Panama is advancing towards the creation of the region's first Reference Center for Cytopathological Diagnosis for the diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer, with the launch, at the new Policentro de San Isidro, of state-of-the-art equipment for performing cervical cytology tests to detect lesions. Carmen Viridiana Espinoza Ayala, Business Development Manager for Latin America at the diagnostic company Noul, explained that this technology will reduce the surgical backlog and allow for pre-diagnoses, sending information remotely to specialists. This will facilitate early molecular diagnosis and the scheduling of follow-up evaluations, so that patients can receive treatment in a timely manner. The Reference Center for Cytopathological Diagnosis will analyze Pap tests from all health regions in the country, prioritizing cases related to cervical cancer. "The equipment is already operating with tests from patients in critical condition, and some lesions have been detected," Espinoza Ayala noted. The new system can identify a parasite in a sample containing up to 300,000 cells, and diagnoses can be obtained in less than 30 minutes. Furthermore, the equipment allows for molecular tests on samples taken from patients with malaria. With the incorporation of this technology, the Ministry of Health reinforces its strategy to eliminate cervical cancer as a public health problem by the year 2029.
