Bhubaneswar: Cervical cancer may be one of the most common cancers among women in India, but it is largely preventable if awareness is created from an early age.
According to Brig. (Retd) Dr Sudhanshu Kumar Rath, Senior Professor in Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology at Kalinga Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) Bhubaneswar, mitigation lies in early immunisation.
“Vaccine should be taken before sexual debut. However, as early as 9-10 years has been recommended as at that age the immune response is excellent,” Dr Rath said, adding that a broader consensus is developing among policymakers for early immunisation.
The month of January is dedicated to raising awareness about cervical cancer and human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccination. The World Health Organisation (WHO) has been focussing on ending cervical cancer within a few generations and has picked this as the theme for this month.
Cervical cancer, the second-most prevalent cancer in India, is linked to HPV that is transmitted through sexual contact. The infections can regress spontaneously, but persistence could be a cause of concern.
Approximately 1.25 lakh women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year in India, while over 75,000 die from the disease.
KIMS receives about 10 to 12 cases every year.
The symptoms of cervical cancer are irregular bleeding, post-coital (after sexual intercourse) bleeding and foul-smelling discharge.
But Dr Rath pointed out the remedy lies in our hands if the level of awareness is high.
“Not all cells become cancerous. Some will reverse as well. We need to address them there itself,” said Dr Rath, considered to be an expert in this field.
The standard form of diagnosing pre-cancerous lesion is through the ‘pap smear’ test. HPV test is also done in selected centres.
Stressing that tests should be undergone at the interval of three to five years, he said KIMS offers the best treatment — preventive to curative — available in any healthcare facility in the country.
The indigenous production of vaccine for cervical cancer in India has helped bring down the cost of each dose.
The Central government last September announced India’s first indigenously developed vaccine ‘Cervavac’ for the prevention of cervical cancer. It has been developed by Pune-based Serum Institute of India (SII) in collaboration with Department of Biotechnology (DBT) of the Union Science and Technology Ministry.
