A participatory assessment to identify strategies for improved cervical cancer prevention and treatment in Bolivia

Abstract

Cervical cancer remains a leading cause of death for women in many countries of the world. In Latin America and the Caribbean, cervical cancer has become the primary cause of cancer-related deaths among women despite the introduction of screening programs more than 30 years ago. Each year in Latin America and the Caribbean 52 000 new cases are diagnosed, and 25 000 women die of the disease (1). Bolivia has one of the highest cervical cancer incidence rates in the Americas (58.1/100 000 women) (2). An estimated 661 deaths per year in Bolivia are attributed to cervical cancer, equivalent to an agestandardized mortality rate of 22.2/100 000. This compares with 7.6/100 000 in Argentina and 12/ 100 000 for all of South America. These statistics are particularly noteworthy given that cervical cancer can be prevented by the timely identification and treatment of precancerous lesions