Cancer screening for women living in urban slums--acceptance and satisfaction.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Preventable cancers like cancers of cervix, breast and oral cavity claim more than 142,500 lives of Indian women annually. Mobile cancer screening may help in early detection and successful treatment in vulnerable populations. METHODS This is a community based mobile cancer screening program in co-ordination with various non-governmental organizations. Participants included 182 women from low socio-economic background residing in Mumbai. Around twenty five consenting women were screened in each of the eight camps conducted. Health education programme (HEP) was given before screening. Tests included clinical breast examination (CBE) for breast , visual inspection with 5% acetic acid (VIA), visual inspection with lugols iodine (VILI) followed by colposcopic examination for cervix and oral visual examination (OVE) for oral cavity. Women requiring further diagnostic tests were referred to the nodal hospital. A satisfaction survey was carried out at the end of the examination. RESULTS Out of 182 women screened, 179 received health education. More than 90% of the participants were satisfied with the various aspects of screening. Majority (90%) of them found the mobile screening facility more convenient and accessible than static site screening. The variables age and income were found to be significantly associated with the overall satisfaction of the participants. The satisfaction level regarding information given during HEP was moderate (74%) compared to other factors. INTERPRETATION AND CONCLUSION The overall acceptance and satisfaction levels were encouraging with the mobile cancer screening programme. Such a facility can act as an important tool in cancer prevention and control in low socio-economic women.