8.2.12
Cervical (pre-) cancer
Clinical HIV Guidelines, 5th Edition, 2022. Chapter 8, HIV-related diseases.
Signs and symptoms
Possibly vaginal discharge, but often no early symptoms.
HIV infected women are at high risk of cancer from human papilloma virus co-infection. Screen actively every 12 months.
Diagnosis / investigation Human papilloma virus (HPV) DNA test Detects DNA from high-risk HPV types in vaginal and/or cervical samples Recommended from 30 years of age If positive, do VIA Acetic acid visualisation (VIA)
Use good light source.
Expose cervix with Cusco speculum.
Apply 5% acetic acid to cervix with large cotton swab for 2 minutes.
Inspect cervix.
Pap smear Scraping cells from the cervical surface for microscopy for signs of HPV infection and pre-cancerous or cancerous changes.
Treatment
Follow national cancer guidelines Refer cervical cancer patients to central hospital for advanced treatment options or palliative care.
Check doses against the printed guideline and your clinical judgement before treating a patient. Spotted an error? Report it from the contact links below.
Need this without data?
The app holds every guideline on your device, with calculators, bookmarks and notes.