If you are a woman, take heed. This female serial-killer is out there, waiting to strike. All around the world, it has killed millions of women already- and it will likely kill the millions more who remain unaware that they could be the next target of this fatal female disease known as cervical cancer.
According to the Department of Health, cervical cancer is considered the second most common female cancer in the Phillippines today. An estimated 7,277 new case are reported every year- a number that is said to inaccurately represent the whole population, considering that the surveys to determine the estimate were conducted only in Rizal, Cebu, and Davao. In any case, more than half of this number will die because of this disease within 5 years. Simply because women are uneducated on how to protect themselves from the disease.
An occurrence where the normal cells of the cervix turn cancerous, cervical cancer is usually caused by a chronic and persistent cancer-causing type of Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection that leads to pre-malignant lesions that progress to cancer. Because the condition may take ten to thirty years to happen, there is a large window of opportunity to screen , detect, and diagnose the lesions before it gets malignant. Visual inspection of the cervix with Acetic Acid (VIA) and pap smear help identify these lesions.
But more than detection, prevention is also possible using a relevant and effective vaccine that specifically targets the cause of cervical cancer, which is HPV- particularly types 16 and 18.
The clock is ticking. Ask your doctor today about the vaccine. With regular screening, cervical cancer vaccination and a healthy lifestyle, women can save themselves from cervical cancer before it’s too late.
This is a public service announcement on cervical cancer. I was recently invited to attend a forum discussion on cervical cancer and the treatments/ vaccines available today.