Background and Context:
The overall cervical cancer incidence rate’s is low in Iran, however, because of higher risk of death in women with cervical cancer in this area, a cervical cancer control program is needed.
Aim:
The aim of this study was to provide an organized program for cervical cancer prevention in Iran and other Muslim country with low rate of cervical cancer
Strategy/Tactics:
By using the practical guideline development cycle,we reviewed 190 full text records about cervical cancer in Iran (1971 to 2013 in which 13 articles were related to the data that we needed for developing the recommendation questions.We also reviewed World Health Organization, IARC ,GLOBOCON report, Iran Ministry of Health cancer registry report and 8 available foreign countries guidelines. For better decision making to make final recommendation , we also put into account the pap smear result of the 350 women who participated in Iran HPV survey after 5 years interval .
Programme/Policy Process:
According the data that had shown the HPV and cervical cancer situation in Iran and highlighted the result of follow up 350 women of a population base survey for 5 years, the experts emphasizes the necessity of cervical cancer screening program for Iranian women. We recommended an organized screening program with cytologic evaluation (Pap smear) that would start at age 30, continued for every 5 years. The age of ending the screening is 69 years. There is no need to do screening for pregnant women and women who had a hysterectomy.
Outcomes/What was learned:
Organized cervical cancer screening is a necessity for Iran, because we could not ignore more than 500 -900 new cases with invasive cervical cancer who have been diagnosed every year in Iran. Iran National Health System and other Muslim countries could bring this recommendation for an organized screening program into account.