Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the possibility of providing a cervical screening facility to a poor population.
Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in the period from December 1994 to December 1997, with 1384 women from the poor districts of Barretos, São Paulo and three other neighbouring cities. Performed by a nurse, the programme included door-to-door interviews and cervical screening. The Papanicolaou smears were taken either at the community centre or at home using a portable gynaecological table transportable by bicycle, developed by the Institution.
Results: From 1384 interviewed women, 1044 (75.4%) agreed to undergo the examination and 499 (47.8%) had never had the test or had not had it repeated within the last 3 years. Among 1044 examined women, seven cases of carcinoma 'in situ', one invasive squamous cell carcinoma (stage IB) and two polyps were found.
Conclusions: This study shows that programmes of cancer prevention in poor populations can be as successful as those carried out in more developed countries by taking advantage of innovations in the delivery of care.