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Challenges for prevention and treatment of cervico-uterine cancer in Northeast Brazil

Abstract

The article analyzes the articulation between Primary Health Care (PHC) and the different points of care for cervical cancer (CC) control. It is a qualitative study, with data originated in 10 focus groups (70 participants - nurses and community health agents) and 12 semi-structured interviews (6 managers and 6 gynecologists). The results were grouped into three axes: Early detection and control of CC in PHC; Access to diagnostic confirmation; and Access to CC treatment and health transportation. Results showed problems ranging from screening (failures in Pap smear collection and/or in reading slides in the laboratory, low involvement of PHC physicians, lack of coordination of care between levels) to the treatment of CC (barriers to access to specialized services, fragmentation between services, delay in treatment). Encouraging findings include the clinical practice and the nurses’ bond with women during the Pap exam as well as high coverage of the exam in PHC. Main recommendations include permanent in-service education to expand nurses’ clinical practice and greater involvement of physicians, as well as closer relations between specialists and PHC professionals to enable care coordination.

Key words
Integrality in health; Regional health planning; Health services accessibility; Primary Health Care; Systems integration; Uterine cervical neoplasms

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