Development of mobile application for cervical cancer screening in women: Protocol of a multi-phase study

BACKGROUND

Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in women. It is considered preventable due to the possibility of screening. The common barriers to cervical cancer screening include lack of knowledge, lack of time, and wrong beliefs. The use of e-Health technologies is one of the approaches for health promotion. The present study is aimed to the development of a mobile application for cervical cancer screening in women.

MATERIALS AND METHOD

This is a multi-phase study. In the first step, a literature review will be conducted to examine factors related to cervical cancer screening and existing applications related to cervical cancer and its screening. Then, in the second step, a cross-sectional study will be conducted to investigate the factors related to cervical cancer screening in 246 women referred to comprehensive health centers and women's clinics in teaching hospitals in Isfahan, Iran. The comprehensive health centers and women's clinics in teaching hospitals will be randomly selected using a lottery method. Using convenience sampling, women who meet the inclusion criteria will be included in the study, provided they provide informed consent. The data will be collected using a questionnaire, and then the descriptive and inferential statistical tests and SPSS18 software will be used to analyze the data. In the third step, specialists (gynecologists, reproductive health specialists, and midwives) will prioritize the application content by filling out a questionnaire. Then, the research team will compile the application content draft, and this draft will be reviewed and approved by experts on the expert panel. The prototype of the application will be prepared, and experts will evaluate it in the fifth step.

DISCUSSION

The results of this study will result in the development of applications for cervical cancer screening. The use of mobile applications can be useful in lifting some of the barriers to screening. Therefore, developing such applications may help improve cervical cancer screening.

Uterine and Cervical Cancer in Iran: An epidemiologic analysis of the Iranian National Population-Based Cancer Registry

BACKGROUND

Gynecologic cancers, including neoplasms of the cervix and uterine, are the fourth most common malignancies, causing 3.46% of deaths in women aged 15 to 59.

OBJECTIVES

We aimed to report the Iranian National Population-based Cancer Registry (INPCR) results for Cervical and Uterine cancers in 2017.

METHODS

The total population of Iran in 2017 was 80881792. INPCR collected data on cervical and uterine cancer incidence from 31 provinces of Iran. In this project, we retrospectively examined all the country's regions in terms of screening for the existence of these two cancers. The registry data bank in Iran was used.

RESULTS

Overall, 3481 new cervical and uterine cancer cases were registered in INPCR, including 842 cases of cervical cancer (with a crude rate of 1.04) and 2639 cases of uterine cancer (with a crude rate of 3.26). The average age-standardized incidence rate (ASR) was 0.99 for cervical cancer and 3.29 for uterine cancer. Out of 3481 new cervical and uterine cancer cases, 2887 were registered with pathological findings and 594 without pathological confirmation. In cervical cancers, the highest rate was related to squamous cell carcinoma, with 486 cases (57.72%).

CONCLUSION

Our results showed that Iran is a low-risk area for the incidence of cervical and uterine cancers. In this study, the highest rate of cervical cancer was related to squamous cell carcinoma, confirming previous reports. However, this rate was lower than previous studies and suggested an increase in other types of cervical cancer in Iran.

Population-based cancer survival in the Golestan province in the northeastern part of Iran 2007-2012

OBJECTIVE

We studied 5-year relative survival (RS) for 14 leading cancer sites in the population-based cancer registry (PBCR) of Golestan province in the northeastern part of Iran.

METHODOLOGY

We followed patients diagnosed in 2007-2012 through data linkage with different databases, including the national causes of death registry and vital statistics office. We also followed the remaining patients through active contact. We used relative survival (RS) analysis to estimate 5-year age-standardized net survival for each cancer site. Multiple Imputation (MI) method was performed to obtain vital status for loss to follow-up (LTFU) cases.

RESULTS

We followed 6910 cancer patients from Golestan PBCR. However, 2162 patients were loss to follow-up. We found a higher RS in women (29.5%, 95% CI, 27.5, 31.7) than men (21.0%, 95% CI, 19.5, 22.5). The highest RS was observed for breast cancer in women (RS=49.8%, 95% CI, 42.2, 56.9) and colon cancer in men (RS=37.9%, 95% CI, 31.2, 44.6). Pancreatic cancer had the lowest RS both in men (RS= 8.7%, 95% CI, 4.1, 13.5) and women (RS= 7.9%, 95% CI, 5.0, 10.8) CONCLUSION: Although the 5-year cancer survival rates were relatively low in the Golestan province, there were distinct variations by cancer site. Further studies are required to evaluate the survival trends in Golestan province over time and compare them with the rates in the neighboring provinces and other countries in the region.

