Cervical Cancer Screening Through Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA): An Eight-Month Observational Study at Ahsania Mission Cancer and General Hospital, Bangladesh

Background: Cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer morbidity and mortality among women in Bangladesh. VIA is widely used for screening because of its low cost, simplicity, and immediate results. Aim of this study was to evaluate the outcomes of VIA-based cervical cancer screening program at Ahsania Mission Cancer and General Hospital.

Materials and Methods: A prospective observational study was conducted from March to October 2025. Women underwent VIA screening according to national guidelines. VIA-positive patients underwent colposcopy, biopsy, or LEEP as clinically indicated. Descriptive statistical analysis was performed.

Results: A total of 150 women were screened, of whom 108 (72%) were VIA-negative and 42 (28%) were VIA-positive. The mean age of the participants was 40.5 years. Among the VIA-positive women, 6 were diagnosed with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN 1 or CIN 2) following loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP), while 3 women underwent biopsy that revealed no malignancy. The CIN detection rate among VIA-positive cases was 14.3%, and the overall CIN detection rate in the screened population was 4%.

Conclusion: VIA screening detected a clinically meaningful proportion of pre-cancerous lesions in this low-resource setting. Strengthening follow-up systems and integrating HPV testing where feasible could further enhance cervical cancer prevention in Bangladesh.