October 2016 – ETiCCS

Training in portable colposcopy at Gondar University

Portable colposcopes such as the Gynocular™, developed for remote settings, allow the visualization of the cervix with a high magnification in contrast to examination with the naked eye as done by standard VIA. The Gynocular™ also offers digital documentation of the findings and sharing of the image with remotely situated experts. The device is thus ideal for training, consultation and quality control. The method is suitable for screening used by nurses in peripheral clinics as confirmed several studies.

Class room training

Introduction into the Gynoccular® device

facilitators Hermann Bussmann,Solomon Behre, Alexander Luyten and Katahauni Tagveri

6 gynecologists and 6 nurse/midwives already experienced in VIA participated in this 5-day course that was facilitated by Dr(s) Alexander Luyten from Wolfsburg Women’s hospital and Katahauni Tagveri from Inselspital Bern. The training included both classroom and practical sessions and a post-training skills evaluation.

As a next step a field study is planned to appraise the value of nurse-led portable colposcopy for peripheral settings.

Under the auspices of the Paraguay Ministry of Health the national cancer program jointly with the National Itapua University, Encarnación, hosted a first international cancer control symposium from 3-6 October 2016 in Asuncion, Paraguay. Representative of the leading regional cancer institutions and international organizations including PAHO, IARC, UICC, RINC as well as international experts from Paraguay, Argentina, Brazil, Mexico and Germany discussed the situation of cancer burden and cancer control in Paraguay. A major concern is the high prevalence of the gynecological cancers of the breast and uterine cervix. Especially cervical cancer is highly preventable through early detection and vaccination.

Dr Beate Pesch from Germany and Dr Manuel Codas from Encarnacion, Paraguay, the coordinators of the meeting

As an outcome of the symposium the National Itapua University in Encarnación and the ETiCCS program, Heidelberg university plan to collaborate in a cervical cancer screening study based on primary HPV testing and treatment of women identified as high-risk for cancer through either visual inspection or use of highly specific biomarker.