The IARC Perspective on Cervical Cancer Screening

To the Editor: As discussed by Bouvard et al. (Nov. 11 issue), 1 the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which evaluates screening and treatment strategies for cervical cancer, assigned an “A” rating to the quality of a cluster-randomized, controlled trial conducted in Mumbai, India. 2 Reportedly, the Mumbai trial assessed the effectiveness of visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) for cervical cancer screening as compared with no screening. 1,2 However, documents obtained through the U.S. Freedom of Information Act established that the Mumbai trial assessed the effectiveness of unaided visual inspection, a cervical cancer screening test that cannot detect precancerous cervical lesions . . .