Addressing cervical cancer prevention in Bhutan: A study on the use of loop electrosurgical excision procedures at the primary health care level

Abstract

Abstract Background Cervical cancer is the top and fourth leading cause of death among women in Bhutan and worldwide, respectively. The cervical cancer elimination flagship program initiated by the Ministry of Health aims to achieve the 90–70–90 goals by 2030. To achieve this, detection and treatment of pre‐cancerous lesions of the cervix through colposcopy and loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) are being carried out through the outreach health camps. Methods This descriptive study aimed to assess the safety and tolerability of LEEP under local anesthesia and assess the margin status of high‐grade lesion (HGL). We analyzed 193 records of clients who underwent LEEP at Wangdue Phodrang Hospital from 26 September to 5 October 2022. The sociodemographic profile, intraoperative pain, complications, and histopathological reports were described using structured pro forma. Results The mean age of clients was 40.9 ± 8.5 years (range 25–66 years). There were 3.1% who had intraoperative and 2.6% who had postoperative bleeding. There were 18.6% who had foul‐smelling vaginal discharge, and 8.3% had moderate‐to‐severe intraoperative pain. Histopathological assessment revealed 29.5% with chronic cervicitis, 34.2% with HGL, and 1.6% with microinvasive cervical carcinoma. The margin positivity for HGL was 36.4%. Conclusion Given the safety profile of LEEP under local anesthesia in our setting, the scope of providing a complete cervical cancer screening and treatment package at the primary health care level looks promising. Based on the higher rate of overtreatment and margin positivity, we recommend the practical implementation of standard colposcopy guidelines.

Keywords

• Bhutan
• cervical cancer
• cervical intraepithelial neoplasia
• human Papillomavirus
• loop electrosurgical excision procedure
• women's health