De Casa en Casa

Background

Cervical cancer is preventable and diagnosable early with regular pap tests and HPV testing.

Each year, approximately 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and about 4,000 women die from cervical cancer in the US. Sixty percent of cervical cancers occur in resource- poor communities.

In Texas, Hispanic women have a higher incidence (15.1 per 100,000 women, compared to 8.1 per 100,000 among white women) and are 1.9 times more likely to die from the disease.

Hispanic women residing on the US-Mexico border have even higher cervical cancer incidence rates, a high late-diagnosis rate and one of the highest mortality rates in the US.

Screening rates among Hispanic women along the border are suboptimal.

Overview of Program

The overall goal of De Casa en Casa is to reduce the burden of cervical cancer in our border community by facilitating early diagnosis and access to treatment in El Paso and Hudspeth Counties. This program is comprised of an educational session and no-cost cancer screening and diagnostic testing.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligible participants must be women between the ages of 21 and 65 who are uninsured/underinsured and not up-to-date with cervical cancer screening, and have a Texas address. Exclusion criteria include past history of cervical cancer or hysterectomy.

Funding

This program has been funded by two Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT) grants since 2013. The program covers 105 West Texas counties, including El Paso and Hudspeth counties.

 

Program Outcomes
Pap Screenings Completed	5,100	Completion Rate	75%
Pap Screenings Scheduled	6,800
Colposcopies Completed	400	Completion Rate	92%
Colposcopies Scheduled	435