Screening for cervical cancer in Butha Buthe, Lesotho. A study of Papanicolaou (Pap) smears in a previously unscreened community over a one-year period.
The results of 2896 cervical smears taken from 2713 women at the outpatient department of Butha Buthe Government Hospital between January and December 1981 are reported. A high prevalence of mild and moderate dysplasia (18 per 1000) and of frank invasive carcinoma (5.2 per 1000) was found in this previously unscreened population. The rate of carcinoma-in-situ was 2.8 per 1000. The positive results are compared with other studies and analysed according to age and parity. The problems of treating cervical cancer in a Third World country with limited facilities are revealed and a cost/benefit analysis is attempted. Criteria for selecting a risk group are examined.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002278:Carcinoma in Situ / Q000473:pathology; D002584:Cervix Uteri / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007927:Lesotho; D008403:Mass Screening / Q000379:methods*; D008875:Middle Aged; D065006:Papanicolaou Test; D011247:Pregnancy; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000473:pathology; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014626:Vaginal Smears