title: Safety, feasibility, and acceptability of visual inspection with acetic acid and immediate treatment with cryotherapy in rural Laos.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the safety, acceptability, and feasibility of visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) followed by immediate treatment with cryotherapy as a single-visit approach for the prevention of cervical cancer among women in rural Laos.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 2009, women from 2 provinces in Laos were recruited for cervical cancer screening using VIA. If the inspection of the cervix showed a well-defined acetowhite lesion close to the os, immediate cryotherapy was offered.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 1926 women who were included, 134 (7.0%) tested positive on VIA. Of these, 113 (84.3%) underwent immediate cryotherapy and none declined treatment. One year after immediate cryotherapy, 77 (68.1%) women returned for a follow-up assessment and 68 (88.3%) were now VIA-negative. There was no report of a major complication during or after treatment. The acceptance of both VIA and cryotherapy was high.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Visual inspection with acetic acid is a simple test that requires minimal infrastructure and expenditure. Integration of VIA with cryotherapy at the primary care level may constitute a feasible program for the prevention of cervical cancer in Laos.
authors.affiliation: Department of Women's and Children's Health, Division of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Karolinska University Hospital and Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden. keokedthong.phongsavan@ki.se
authors.forename: Keokedthong
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Phongsavan
authors.forename: Alongkone
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Phengsavanh
authors.forename: Rolf
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wahlström
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marions
mesh_terms: D019342:Acetic Acid; D000328:Adult; D017679:Cryotherapy; D003906:Developing Countries; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D007812:Laos; D008875:Middle Aged; D010865:Pilot Projects; D012424:Rural Population; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D007202:Indicators and Reagents; D019342:Acetic Acid