Every 6 minutes a woman is diagnosed with gynaecologic cancer and out of the five types of cancer prevalent in women, cancers in cervix uteri are found to be the most common type. In India, more than 122,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and more than 67,000 die of the disease every year. About 25% of all cervical cancer deaths in the world occur in India.
Irregular menstrual cycle, bleeding after having sex, vaginal or heavy white discharge and frequent pain in the lower abdomen, waist and back, are few of the most prominent symptoms of the disease. Cervical cancer, mainly caused by Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection, is the leading cancer in Indian women and the second most common cancer in women worldwide.
Cervical cancer is a preventable disease and if it is detected early then can be cured with better treatments as well; yet it is the fourth most common cancer among women globally. In India, lack of awareness about cervical cancer screening remains the biggest challenge as less than 30% of women in India have been screened for cervical cancer. While there are several methods of preventing cervical cancer, vaccination is the most effective strategy. Efficacy, immunogenicity, and safety of the vaccination have all been researched in several studies and the questions related to necessity of vaccination, the necessity for booster doses, and cost-effectiveness remain the sources of debate in India.
HPV AND PREVENTION
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted pathogen that causes anogenital and oropharyngeal disease in males and females. Persistent viral infection with high-risk HPV genotypes causes virtually all cancers of the cervix. The high-risk HPV genotypes (or “types”) 16 and 18 cause approximately 70 percent of all cervical cancers worldwide, and types 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58 cause an additional 20 percent. HPV types 16 and 18 also cause nearly 90 percent of anal cancers and a significant proportion of oropharyngeal, vulvar and vaginal cancer, and penile cancer. HPV types 6 and 11 cause approximately 90 percent of anogenital warts.
A vaccine is injected to prevent women from HPV and to reduce c Routine. HPV vaccination is recommended at 11 to 12 years and prior to an individual’s sexual debut. The efficacy of the HPV vaccine is measured as its ability to prevent HPV infection, genital warts, and precancerous lesions. Recent reviews of how HPV vaccines have performed over the past decade show that the two vaccines have high efficacy, preventing infection and lesions for between five and 10 years after immunisation. The efficacy of the vaccine in preventing cervical cancer is more than 90%.
THE KEY TO BETTER DISEASE MANAGEMENT
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has set a target to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030. The WHO aims to eliminate cervical cancer by 2030, 90 per cent of the girls had to be fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15; 70 per cent of women screened by the age of 35, and again by the age of 45, among several other measures to be adopted.
Very few women are screened for cervical cancer despite India accounting for 16 per cent of total cervical cancer cases occurring globally. Screening is a preventative service and different techniques have been found effective in reducing the incidence of the disease. Being able to find the diagnosis early can improve the chances of a successful therapy and can prevent delay in diagnosis. In the rural India, some of the barriers to early screening are Ignorance, fear of cancer detection, Medicines, Infrastructure, Poverty, and Illiteracy.
In India, other than cancer screenings, there are other tests like PAP smear screening, HIV-DNA test and several programs that have been launched by The Ministry of Health.