Invasive cervical cancer disproportionately affects women without sufficient access to care, with higher rates among minority groups in higher-income countries and women in low-resource regions of the world. Many elements contribute to racial/ethnic disparities in the cervical cancer continuum - from screening and diagnosis to treatment and outcome. Sociodemographic factors, access to healthcare, income and education level, and disease stage at diagnosis are closely linked to such inequities. Despite the identification of such elements, racial/ethnic disparities persist, and are widening in several minority subgroups, particularly in older women, who are ineligible for human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination and are underscreened. Recent studies suggest that racial/ethnic differences in HPV infection exist and may also have a role in observed differences in cervical cancer. In this review, we provide an overview of the current literature on racial disparities in cervical cancer screening, incidence, treatment and outcome to inform future strategies to reduce persistent inequities.

BackgroundIntimate partner violence is a global health burden that disproportionately affects women and their health outcomes. Women in Brazil are also affected by interpersonal violence. We aimed to estimate the lifetime prevalence of three forms of interpersonal violence against women (IPVAW) and to identify sociodemographic factors associated with IPVAW in one urban Brazilian city.MethodsUsing a cross-sectional design, we interviewed women aged ≥18 years in the urban Brazilian city, Maringá, who currently have or have had an intimate partner. The 13-item WHO Violence Against Women instrument was used to ask participants about their experiences with intimate partner violence, categorized into psychological, physical and sexual violence. We estimated associations between IPVAW and sociodemographic characteristics using generalized linear models.Results and conclusionsOf the 419 women who were enrolled and met inclusion criteria, lifetime prevalence of IPVAW was 56%. Psychological violence was more prevalent (52%) than physical (21%) or sexual violence (13%). Twenty-eight women (6.4%) experienced all three forms of IPVAW. Women were more likely to experience violence if they were employed, did not live with their partner or had 4 or more children. Educational level, household income, age and race were not significantly associated factors. Our findings highlight a high prevalence of IPVAW in a community in southern Brazil.

Disclosures of potential conflicts of interest may be found at the end of this article.Artificial intelligence (AI) technologies promise to reshape the management, evaluation, and delivery of cancer care. These are specially designed computer programs that can identify meaningful associations within datasets by mimicking higher functions of human intelligence. A number of AI products have already received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with hundreds more under active development at research institutions worldwide [1]. Their potential within the oncology space is vast, with performance equaling or even exceeding the acumen of seasoned clinicians.

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