This diploma thesis deals with the national screening programs for cancer diagnosis. The goal of this thesis is to find a proper way how to evaluate the effectivity of screening programs as well as their influence on the intensity of mortality from certain types of cancer. For the purpose of finding out necessary information were used data related to the diagnosis of colorectal cancer, a diagnosis of cervical cancer and breast cancer in the population of the Czech Republic between 1977 - 2011. This thesis is divided into eight chapters. The first chapter is an introduction to the topic and contains the description of the main goals. The second chapter defines terms that are crucial for this thesis. The third chapter is devoted to data sources and institutions that collect different types of data and health statistics. The next chapter deals with the epidemiology of all described types of cancer and also provide information on risk factors and symptoms of the disease. The fifth chapter looks back at trends in mortality and incidence of the most common malignant tumors in the Czech Republic. The sixth chapter describes planning and implementation of screening processes. The seventh history of screening programs in the Czech Republic. The eighth chapter deals with the rules and regulations of the EU Council and the World Health Organization. The ninth chapter represents the final assessment of Czech screening programs, compared both to the WHO guidelines and the results in the world. The last chapter is including description of mortality and their reaction on screening programs. Text describes even comparison with two other European countries (Germany, France).

Thesis (M.Med. (Radiation Oncology)) -- University of Limpopo, 2020 / Introduction Invasive cervical cancer (ICC) constitutes almost 50% of all cancer conditions diagnosed and treated at the Polokwane/Mankweng Hospital Complex (PMHC). HIV infection is also a very common condition. There is no consensus on the relationship between the two clinical conditions among patients treated at PMHC. There is a need to describe the simultaneous occurrence of the two clinical conditions among these patients to define a rational approach to these conditions’ clinical management. Methodology This was a retrospective review of medical records of patients diagnosed with ICC who were treated at PMHC in Limpopo Province, South Africa in 2013. Results Three hundred and twenty-nine medical records were reviewed in this study; 64% of the patients were HIV-negative, and only 35% were HIV-positive. Thirty-five percent of the patients were younger than 50 years of age, followed by those aged 50–59 years (23%). Among women in the age group 30–59 years, the most common ICC stages were IIB and IIIB. In women older than 60 years, stages IIB, IIIA, IIIB and IVA were the most common. In the HIV-positive women, 18% had a CD4 cell count of less than 200/μL, compared to 2% in the HIV-negative women (p <0.05). Among the HIV-negative women, stages IIIB (49.8%) and IIB (24.6%) were the most common, where as among those who were HIV-positive, stages IIIB (55.6%) and IIB (22.6%) dominated. Conclusion This retrospective study did not find any relationship between HIV infection and ICC in patients treated at PMHC. However, it indicated that a significant proportion of HIV-positive women with ICC had lower CD4 cell counts compared to those of HIV-negative women. KEY CONCEPTS: Invasive cervical cancer, Human immunodeficiency virus, Stage, Prevalence, CD4 cell count, Age, Polokwane/Makweng Hospital Complex

Perineural spread of pelvic tumors mechanism and diagnosis Abstract Neoplastic lumbosacral plexopathies are infrequent affections of the lumbosacral plexus. Cases with minimal or non-specific finding on imaging can be particularly puzzling to diagnose. We describe a series of patients with perineural spread from the site of the primary tumor along the visceral autonomous nerves to the lumbosacral plexus and further proximally to the spinal nerves and even intradurally and also distally to the sciatic nerve. On series of 17 patients diagnosed with perineural spread of pelvic malignancy we describe characteristic clinical presentation and imaging finding. In many of these cases a tissue biopsy is necessary to finalize the diagnosis. We describe operative technique of targeted fascicular biopsy of the sciatic nerve and our experience with this procedure. On series of 117 patients, we report the outcome and complication: diagnostic yield was 84.8% and complication rate was 2.7 %. If a tissue sample is needed to conclude the diagnosis, targeted fascicular biopsy does increase the yield at an acceptable complication rate. Perineural spread of pelvic cancer is a new clinical-pathological entity with an unknown natural history or ideal treatment strategy. Based on the imaging finding in this group we present a...

Cervical cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of cancer death among women in less developed countries. Screening for cervical cancer is the most accepted and successful strategy for cervical cancer control. The purpose of the study was to investigate factors that determine cervical cancer screening practice among women in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and develop guidelines to improve the utilisation of cervical cancer screening services. The researcher used the health belief model (HMB) as the theoretical foundation of the study and a convergent parallel mixed methods design. Quantitative data was obtained from screened and not screened women attending maternal health services at selected public health centres. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) Version 23 was used for entry and analysis of data Qualitative data was obtained in key informant interviews from health service professionals on their perceptions of women‟s cervical cancer screening uptake at the health centres. The study found that higher age >35 years category (X2 =33.618 and p-value <0.001), contraceptive use (X2 value=20.7 and p-value <0.001), having two or more children, and knowledge of cervical cancer and screening (chi-value X2 =51.649, p-value=0.001) were strongly associated with screening practice. In addition, women‟s perception of susceptibility (t-test=3.42 and 3.432, p-value=0.001) was a predictor of screening. Lack of awareness was a serious barrier to cervical cancer screening and health service providers‟ information was a strong promoter of screening. The study recommends promoting and facilitating health education on cervical cancer at all health facilities; organising awareness campaigns, education programmes, and community mobilisation to raise awareness of cervical cancer screening; integrating cervical cancer screening with other reproductive health services, and capacitating the health professionals in order to increase utilisation of cervical cancer screening services. Consequently, the researcher used the findings of the study to develop guidelines to improve the uptake and quality of cervical cancer screening services. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Public Health)

