose methylprednisolone and therapeutic plasma exchange, her optic nerve enhancement on MRI and negative autoantibody results raised suspicion of paraneoplastic optic neuritis. This prompted consultation with oncology, and the patient initiated chemotherapy. The rapid onset and progression of bilateral optic neuritis in the context of cervical carcinoma emphasize the importance of considering paraneoplastic syndromes in such cases. A multidisciplinary approach involving neurology, ophthalmology, and oncology specialists is vital for the diagnosis and management of these complex presentations. This case underscores the need for heightened awareness of paraneoplastic etiologies in patients with malignancies and unexplained neurological symptoms., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Nadal Bosch et al.)

Introduction:  Cervical cancer is one of the fourth most common cancers in females. Although screening and early intervention are preventive and a part of national programs, cervical cancer is attributed to a large number of deaths due to late-stage presentation and late diagnosis. To better understand this phenomenon, this study analyzed the sociodemographic characteristics of cervical cancer patients and assessed their health-seeking behaviour., Methods:  This cross-sectional study included 230 cervical cancer patients from the cancer ward of a tertiary care hospital. Detailed information about the onset of symptoms and previous gynecological problems along with sociodemographic details were recorded., Results: Of the 230 cervical patients included, 70% were from rural areas and the majority presented at Stage III and IV. Additionally, 173 out of 230 patients previously had gynaecological problems, of which more than 50% did not initially seek any treatment. The common reasons for not seeking treatment were embarrassment, loss of daily wages, and the thought that it would heal by itself. The majority of those who took treatment went to traditional healers, and a Papanicolaou smear was not conducted on any patient., Conclusion:  Lack of awareness about the importance of screening programs along with the embarrassment of addressing any problems leads to unwillingness to access health care for cervical health., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2023, Priya et al.)