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Reference Manual - IARC Screening Group

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Introductionlesions, or a false positive) may be advisable, particularly if the treatmentis not highly invasive or associated with serious side effects,complications or long-term sequellae.FACTORS AFFECTING CHOICE OF TREATMENTBecause precancerous lesions of the cervix occur most frequently in womenwho are still in their childbearing years—30s and 40s—it is important torecognize and consider the method’s effect on fertility as well as its safety inpregnancy. Other factors to be considered include the following:• Method effectiveness• Safety and potential side effects• Who is allowed (or legally able) to provide treatment, and whattraining they need to become qualified to provide it• The size, extent, severity and site of the lesion• Acceptability (to women) of treatment offered• Equipment and supplies required• Availability of method• Cost or affordability of methodInpatient VersusOutpatientTreatmentIn developed countries, treatment of a precancerous cervical conditionhas changed from an inpatient surgical procedure (e.g., cone biopsy andhysterectomy) to simpler, safer outpatient procedures, such ascryotherapy, laser vaporization, electrosurgery and loop electrosurgicalexcision procedure (LEEP). Inpatient procedures are associated withserious complications, such as hemorrhage and infection. In addition,these procedures are expensive and require anesthesia, operating roomsand hospital beds.Over the years, there has been much discussion about which outpatientmethod is best in terms of safety, efficacy and cost. Outpatient methods canbe used either to destroy tissue (cryotherapy, laser vaporization orelectrosurgery) or remove it (LEEP). Cryotherapy, which freezes cells usinga liquid coolant (compressed carbon dioxide or nitrous oxide gas), is veryeffective in treating high-grade (CIN II–III) lesions, has a low rate ofcomplications, does not require electricity, and is easy to use andinexpensive. These factors make cryotherapy most suitable for low-resourcesettings compared to other outpatient methods. Cryotherapy, however, doesnot provide a tissue specimen for histologic examination. During LEEP, aportion of or the entire squamocolumnar junction (SCJ) is removed, therebyproviding a surgical specimen and reducing the possibility of missinginvasive cancer. In many low-resource settings, however, the facilities,equipment and personnel necessary to perform histologic evaluation oftenCervical Cancer Prevention Guidelines for Low-Resource Settings 1-11

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