Cancer in Iran 2008 to 2025: Recent incidence trends and short-term predictions of the future burden

Policymakers require estimates of the future number of cancer patients in order to allocate finite resources to cancer prevention, treatment and palliative care. We examine recent cancer incidence trends in Iran and present predicted incidence rates and new cases for the entire country for the year 2025. We developed a method for approximating population-based incidence from the pathology-based data series available nationally for the years 2008 to 2013, and augmented this with data from the Iranian National Population-based Cancer Registry (INPCR) for the years 2014 to 2016. We fitted time-linear age-period models to the recent incidence trends to quantify the future cancer incidence burden to the year 2025, delineating the contribution of changes due to risk and those due to demographic change. The number of new cancer cases is predicted to increase in Iran from 112 000 recorded cases in 2016 to an estimated 160 000 in 2025, a 42.6% increase, of which 13.9% and 28.7% were attributed to changes in risk and population structure, respectively. In terms of specific cancers, the greatest increases in cases are predicted for thyroid (113.8%), prostate (66.7%), female breast (63.0%) and colorectal cancer (54.1%). Breast, colorectal and stomach cancers were the most common cancers in Iran in 2016 and are predicted to remain the leading cancers nationally in 2025. The increasing trends in incidence of most common cancers in Iran reinforce the need for the tailored design and implementation of effective national cancer control programs across the country.

Distribution of the most common types of HPV in Iranian women with and without cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is an important cause of death in women worldwide. About 99.7% of all cervical cancers have been related to human papillomavirus, especially types 16 and 18. Types 6 and 11 cause genital warts. We aimed to determine the prevalence of common HPV genotypes among women in the general population and women with cervical cancer. A total of 571 healthy women cytology specimens and 113 tissue samples of cervical cancer were investigated using HPV type-specific primers. HPV DNA was detected in 24% of healthy women: 3.3% were positive for high-risk HPV and 11.6% for low-risk HPV. HPV6 (9.3%) had the highest prevalence followed by HPV11 (2.3%), HPV16 (1.8%), HPV18 (1.2%), and 9.1% of samples were positive for unknown types. Among cervical cancer samples, HPV DNA was found in 78.8% including 43.4% HPV16, 8% HPV18, and 27.4% an unknown HPV type. HPV6 and HPV11 were not detected in any cervical cancer cases and 21.2% were negative for HPV. We found no association between HPV-16/18 and age in cervical cancer. The prevalence of HPV infection is relatively high in Iran without vaccination backgrounds. HPV DNA screening and vaccination programs can prevent cervical cancer and health problems caused by genital warts.

Comparison of Diagnostic Methods in Detection of Squamous Cell Abnormalities in Iranian Women with Abnormal Pap's Smear Test and Associated Demographic and Issues

Background & Objective

Premalignant lesions of cervix have increased dramatically in recent years. Early diagnosis and management of abnormalities have an effective role in preventing the invasion of the disease and also in timely treatment. This study aimed to compare diagnostic methods in the detection of squamous cell abnormalities with abnormal Pap smear test.

Methods

This cross-sectional study was performed on 1000 women with abnormal Pap smears in 2007-2018. Sampling was performed with simple method. All samples were subjected to an immediate assessment of colposcopy and histopathology if suspected. The checklist included demographic information as well as symptoms, cytopathology, colposcopy and histopathology findings. Data analysis was performed using descriptive and statistical analysis (P<0.05).

Results

A significant relationship between histopathology and Pap smear findings was found (P=0.009), also there was a significant correlation between histopathology and colposcopy findings (P=0.001). However, there was no significant relationship between clinical symptoms and histopathology findings (p=0.8). Sensitivity , specificity , positive and negative predictive value of Pap smear were 43%, 65.9%, 75.4%, 32.2% and of colposcopy were 74.7%, 39.5%, 75%, 39.1%, and of clinical symptoms were 72.6%, 28.1%, 71.1%, 29.7%, respectively.

