Synthesis of evidence and recommendations: guidelines for cervical cancer screening, detection, and treatment

Abstract

Objectives. Synthesize the recommendations developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) for the screening and treatment of women with pre-cancerous lesions for cervical cancer prevention, with a view to improving the quality of care and health outcomes. Methods. The guidelines prepared by WHO follow the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development and Evaluation) method for the preparation of guidelines, as set forth in the WHO Handbook for Guideline Development. A synthesis of the recommendations of two WHO guidelines was carried out. Additionally, a systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Lilacs, Mhealth Systems Evidence, Epistemonikos and gray literature of studies developed in the Americas to identify barriers, facilitators, implementation strategies, and indicators. Results. A total of 19 recommendations and ten good practices were formulated for screening pre-cancerous lesions of the cervix and treating cervical cancer. Implementation barriers and facilitators were identified, and indicators were created for assessing adherence and outcomes. Conclusions. The recommendations provide guidance for the screening and treatment of women with pre-cancerous lesions for cervical cancer prevention, with a view to improving the quality of care and health outcomes. Implementation in Latin America and the Caribbean is considered.