Cervical cancer screening and prevention in Kazakhstan and Central Asia

Abstract

Objective To examine the state of cervical screening and prevention in Central Asian states, specifically Kazakhstan. Results In the five Central Asian countries that were formerly part of the Soviet Union (Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan), cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates are far higher than those in most Western and high-income nations, and are increasing. Cervical cancer screening is available in all five countries, but is mainly opportunistic. Only Kazakhstan has a structured cytological screening program, from which screening coverage analysis is possible. Conclusion Despite significant decreases in cervical cancer incidence and mortality in developed countries, the problem is still of great concern in these Central Asian countries and is attributed to poorly organized screening and the absence of vaccination programs.

Comparison of breast cancer and cervical cancer stage distributions in ten newly independent states of the former Soviet Union: a population-based study

“…9 Screening practices in the region are still largely untargeted and opportunistic, based predominantly on Romanowsky-Giemsa staining techniques, and without standard guidelines for management of abnormal cytology findings. 25 Although use of Romanowsky-Giemsa staining is common, there are considerable intercountry and intracountry variations across the newly independent states of the former Soviet Union, with the choice of staining technique depending on the hospital or laboratory, the regulations in place, and resources available. WHO EURO are working towards compiling a document repository on screening practices in the newly independent states.…”

Prevalence of high-risk human papillomavirus infection among Kazakhstani women attending gynecological outpatient clinics

“…According to GLOBACAN data, the absolute number of cervical cancer cases worldwide has increased over time (471 000 in 2000, 529 000 in 2008, and 570 000 in 2018) (Arbyn et al, 2011;Arbyn et al, 2020), and it continues to be a significant public health issue with almost 0.6 million cases and 0.3 million deaths per year (Arbyn et al, 2020;Bruni et al, 2019a;Serrano et al, 2018). Kazakhstan has a high incidence of cervical cancer in women of all ages, with a crude incidence rate of 18.2 per 100 000 women (Aimagambetova et al, 2021;Balmagambetova et al, 2020;Bruni et al, 2019b). Cervical cancer ranks as the second leading cause of female cancer and cancer-related death in Kazakhstani women, with over 1700 new cervical cancer cases diagnosed annually (Aimagambetova et al, 2021;Balmagambetova et al, 2020;Bruni et al, 2019a).…”

Cervical cancer testing among women aged 30–49 years in the WHO European Region

“…35 This suggests that the quality of the programmes (rather than only the amount of testing) is a key issue for future consideration. For example, the Romanowsky–Giemsa staining, which is not recommended by the WHO, 4 continues to be used in some Eastern European and Central Asian countries, 36 along with opportunistic annual cytology screening practices among broad age groups. Experts advocate for a shift in policy away from these opportunistic screenings and towards population-based, quality-assured HPV vaccination and HPV-based screening programmes.…”