Cervical cancer awareness programme to be launched in State in month's time

CERVICAL cancer is the most common cancer found in the Indian women, said Dr Pankaj Shah, Director of the MP Shah Cancer Hospital. Almost 25 per cent of the world's cases of cervical cancers are found in India alone. Under the Ahmedabad District Cancer Control Programme, the Gujarat Cancer Research Institute (GCRI) will introduce visual examination to detect cervical cancer at early stages.

The programme will be launched across the State in a month's time.

Cervical cancer occurs due to a sexually transmitted virus. Patients and doctors often overlook the risks of cervical cancer because there are hardly any symptoms in first ten years, the precancerous stage, of having contracted the virus.

The visual methods of examination include application of iodine and acetic acid on the cervix and observe the changes in colour. The two methods are called Visual Inspection with Lugol's Iodine (VILI) and Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA).

"If detected in the first ten years, there is 100 per cent survival rate among patients. If detected in later stages, there is only a 40 per cent chance of survival among its patients," said Dr Ava Desai, a gynaecologist in the cancer hospital.

Due to inaccessibility of the Pap Smear Test in our country, almost 75 per cent of the patients are diagnosed late and in incurable stages of cancer. "The GCRI programme hopes to rope in almost 10,000 gynaecologists in government, municipality and private hospitals to raise awareness about and encourage early detection of the deadly cancer," said Dr Pankaj Shah.

The conventional method of detection of cervical cancer is the Pap Smear Test. However, this test requires significant infrastructure like laboratories, trained personnel and testing equipment. In developing countries like India, economical constraints, lack of awareness and social conservativeness greatly reduce the chances of early detection of the cancer.

"Developed countries like USA and Norway have reduced their morbidity and mortality rates significantly. India still does not have a national cervical screening programme," said Dr Ava Desai. "Our first aim is to increase awareness about this cancer and break the social stigma surrounding gynaecological examinations."

Though vaccines are available to prevent the cancer, their effectiveness has not been proved completely. Apart from being expensive, the vaccine can only be administered to women who have had no prior sexual contact.

source : news.yahoo.com