Cervical Cancer

 

Doctors warn about cervical cancer
By Desi Nurhayati

Doctors have warned women to be aware of the risk of cervical cancer, a disease that usually shows no symptoms but has the highest mortality rate of cancers in Indonesia.

An estimated 20 women die of cervical cancer in Indonesia everyday, and 41 new cases are diagnosed, according to Yanto Sinaga, an obstetrician and gynecologist from the Indonesian Cancer Foundation.
“Breast cancer is the most deadly disease for women in the rest of the world, but in Indonesia it is second to cervical cancer,” Yanto said in a discussion recently.

Cervical cancer affects more than 500,000 women worldwide annually, killing half of them. about 80 percent of women with cervical cancer live in developing countries, including Indonesia.

The cervix is the part of the woman’s reproductive system that connects the uterus to the vagina.

Cervical cancer is usually caused by human papillomavirus (HPV)m a sexually transmitted virus.

“Promiscuity is among risk factors for cervical cancer. Women who have more than six sexual partners and those who first have sex before the age of 15 are at a higher risk of infection,” Yanto said.

“A man who has sex with a woman who carries HPV could pass the virus to another woman, even if he uses a condom.

He said the risk for women who used hormonal contraceptive such as contraceptive pills for more than four years was about one to one-and-a-half times higher than that for other women.

Women who smoke, have an insufficient antioxidant intake or a high birth rate are also among the high-risk groups, he said.

According to the American Cancer Society, cervical cancer is usually diagnosed in women aged between 35 and 55 years old, but it can occur at younger ages.

Even though about 92 percent of cervical cancer cases are asymptomatic, especially in the early stages, Yanto said women should be aware of certain signs that might appear.

“Abnormal vaginal discharges and bleeding during sexual intercourse are some of the symptoms,” he said.

“In the mid and late stages, the disease usually causes metabolic disorders because it affects major organs such as the kidneys and the liver.”

To test for signs of cervical cancer, the American College of Obstetrician and Gynecologists recommends an annual pap smear for sexually active women aged 28 years and above.

Pap smears have helped reduce the incidence and mortality rate of cervical cancer in many countries.
To conduct a pap smear, a doctor inserts a speculum into the patient’s vagina to collect a cell sample from the cervix.

“Unfortunately, many women in Indonesia are still reluctant to have a pap smear because they are shy. In many cases, women think it is not necessary to have the test because there are no symptoms of the disease,” Yanto said.

Immunization against HPV could prevent the disease, but does not guarantee immunity because the vaccine currently available cannot fight all types of HPV.

Cited from The Jakarta Post
Tuesday April 29, 2008
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