Background: Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide. Organized cervical
screening and vaccination against human papilloma virus (HPV) have been successful interventions for prevention
of invasive cervical cancer (ICC). Because of cultural and religious considerations, ICC has low incidence in Iran
and many other Muslim countries. There is no organized cervical screening in these countries. Therefore, ICC
is usually diagnosed in advanced stages with poor prognosis in these countries. We performed a priority setting
exercise and suggested priorities for prevention of ICC in this setting.
Methods: We invited experts and researchers to a workshop and asked them to list important suggestions for ICC
prevention in Iran. After merging similar items and removing the duplicates, we asked the experts to rank the
list of suggested items. We used a strategy grid and Go-zone analysis to determine final list of priorities for ICC
prevention in Iran.
Results: From 26 final items suggested as priorities for prevention of ICC, the most important priorities were
developing national guidelines for cervical screening and quality control protocol for patient follow-up and
management of precancerous lesions. In addition, we emphasized considering insurance coverage for cervical
screening, public awareness, and research priorities, and establishment of a cervical screening registry.
Conclusion: A comprehensive approach and implementation of organized cervical screening program is necessary
for prevention of ICC in Iran and other low incidence Muslim countries. Because of high cost for vaccination and
low incidence of cervical cancer, we do not recommend HPV vaccination for the time being in Iran