Conclusion

Pap smear findings have the appropriate diagnostic accuracy in comparison with colposcopy and histopathology findings for screening and diagnosis of squamous intra-epithelial lesions. Also, there was higher sensitivity of colposcopy compared with Pap smear to detect cervical lesions. Therefore, it is advisable to use these methods simultaneously.

Cervical cancer in Iran: integrative insights of epidemiological analysis

Background: Cervical cancer is a common cancer among women around the world. Due to the geographical differences in incidence, mortality and risk factors of cervical cancer, it is necessary to conduct different studies in different countries. This review study is aimed to investigate the most important aspects of cervical cancer in Iran.

Methods: Reviewing papers without time limitation was conducted with the keywords cervical cancer, Cervix uteri cancer and Iran in their title or abstract. The databases of Medline, IranMedex, SID, ScienceDirect, Embase, Google Scholar, Web of Science, and Scopus were searched. The title and abstract of the papers were reviewed, in all, 51 full papers were reviewed.

Results: Based on published studies, the incidence of cervical cancer varies between different areas of Iran. The findings of this study demonstrated that there is a relationship between marital status, marriage age, and age of first pregnancy, smoking, and consumption of oral contraceptive pills, multiple sexual partners, family history, multiparty, and cervical cancer.

Conclusion: The results of this review showed that the incidence of cervical cancer in Iran is low; however, the risk factors associated with this cancer are not few, which could lead to the increase in the incidence of cervical cancer in the future.

Building cancer registries in a lower resource setting: The 10-year experience of Golestan, Northern Iran

INTRODUCTION

The Golestan population-based cancer registry (GPCR) was established in Golestan province, Northern Iran, within the Asian belt with predominance of upper-gastrointestinal cancers. We aimed to present the experiences of the registry in a resource-limited setting over the 10 years since its inception (2004-2013).

METHODS

The GPCR was established as a research project to enable sustainable funding. A clear plan was developed for use of the GPCR data. New primary cancers were registered based on international standards, indices of data quality were routinely assessed and age-standardized incidence rates (ASR) per 100,000 person-years calculated using IARC's CanReg-5 software.

RESULTS

Overall, 19807 new cancer cases were registered during the study period, an average of 1981 cases per annum, with overall ASR of 175.0 and 142.4 in males and females, respectively. The GPCR data suggested gastrointestinal and breast cancers as the most common malignancies in Golestan province. We observed increasing incidence rates of breast and colorectal cancers but declining trends of esophageal cancer. Overall, indices of data quality were within acceptable ranges.

CONCLUSIONS

The GPCR data have been included in IARC's Cancer Incidence in Five Continents series, were used in 21 research projects, and published as 30 research papers. The key ingredients for the successful establishment and maintenance of the GPCR included sustainable sources of funding, a clear action plan for the use of data as well as stakeholder cooperation across all areas of the registration. The GPCR may be considered as a model for planning population-based cancer registries in lesser-resourced settings.

Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Treatment and Survival: the Experience of Major Public Hospitals in South Australia Over Three Decades

BACKGROUND

Registry data from four major public hospitals indicate trends over three decades from 1980 to 2010 in treatment and survival from colorectal cancer with distant metastases at diagnosis (TNM stage IV).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Kaplan-Meier product-limit estimates and Cox proportional hazards models for investigating disease-specific survival and multiple logistic regression analyses for indicating first-round treatment trends.

RESULTS

Two-year survivals increased from 10% for 1980-84 to 35% for 2005-10 diagnoses. Corresponding increases in five-year survivals were from 3% to 16%. Time-to-event risk of colorectal cancer death approximately halved (hazards ratio: 0.48 (0.40, 0.59) after adjusting for demographic factors, tumour differentiation, and primary sub-site. Survivals were not found to differ by place of residence, suggesting reasonable equity in service provision. About 74% of cases were treated surgically and this proportion increased over time. Proportions having systemic therapy and/or radiotherapy increased from 12% in 1980-84 to 61% for 2005-10. Radiotherapy was more common for rectal than colonic cases (39% vs 7% in 2005-10). Of the cases diagnosed in 2005-10 when less than 70 years of age, the percentage having radiotherapy and/or systemic therapy was 79% for colorectal, 74% for colon and 86% for rectum (and RS)) cancers. Corresponding proportions having: systemic therapies were 75%, 71% and 81% respectively; radiotherapy were 24%, 10% and 46% respectively; and surgery were 75%, 78% and 71% respectively. Based on survey data on uptake of offered therapies, it is likely that of these younger cases, 85% would have been offered systemic treatment and among rectum (and RS) cases, about 63% would have been offered radiotherapy.

