Water and Soil Pollution: Ecological Environmental Study Methodologies Useful for Public Health Projects. A Literature Review.

Health risks at population level may be investigated with different types of environmental studies depending on access to data and funds. Options include ecological studies, case-control studies with individual interviews and human sample analysis, risk assessment or cohort studies. Most public health projects use data and methodologies already available due to the cost of ad-hoc data collection. The aim of the article is to perform a literature review of environmental exposure and health outcomes with main focus on methodologies for assessing an association between water and/or soil pollutants and cancer. A systematic literature search was performed in May 2019 using PubMed. Articles were assessed by four independent reviewers. Forty articles were identified and divided into four groups, according to the data and methods they used, i.e.: (1) regression models with data by geographical area; (2) regression models with data at individual level; (3) exposure intensity threshold values for evaluating health outcome trends; (4) analyses of distance between source of pollutant and health outcome clusters. The issue of exposure assessment has been investigated for over 40 years and the most important innovations regard technologies developed to measure pollutants, statistical methodologies to assess exposure, and software development. Thanks to these changes, it has been possible to develop and apply geo-coding and statistical methods to reduce the ecological bias when considering the relationship between humans, geographic areas, pollutants, and health outcomes. The results of the present review may contribute to optimize the use of public health resources.

Impact of implementing a nationwide cervical cancer screening program on female population coverage by Pap-tests in Estonia.

BACKGROUND: The objective of the EUROCHIP project in Estonia was to describe the organized cervical cancer screening program started in 2006 (after pilot studies in 2003-2005), to compare its performance with opportunistic screening, and to define priorities for improvement of the program. METHODS: Population data was retrieved from Statistics Estonia, data about performed Pap-smear tests within the screening program from the Estonian Cancer Society and from clinics and labs participating in the program, data about Pap-smear tests outside the screening program from the Estonian Health Insurance Fund, and data about cancer incidence and mortality from the Estonian Cancer Registry database. RESULTS: During the first year after implementing the nationwide cervical cancer screening program in Estonia, the number of tests outside the organized program remained high. Within the organized program, the number of Pap-tests in different age groups increased with age except for the oldest age group while population coverage with Pap-tests outside the organized screening program decreased with age. The number of cervical cancer cases at early stages increased after implementation of organized screening. The time-frame does not permit to draw any definitive conclusions. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of organized cervical cancer screening did not decrease the volume of opportunistic screening. The factors influencing attendance in the organized cervical cancer screening program in different age groups should be studied further. Moreover, a central cancer screening registry without restrictive data protection legislation would improve data collection and enable to evaluate performance of the program on a regular basis.

Cervical cancer screening in Bulgaria--past and present experience.

BACKGROUND: In Bulgaria the previously (1970-1985) existing population based cervical cancer screening was replaced in the early 1990s with an opportunistic model due to political and socioeconomic reasons. As a result, in the last 20 years, cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates steady increased. The objective of the EUROCHIP project in Bulgaria was to evaluate the readiness of the health system as well as health providers' attitudes to implementation in the country of a population based screening program for cervical cancer. METHODS: Using a structured questionnaire, a convenience sample of medical specialists representing different actors involved in cervical cancer prevention, treatment, financing and policy were interviewed. RESULTS: The majority of interviewed practitioners worried that organization and implementation of an effective population-based cervical cancer screening program is not possible in the current unstable health system. A nostalgic attitude to the cervical cancer screening, performed in the past and pessimistic view on the capability of the current health system to cope are strong. As main barriers to implementation of an effective program were pointed financial and organizational ones. Motivation for gynecologists to perform smear test should include better information, organization and payment. DISCUSSION: Medical specialists in Bulgaria are aware of the alarming rates of cervical cancer incidence and mortality in the country. However, due to the insufficient communication and interaction between policy makers and front-line health care staff, they do not have enough information on the ongoing programs. Absence of health policy regarding screening is considered as main barrier for implementation of an effective screening program.

Cervical cancer assessment in Romania under EUROCHIP-2.

BACKGROUND: Inside the European project EUROCHIP-2, the Romania team has ruled out an assessment study regarding cervical cancer screening programs (CCS) in Romania, in Nov 2006-March 2007. The general purpose was to be aliened to European Council recommendations that states that an organized cervical screening program should be offered in all member states, in order to reduce the specific incidence and mortality. The aim of the study was to assess cervical cancer burden and current cervical cancer screening status in Romania and in various sub-regions (DR), and also to identify problems and barriers and to propose solutions for implementing an organized cervical cancer screening program at national level. METHODS: The study was based on a statistical survey and a comprehensive literature review of the most important European, national and regional papers or studies completed in this field. RESULTS: Over 2000-2006, a total number of 22,830 new cases and 12,763 deaths from cervical cancer was registered in Romania. In 2005, the crude rate of incidence varied largely in the 8 DR between 17.8-31.3 and mortality varied between 12.3-21.5. The proportion of women tested by DRs on total female population varied between 3.2%-0.6%; the highest screening activity was observed in region VI, where run the only organized CCS in Romania. In 2005, there were one GP per 578 female population aged 25-65; regarding the specialists in 2007 per country we had: 3,012 women aged 25-65 per one gynecologist, 21,195 women per one oncologist and 13,258 women per one histopathologist. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: There were no major changes in policy screening over 2000-2006 correlated with no major difference in specific mortality in Romania. Significant differences in incidence and mortality between DRs were observed in 2005, which impose deeper analyzes of local conditions and resources and local strategies to be adopted. The burden of cervical cancer is particularly high in Romania and is related to the absence of an organized CCS program or the ineffectiveness of the opportunistic screening programs. It is needed that European Council recommendations be implemented and quality assurance strategies to be checked and maintained at all screening levels in Romania.