Cervical cancer in low-income countries: A Bangladeshi perspective

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide, with approximately 70% of cases involving infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes 16 and 18. According to International Agency for Research on Cancer, more than 50 million Bangladeshi women are at risk of developing cervical cancer, and 17 686 new cases and 10 362 deaths occur annually. If diagnosed at the precursor stage, however, cervical cancer is a condition that can be successfully treated. As a result, screening programs are necessary to identify the disease before it progresses to invasive cancer. In the present review, we discuss the overall situation of cervical cancer in Bangladesh, summarizing the sociodemographic status of affected women, associated risk factors, screening approaches, and treatment options. We emphasize the potential of visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) as a cost-effective screening approach for detecting cervical lesions among poor women in the community. In a resource-limited country such as Bangladesh, VIA may represent an ideal model to build an effective awareness campaign through urban and rural hospitals, community-based clinics, and other health facilities available in industry.