CONCLUSIONS

Pronounced increases in survivals from metastatic colorectal cancer have occurred, in keeping with improved systemic therapies and surgical interventions. Use of radiotherapy and/or systemic therapy has increased markedly and patterns of change accord with clinical guideline recommendations.

Colorectal cancer treatment and survival: the experience of major public hospitals in south Australia over three decades

BACKGROUND

Registry data from four major public hospitals indicate trends in clinical care and survival from colorectal cancer over three decades, from 1980 to 2010.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Kaplan-Meier product- limit estimates and Cox proportional hazards models were used to investigate disease-specific survival and multiple logistic regression analyses to explore first-round treatment trends.

RESULTS

Five-year survivals increased from 48% for 1980-1986 to 63% for 2005-2010 diagnoses. Survival increases applied to each ACPS stage (Australian Clinico-Pathological Stage), and particularly stage C (an increase from 38% to 68%). Risk of death from colorectal cancer halved (hazards ratio: 0.50 (0.45, 0.56)) over the study period after adjusting for age, sex, stage, differentiation, primary sub-site, health administrative region, and measures of socioeconomic status and geographic remoteness. Decreases in stage were not observed. Survivals did not vary by sex or place of residence, suggesting reasonable equity in service access and outcomes. Of staged cases, 91% were treated surgically with lower surgical rates for older ages and more advanced stage. Proportions of surgical cases having adjuvant therapy during primary courses of treatment increased for all stages and were highest for stage C (an increase from 5% in 1980-1986 to 63% for 2005-2010). Radiotherapy was more common for rectal than colonic cases. Proportions of rectal cases receiving radiotherapy increased, particularly for stage C where the increase was from 8% in 1980-1986 to 60% in 2005-2010. The percentage of stage C colorectal cases less than 70 years of age having systemic therapy as part of their first treatment round increased from 3% in 1980-1986 to 81% by 1995-2010. Based on survey data on uptake of adjuvant therapy among those offered this care, it is likely that all these younger patients were offered systemic treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

We conclude that pronounced increases in survivals from colorectal cancer have occurred at major public hospitals in South Australia due to increases in stage-specific survivals. Use of adjuvant therapies has increased and the patterns of change accord with clinical guideline recommendations. Reasons for sub-optimal use of radiotherapy for rectal cases warrant further investigation, including the potential for limited rural access to impede uptake of treatments at metropolitan-based radiotherapy centres.

Incidence Trend and Epidemiology of Common Cancers in the Center of Iran

Introduction:

Cancer is a major public health problem in Iran and many other parts of the world. The cancer incidence is different in various countries and in country provinces. Geographical differences in the cancer incidence lead to be important to conduct an epidemiological study of the disease. This study aimed to investigate cancer epidemiology and trend in the province of Qom, located in center of Iran.

Method:

This is an analytical cross-sectional study carried out based on re-analysis cancer registry report and the disease management center of health ministry from 2004 to 2008 in the province of Qom. To describe incidence time trends, we carried out join point regression analysis using the software Join point Regression Program, Version 4.1.1.1.

Results:

There were 3,029 registered cases of cancer during 5 years studied. Sex ratio was 1.32 (male to female). Considering the frequency and mean standardized incidence, the most common cancer in women were breast, skin, colorectal, stomach, and esophagus, respectively while in men the most common cancers included skin, stomach, colorectal, bladder, and prostate, respectively. There was an increasing and significant trend, according to the annual percentage change (APC) equal to 8.08% (CI: 5.1-11.1) for all site cancer in women.

Conclusion:

The incidence trend of all cancers was increasing in this area. Hence, planning for identifying risk factors and performing programs for dealing with the disease are essential.