On January 25, the Duke Cancer Institute Office of Health Equity and community partner Nuestras Voces convened a virtual community forum — "Cervical Cancer: Early Detection Saves Lives" — as part of their "Conversations with the Community" series.
A panel of experts, including DCI gynecologic oncologists Angeles Alvarez Secord, MD, MHS, and Rafael Gonzalez, MD, together with patient navigator Nadia Aguilera-Funez (DCI Office of Health Equity), discussed cervical cancer screening and diagnosis & the role of patient navigation as a way to help reduce cancer disparities among the medically underserved.
Attendees also heard from Teri L. Larkins, PhD (CDC Division of Cancer Prevention and Control) about the Centers for Disease Control's National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program.
When cervical cancer is found early, it is highly treatable and associated with long-term survival and good quality of life. Unfortunately, the U.S. has lower up-to-date HPV vaccination rates than other high-income countries.