MPH / Department of Public Health

Paper-fluidic devices are a popular platform for point-of-care diagnostics due to their low cost, ease of use, and equipment-free detection of target molecules. The most common example is the lateral flow assay, in which samples are added to a paper membrane and a colorimetric indicator provides a binary signal indicating whether the molecule of interest is present. A novel lateral flow assay was developed to detect a protein biomarker for early stage cervical cancer. Cervical cancer can be cured if detected and treated at an early stage, but approximately 90% of cervical cancer deaths occur in low and middle-income countries due to lack of accessible testing. Methods for detecting the biomarker, valosin-containing protein (VCP), were optimized using enzymatic and gold nanoparticle dot blots, then lateral flow assays were developed and validated using purified VCP and cervical cancer HeLa cells. Future validation with patient tissue samples will permit translation of this device to testing clinics in low-resource areas. Despite advantages for use in resource limited settings, lateral flow assays are limited by their inability to perform more complex or multi-step processes, such as nucleic acid amplification or enzymatic signal enhancement. Thermally actuated wax valves are one mechanism that provides complete control over fluid obstruction and release. To better understand how wax valves can be used in fully automated, self-contained lateral flow assays, different sizes and geometries of valves were tested to investigate their effects on actuation time, flow rate, and flow pattern. Another limitation in the understanding of lateral flow assays is the lack of experimental data describing the microscale flow within the pores of the paper membrane that drives the biophysical reactions in the assay. Mathematical models can be designed to explain macroscopic phenomena, but so far, no literature has compared microfluidic models to microfluidic data. To quantify microfluidic properties within lateral flow assays, fluorescent nanoparticles were imaged flowing through different areas of the membrane and their velocity was quantified using micro-particle image velocimetry (µPIV). Scanning electron microscope images were used to verify that this experimental model was reasonable for describing microfluidic properties of the lateral flow assay. Altogether, this document investigates how developing lateral flow assays for cervical cancer detection can save lives by improving the accessibility of an early diagnosis, and how more robust lateral flow assay characterization can expand their applicability to a broad range of detection processes.

Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis / Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are the etiologic agents of most cervical dysplasia and all cervical carcinoma. Integration of high risk HPV into the human genome is thought to be a critical event in the progression from cervical dysplasia to invasive cervical carcinoma. The ability to use molecular assays in the detection and evaluation of HPV integration is essential in informing clinical models for early intervention and therapies. We therefore sought to determine the feasibility of real time-PCR (RT-PCR) as a molecular tool in detecting the physical state, episomal versus integration of HPV 16 and 18 DNA in cervical cancers. Tyramide amplified fluorescent DNA in situ hybridization (FISH) was used to look for evidence of HPV 16/18 integration using formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of cervical carcinomas. RT-PCR used the ratio of the E2 and E6 genes as a surrogate for determining the physical state of HPV 16 and 18 in 35 infected tissues. Results of RT-PCR showed that 16 cervical specimens (45.7%) contained episomal HPV, 17 cervical samples (48.6%) harbored the integrated form of HPV DNA, and 2 samples (5.7 %) contained both integrated and episomal forms of HPV. Results of the two assays were compared in 25 cervical carcinomas. For 13 of the 25 cervical samples there was an agreement in determining the physical state of HPV. RT-PCR, using the E2/E6 ratio as an assay for HPV integration appears to be promising and may prove to be an essential clinical method in the future.

No description available.

Screening programs for cervical cancer are performed to diagnose the early stage of cancer and prevent its development. Historically, the screening test was taken every three years, but it gradually varied due to continuous changes in technology, guidelines, and a new type of test. These changes made the screening participants uncertain and worried about understanding and interpreting the meaning of various test results and frequent follow-ups. These test results are manual and time-consuming to date. The participants seek it as digital, allowing easy and fast access to information. The primary research challenge of the proposed study is to present simple and complex test history data to the participants in an easily understandable way. The proposed research helped to design an artifact (prototype) that can be utilized to develop a digital service that does not cause any uncertain worry for the participants in understanding the complex test history data. For this, the proposed thesis study used state-of-the-art visualization techniques following the guidelines of design science research.

Background: Cervical cancer is a global health problem, by year 2020 around 600,000 women were suffering from cervical cancer. The contagious infection Human Papillomavirus causes the majority of cervical cancers worldwide. The impact of cervical cancer on women contributes to changes in their social and sexual relations in which women finds themselves.  Aim: The aim was to describe women's experiences of living with cervical cancer. Method:The method used in this study was literature-based. Friberg's five-step model was used to analyze the selected scientific articles used for the result. Results: Based on the analysis work, three themes emerged: the intimate relationship, being affected by cervical cancer and a second chance. Seven subthemes were compiled in coding: the experience of changed sexuality and femininity, to feel loneliness in the disease, to find support in the environment, to feel bad about what is to be cured, a constant worry, see life with new eyes, find comfort in religion and faith, there is a future. Conclusion: Women's lives after suffering from cervical cancer changed drastically and affected their health.