EXAME PAPANICOLAU COMO FERRAMENTA DE PREVENÇÃO DO CÂNCER CÉRVICO UTERINO NO BRASIL: REVISÃO DE LITERATURA

Cervical cancer is caused by a persistent infection with oncogenic subtypes of the human papillomavirus (HPV) and is one of the most common types of cancer among women in Brazil. The disease has the characteristic of progressing slowly, with no symptoms in the primary phase. The disease is diagnosed through the Pap smear, where cells are collected from the cervix to detect abnormalities. This article aims to identify and recognize the importance of the Pap smear as a tool for preventing cervical cancer in Brazil in the different female age groups, taking into account social, regional, cultural and economic factors. An exploratory literature study was carried out in the category of a bibliographic review, using the databases of the National Cancer Institute (INCA), Scientific Electronic Library Online (Scielo), Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (Lilacs), Google Scholar and USP's VHL Portal. The majority of the studies showed that there is low adherence among women to the Pap smear as a preventive tool. The discomfort, lack of information about the test, periodicity and its importance, low schooling, low income and religion are the main factors related to not having the test. The Pap smear is an important tool for the prevention of cervical cancer, because when it is carried out periodically it is able to detect lesions early, and consequently start treatment and cure the disease.