Breast and cervical cancer screening inPeru in 2022

Abstract

Introduction: Cervical and breast cancer are the most common cancers in our country. Early detection is essential to initiate timely treatment, due to their high morbidity and mortality. In Peru, the performance of screening tests (mammography and Pap smears) has increased; however, they still remain below the latest recommendations.
Objectives: To determine the frequency of Pap smears and mammograms in women in Peru in 2022 and the sociodemographic variables with which they were correlated.
Methods: Observational, descriptive, correlational, and secondary study of the
National Demographic and Family Health Survey (ENDES) database of 2022. which
interviewed 18,243 women aged 15 to 97 years. Results: 5,636 participants answered the mammography questions (age: 51.9 +/- 8.8 years), and 13,021 answered the Pap smear (PAP) questions (age: 38.6 +/- 10.5 years). Women aged 70 and over were the most likely to receive mammography; and those aged 35 to 44 were the most likely to receive Pap smears. A total of 62.4% had had their last mammogram more than two years prior to the survey, and 29.1% had had their Pap smear more than three years prior. Conclusions: By 2022, 23.7% and 78.5% of women had undergone
mammography and Pap smear tests at some point in their lives, respectively. A
statistically significant relationship was found between the performance of these
tests and age, education, and level of instruction.