Virginia Senkomago

Learning From Cervical Cancer Survivors: An Examination of Barriers and Facilitators to Cervical Cancer Screening Among Women in the United States

Background: Screening and timely follow-up have lowered cervical cancer incidence in the US; however, screening coverage, incidence, and death rates have remained fairly stable in recent years. Studies suggest that half of women diagnosed with cervical cancer don’t receive appropriate screening prior to diagnosis; cervical cancer survivors can provide crucial insight into barriers and facilitators to screening. Methods: Participants were cervical cancer survivors ≥21 years, identified through population-based central cancer registries (CR) in 3 US states or a social network (SN), Cervivor. CR participants completed a mailed survey on screening history, barriers, and facilitators to screening and sociodemographic data. SN participants completed the same survey online. Results: CR participants (N = 480) were older, with a lower proportion of non-Hispanic white, married, and insured women compared to SN participants (N = 148). Fifty percent of CR and 79% of SN participants were screened 5 years prior to their diagnoses. Of those screened, 28% in both groups reported not following-up on abnormal results. For both groups, the most frequently identified screening barrier was that participants never imagined they would develop cervical cancer (percent agree CR = 76%; SN = 86%), and the facilitator was wanting to take care of their bodies (CR = 95%; SN = 94%). Conclusion: Addressing key barriers to obtaining screening and timely follow-up related to lack of knowledge of cervical cancer risk and screening tests and addressing insurance coverage in the design or modification of interventions may increase cervical cancer screening and lower cervical cancer incidence in the US.

Breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening prevalence in the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands

Breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer screening are recommended and can reduce mortality from these cancers, yet information on screening prevalence in the US-Affiliated Pacific Islands (USAPI) is limited. We analyzed data from population-based cross-sectional surveys undertaken at different time points from 2016 to 2019 in American Samoa, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, the Republic of Palau, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Federated States of Micronesia states of Pohnpei and Kosrae. We estimated the age-standardized percentage of never screened and up-to-date screening for breast, cervical, and colorectal cancer among eligible adults by select sociodemographic and health characteristics. In the USAPI overall, 20.6 % (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 18.6, 22.8) of participants were up-to-date with breast cancer screening, 38.6 % (95 % CI: 37.1, 40.2) with cervical cancer screening, and 15.1 % (95 % CI: 13.8, 16.4) with colorectal cancer screening. Screening in the USAPI overall was lower for all three cancers among participants who reported having a high school education or less compared to those with more than a high school education. Cervical cancer screening was lower among participants with diabetes compared to those without diabetes, and colorectal cancer screening was lower among participants who reported tobacco use than among those without tobacco use. Cancer screening was suboptimal across all three cancer types in the USAPI. Developing, implementing, or expanding culturally tailored and effective cancer screening strategies may address barriers to screening and improve access and utilization.