Partnering for Success: Expanding Breast and Cancer Screening in Rural Honduras One Clinic at a Time

Abstract 36Background:Women in rural Honduras have limited access to cancer education, screening, and care. With village leaders, we piloted breast and cervical cancer screening in El Rosario, Honduras. Our objectives were to improve awareness and access, mitigate barriers, connect community and Honduran providers, and link patients with abnormal findings to cancer treatment.In 2013, health professionals and staff from Norris Cotton Cancer Center at Dartmouth- Hitchcock joined Honduran clinicians and medical students from La Liga Contra el Cancer for two days of rural cancer screening. Peer educators taught 475 participants from 31 rural communities how to conduct self-breast exams. Of these participants, 238 chose clinical breast exams; 5% were clinically abnormal and 2.9% were referred for services at La Liga with 100% compliance. 34% reported barriers to cervical cancer screening due to distance and lack of transportation. 14.5% tested positive for HPV and 8% were positive for high risk HPV genotypes i...