Dr. Ginsburg Discusses the Use of VIA in Cervical Cancer Screening

Ophira Ginsburg, MD, director of the High Risk/Cancer Genetics Program at NYU Langone's Perlmutter Cancer Center, discusses the use of visual inspection with acidic acid (VIA) in cervical cancer screening.

Although VIA is a well-known practice, Ginsburg says that in the last few years, WHO recommended it after a large project in sub-Saharan African countries showed that it was effective, acceptable, and feasible to implement by non-gynecologists and even non-physicians, such as nurses and midwifes. Ginsburg says that there are certain criteria by which health workers are trained to identify those women who have those changes and are also suitable for treatment, even during the same visit, with cryotherapy.

VIA is one of 3 strategies that WHO recommends, along with HPV DNA testing and Pap testing. This approach is considered a cost-effective intervention in global health that can be implemented in a rural setting where no physicians are available, Ginsburg says.