Cervical cancer in developing countries: how can we reduce the burden? Awareness raising, screening, treatment and palliation.

Cervical cancer is an important health problem in developing countries. Most women present with advanced disease, resulting in low cure rates. Screening by Visual Inspection with the Aid of Acetic Acid and optionally HPV DNA detection as a second test is technically feasible. However, the majority of women appear to be reluctant to attend a screening clinic. This is probably due to lack of knowledge and a low priority of women's health in local communities. There is an obvious need to obtain more knowledge on communities' perceptions and understanding of cervical cancer. Furthermore, we need more information on what issues should be addressed in order to perform cervical cancer screening in an acceptable manner. Treatment of cervical cancer in developing countries is highly dependent on the resources and skills available. Efforts to provide adequate palliation should be enhanced as relief of troublesome symptoms can often be achieved by relatively simple and low-cost measures.