Cervical Cancer - Know all about Prevention, Screening & Vaccination

Recently, A rumor was spread in social media and mainstream media regarding the death of actress Poonam Pandey. Later this was revealed when Poonam Pandey herself released a video through her social media saying that she was alive and she did this kind of drama to raise awareness about cervical cancer among the people. This whole matter cannot be justified at all and many people on the internet are strongly condemning this incident. They say that good can be found even in evil, so overall only one thing has come to the fore that the risk of cervical cancer should not be underestimated and vaccination should be done on time and if any kind of symptoms are seen then immediately consult a doctor. It is absolutely possible to prevent this disease by contacting . In this blog, we are going to tell you in detail what are the symptoms and prevention measures of cervical cancer.

What is cervical cancer?

Cervical cancer affects the lining of the cervix, i.e. the lower part of the uterus. There are two types of cells lining the cervix – squamous or flat cells and columnar cells. The area of the cervix where one type of cell transforms into another type of cell is called the squamo-columnar junction. This is the area where cancer is most likely to develop. Cervical cancer develops slowly and becomes full-blown with time.

The statistics related to Cervical Cancer, especially for India are alarming.

According to a report by International Journal of Innovative Research & Development, one woman dies every 2 minutes worldwide due to cervical cancer. In India alone a woman succumbs to Cervical Cancer every 8 minutes. 

India ranks fourth in terms of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers in women worldwide. In rural areas, cervical cancer still remains the number 1 cancer in women.

Statistics show that cervical cancer has emerged as the second most common cause of cancer death among Indian women aged 15 to 44 years. There is a lack of awareness around it and very few are aware about the vaccination for this life threatening disease. 

Cervical cancer accounts for 11.1 percent of total cancer-related deaths. This situation becomes worse because only 3.1 percent of women in the country get tested for this condition. Screening of Cervical Cancer is a must given the way this disease has been affecting India.  

There are several types of cervical cancer, which are classified based on where they develop in the cervix. Cancer that develops in the ectocervix is called squamous cell carcinoma, and approximately 80–90% of cervical cancer cases (over 90% in India) are of this type. Cancer that develops in the endocervix is called adenocarcinoma.

What are the main causes of cervical cancer?

1.The main reason for the development of cervical cancer is human papilloma virus (HPV) infection. HPV is a sexually transmitted disease, there are different types of HPV infection such as HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 52 and 58. Among these are HPV 16 and HPV 18.

2. Use of oral contraceptives

3. Uninterrupted Copper-T use for more than 5 years

4. Sexually transmitted infections, HIV infection

5. Smoking

6. Chewing tobacco

7. Genital warts

 8. Poor sanitary conditions

 9. Reproductive tract infection

 10. Due to low intake of fruits and vegetables

There are mainly 4 symptoms of cervical cancer.

1. Bleeding: Irregular bleeding, bleeding between periods, bleeding after coitus, bleeding after menopause, stress such as defecation and urination.

2. Leucorrhoea: Excessive white vaginal discharge in women, sometimes it may be blood-tinged or offensive.

3. Cachexia: It is a condition of extreme weakness. The patient's skin becomes emaciated, becoming loose and wrinkled due to rapid wasting of muscles, sunken eyes, pale mucous membranes, anemia, loss of appetite, etc.

4. Pain: Pain is almost always a late symptom. Knee pain, leg and back pain

5. Other symptoms: Occur in late cases and include symptoms such as painful and frequent urination, urinary incontinence, etc. Painful defecation and itching due to vaginal discharge.

There are three common methods used to screen for cervical cancer, these are

1. Visual inspection test

2. Pap smear test

3. Colposcopy

7.1 visual inspection test

What measures should be tried to prevent Cervical Cancer

Screening: According to WHO, screening is recommended for women aged 30 to 49 years. It is also recommended to have a traditional PAP smear test every 3-5 years.

Vaccine: Vaccines are also available against high-risk HPV viruses. School going girls need to be given 13 doses to achieve maximum immunity. The risk of cervical cancer can be reduced by the integration of both screening programs and vaccination.

Better hygiene, use of barrier contraceptives during intercourse, avoiding multiple sexual partners, abstaining from smoking are some simple steps that will prevent this cancer from occurring.

While presenting the Interim Budget 2024, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has announced that a free vaccination campaign for girls aged 9-14 years will be started for the prevention of Cervical Cancer. This campaign will be started under Mission 'Indradhanush'. Serum Institute of India (SII) will make a vaccine named Cervavac to prevent cervical cancer, providing protection against four strains of HPV - 16, 18, 6 and 11. SII CEO Adar Poonawala had already said that the vaccine will be priced at Rs 200-400 a dose.

Experts say that cervical cancer is the only female cancer which can not only be completely prevented but is also treatable in the early stages. The key is to learn about it and screen ourselves regularly. Moreover, we can also share about the vaccination and screening with school going girls and their parents for timely vaccination. ​