Thermal Ablation: Cost-effective and safe for the treatment of cervical precancer

Cervical cancer remains a leading cause of cancer-related mortality among women in low- and middle-income countries. Effective treatment of precancerous lesions detected during cervical screening is critical to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer. For decades, cryotherapy was one of the major modalities available for ablative treatment of precancerous lesions. However, the high cost, unreliable supply, quality concerns, and portability issues associated with the refrigerant gas that is essential for the procedure posed significant barriers to the scaling up of cryotherapy in low- and middle-income countries.

Thermal ablation is now recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a treatment option for eligible women. Women who screen positive are eligible for ablative treatment if the lesion is fully visible on the ectocervix (occupying less than 75% of the ectocervix) and does not extend into the endocervix, the transformation zone (the area where most cervical precancers develop) is type 1 or treatable type 2, and there is no suspicion of invasive cancer. Thermal ablation is an emerging alternative modality for treating cervical precancers, and it is particularly suited for low- and middle-income countries.

Read the IARC Evidence Summary Brief No.7 here