This week the Social Security System, or Caja, launched a pilot project for early detection of anal cancer in HIV patients.
The new procedure will be carried out on patients at the Calderón Guardia Hospital in San José, which houses an infectious diseases unit and serves most of Costa Rica’s patients with HIV.
Samples taken this Monday from approximately 30 volunteer patients were submitted to the National Center for Cytology, where they will be analyzed by cytopathology specialists.
In the case of positive results, health officials will notify Calderón Guardia’s HlV clinic for appropriate treatment.
According to Rodrigo Álvarez, director of the Caja’s cytology lab, the project’s aim is “to evaluate the results obtained at Calderón Guardia [Hospital] and assess the possibility of extending [the program] to other HIV-AIDS centers in the country.
