Cervical Cancer: Everything to keep you informed
Cervical Cancer: Everything to keep you informed
- What is Cancer?
Cancer is a disease in which a person’s cells show abnormal behaviour. These abnormal cells multiply and grow at a faster rate and form tumours. There are many types of Cancer- Breast, skin, cervical, lungs, prostate, Leukemia, colon, etc.
These can be broadly put into two categories- Benign and malignant. Benign tumours are small tumours that can be surgically removed. These are easier to treat than malignant tumours as they tend to get displaced from their initial site and travel via the bloodstream and get lodged in a new place and start a tumour there. Here we will mainly focus on Cervical Cancer.
2. What is Cervical Cancer?
Cervical Cancer is the uncontrolled growth of Cervical Cells. It is caused by Human Papillomavirus(HPV).]
This Viral Infection is as deadly as any other viral infection like HIV or COVID-19. It can be avoided or prevented by vaccines. There are 2 Vaccines against HPV infection.
HPV Infection does not mean Cervical Cancer.
It takes a long time for the viral infection to get converted into Cancer. HPV infection can be detected way before it gets converted into cervical Cancer. Regular Gynaecologist Checkups and tests are useful in the early detection of HPV infection.
Similar to other viral infections, HPV infection can be washed off by good immunity and hygiene. Many women get infected by HPV but can wash it off by themselves without any diagnosis. Thus, a healthy lifestyle reduces the risk for HPV infection.
Cervical Cancer is the only cancer that is 100% curable and has an available vaccine. Still, India loses 1 woman every 8th minute due to cervical cancer. Also, India carries a burden of 1/4th of the world’s cervical cancer cases. Thus, these statistics make it necessary to spread awareness regarding it.
3. Diagnosis of Cervical Cancer
HPV is a Sexually Transmitted Infection. The symptoms of Cervical Cancer are Uncomfortable Intercourse, Bleeding during/after sex & Irritation. White Discharge with foul smell in excessive amounts and Abnormal Bleeding are the most common symptoms. These symptoms are common & so they are often ignored. HPV infection can be diagnosed way before it becomes Cancer. Hence, necessary tests & Check-ups should be done if any symptoms are observed.
Cervical Cancer shows severe symptoms in the 2nd or 3rd stage. Thus, the major complication is the late diagnosis of it. It shows common symptoms during the pre-cancer or 1st stage, which are usually neglected or ignored.
The Papanicolaou(PAP) test is a method of cervical screening used to detect potentially precancerous and cancerous processes in the cervix or colon. The necessary tests for diagnosis are HPV DNA test +PAP test. These tests should be done at least once every 5 years. These tests take only about 10 to 15 minutes. The PAP test alone should be done once every 3 years. All these tests are a must for sexually active women, especially for those above the age of 30.
4. Prevention and Vaccination
TREATMENTS:
If a woman goes for a regular gynaecologist check-up, the virus can be detected in its pre-cancer stage. In this stage, it can be treated in OPD itself by regular medication to clean the virus out. But if the viral infection is already transformed into Cancer, then the standard cancer treatment is followed, including a course of chemotherapy & radiation. The intensity of cancer treatment depends on the stage and complications of the individual.
PREVENTION:
The vaccines against HPV have been available in India since 2008. They are provided by Merck and Glaxo. There are different numbers of doses for different age groups of women. Girls of age between 9 to 14 have two doses at the gap of 6 months. Girls between 14 to 26 years have to take three doses of vaccines at the gap of 2 months and 6 months. Women above the age of 30 should do screening tests like PAP & HPV DNA testing to prevent the risk of cervical cancer.
Screening should be done regularly irrespective of the vaccination status because the efficacy of the vaccines is about 70%. That means there is still a 30% chance of a vaccinated woman getting an HPV infection. In developed countries, vaccination is done on boys also to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.
Long term Side effects of vaccines:
In India, the vaccine has been there for about 13 years, and since then, there are no side effects ever being reported.
Short term side effects of vaccines: No side effects are reported, but any allergies should be reported beforehand to the doctor.
5. Myths and Facts
1. Vaccine affects the menstrual cycle of female
No, it is just an antiviral vaccine that only prepares antibodies against the HPV in the body. Even males take the vaccines in a few countries. In males, it is for the mouth, penile tract or any other place where the virus can be present and make the boy a carrier.
2. Cervical Cancer only affects older women.
Yes. In younger women, when the menstrual cycle is normal, the body immunity is high, and it can deal with infections, including HPV, to a great extent, as mentioned earlier. But after menopause, the immunity in women reduces, and it increases the chances of the infection to manifest in the body.
3. HPV Virus Spreads Through Sexual Contact
Yes. It is a fact that HPV spreads through sexual contact, and it is the most extensive sexually transmitted infection. Hence, it is necessary to take necessary protection and maintain hygiene. The HPV virus, in general, spreads through skin contact, and sexual contact is the only way by which it reaches the cervix. However, only the HPV infection spreads and not Cancer. It takes about 1–10 years for the infection to convert to Cancer.
4. Males aren’t affected by the HPV virus.
This is a myth. Men also get HPV infections. However, in their case, it does not cause any fatal things for them. However, HPV infection in men manifests as Cancer in multiple areas of the body like oral Cancer, penile Cancer, anal Cancer etc. They are also the carriers, so they need to be aware of their role. So it is suggested that males also take the HPV vaccine and not just females.
5. Cervical Cancer can be genetically inherited.
No evidence as such. Cervical Cancer is caused by HPV infection, which is an environmental factor. Thus, Cervical Cancer is not genetically inherited as of now. But, it would help if you had an idea regarding your family history in case of chronic diseases.
6. Some Prevalent Perceptions and Current Situation in Society
On 17th Nov 2020, WHO came up with an elimination strategy for Cervical Cancer. According to WHO, countries like Australia would have eliminated HPV by 2025 and reached Sexually Transmitted Infection goals by 2030. On the other hand, WHO says that even up to 2130, India won’t be able to eliminate HPV. This Highlights the worst situation in India. The first thing that needs to be done is creating awareness. In today’s time, very few people know about HPV, and almost nobody is doing anything regarding its prevention. It is still considered to be taboo to talk about such topics.
Women sometimes might have done the HPV screening test ( PAP Test) but only after some doctor suggests it. Parents have given their children vaccines only after the paediatrician has asked them to do so. No one ever asks for a vaccine or goes for a screening test by themselves. This perception needs to be changed. In these areas, we need to create a lot of awareness. TEAL is the colour for Cervical Cancer, and January is the month for Cervical cancer awareness. So please try to spread awareness regarding this topic, especially during awareness month.
7. References
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