Lucely Cetina-Pérez, Department of Clinical Research, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico City; Department of Medical Oncology, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico City. Mexico
Julissa Luvián-Morales, Integral Program for the Care of Locally Advanced and Metastatic Cervical Cancer, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico City, Mexico
Denisse Castro-Eguiluz, Department of Clinical Research, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico City;; Consejo Nacional de Humanidades Ciencia y Tecnología, Mexico City; Mexico
Tatiana Galicia-Carmona, Integral Program for the Care of Locally Advanced and Metastatic Cervical Cancer, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico City, Mexico
Silvia E. Alarcón-Barrios, Integral Program for the Care of Locally Advanced and Metastatic Cervical Cancer, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico City, Mexico
Eder A. Arango-Bravo, Integral Program for the Care of Locally Advanced and Metastatic Cervical Cancer, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico City, Mexico
Samuel Rivera-Rivera, High Specialty Medical Unit, Oncology Hospital, Centro Médico Nacional Siglo XXI, IMSS, Mexico City, Mexico
Gregorio Quintero-Beuló, Mammary Tumors Unit, Oncology Service, Hospital General de México Dr. Eduardo Liceaga, Mexico City, Mexico
Dolores Gallardo-Rincón, Department of Medical Oncology, Instituto Nacional de Cancerología, Mexico City, Mexico
Vicente Madrid-Marina, Infectious Disease Research Center, Instituto Nacional de Salud Pública, Cuernavaca, Mor. Mexico
Background: Information on the resources available for treating cervical cancer (CC) in the Mexican health-care system is unavailable. Objective: To describe the resources available to treat CC in Mexican public institutions. Methods: A survey was applied to members from Mexican Societies of Oncology and Radio-oncology. Results: Five hundred and six surveys were analyzed, identifying the following: to diagnose, 96.2% of institutions had computed tomography. The time between diagnosis of CC and treatment was frequently 5-8 weeks. Sixty percentages of institutions had access to radiotherapy. Most institutions had pathology and psychology services, and few had nutrition and algology. Most specialists chose open surgery to treat early-stage CC. Treatment for locally advanced stages was concomitant chemoradiation. Very few specialists had access to vinorelbine, topotecan, and bevacizumab. Up to 20% of patients abandon their treatment. Conclusion: The resources and infrastructure for the care and treatment of CC patients are limited in the Mexican health-care system.
Keywords: Cervical cancer. Survey. Health care. Resources. Public hospitals. Access to cancer treatment.
