[ad_1]
MORGANTOWN – West Virginia will participate in a new four-state public health initiative to combat high rates of cervical cancer incidence and mortality in the Appalachians, thanks to $ 11 million in funding National Cancer Institute, according to a press release from Ohio State University.
Cervical cancer is a preventable disease that, when detected and treated early, tends to be treated successfully, with good results and long-term survival. Despite this, West Virginia still ranks among the top five for the incidence of cervical cancer and deaths due to the disease compared to other states, according to the Cancer Incidence Report West Virginia 2018, established by the Cancer Institute of the University of West Virginia for the Department of State Health and Human Resources.
The goal of this new initiative is to reduce the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer in West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and Virginia by targeting three risk factors badociated with disease.
"We know that smoking, HPV infection and the lack of rapid screening for cervical cancer play an important role in these exceptionally high rates," said Dr. Electra Paskett, a professor at the College of Medicine's Ohio State College and College of Public Health. the program manager.
Researchers from the State of Ohio, the University of West Virginia, the University of Kentucky, and the University of Virginia have been collaborating for about 12 to 13 years to study the incidence of cervical cancer and develop best practices, said Paskett.
"This project is the result of what we have learned before. We are putting this into practice in terms of training clinics to implement harm reduction interventions for their patients, "she said.
The partnership also includes 10 health systems across the four-state region, including two in West Virginia.
According to Dr. Stephenie Kennedy-Rea of WVU, a health system is located in the north-central region and one in the southern region.
A total of four to seven clinics will participate and receive training on the implementation of the project's measures, she said.
West Virginia has the highest smoking rate in the country, according to Kennedy-Rea.
The new program will promote nicotine replacement therapies and cessation counseling, she said.
Home tests for the human papilloma virus, more commonly known as HPV, will also be offered to patients who are not up to date on screening, said Kennedy-Rea.
The virus is said to be responsible for 91% of cervical cancers, according to information provided by the Federal Center for Disease Control and Prevention.
According to the CDC, the virus spreads through skin-to-skin contact during badual activities.
Encouraging HPV vaccination will also be part of the project.
"We are average compared to other states, but we can dramatically improve our vaccination rates," said Kennedy-Rea. "We need to consider HPV vaccination as a cancer prevention vaccination."
According to the state report on cervical cancer, up to 93% of cases can be prevented by HPV screening and vaccination.
The researchers will test the effectiveness of the measures implemented in order to refine the program and then disseminate it in other clinics in the region for widespread implementation.
"We are testing a new multilevel intervention for cervical cancer prevention, so we will contribute to the science base," Kennedy-Rea said.
At the same time, clinic staff will add to their knowledge base and patients will benefit from the services, she said.
JoAnn Snoderly, editor-in-chief, can be contacted at 304-626-1445, by email at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JoAnnNCWV.
Source link
