Having a healthy lifestyle and modifying your risk factors will help prevent you from acquiring the infection (HPV). Safe and healthy sexual practices and lifetime mutual monogamy is like-wise the key, so are quitting smoking and getting vaccinated.
Also, cervical cancer has a pre-cancer stage that is only detected through regular screening. Screening methods available today are Pap Smear and Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA).
Unlike other viral infections, such as measles or chicken pox, where exposure to the virus can provide lifelong protection, infection with HPV tends to evade the immune system and one doesn’t mount a good enough immune response to protect against a subsequent infection. So even if you have already been infected, say with HPV 16, it will not guarantee that you will not get the infection again in the future.
Thus enters the cervical cancer vaccine. “The vaccine works by inducing high antibodies against HPV 16 and 18” says Dr.Carrie. “up to 80 percent of women will get an HPV infection in their lifetime so women can benefit from protection afforded by the vaccine.”
To get the best immune response, the HPV vaccine is administered in three does over a period of six months, this vaccine prevents one from acquiring the HPV infection and does not cure an already existing infection or a diagnosed cancer, so it is effective 70-80 percent of the time, since it targets the strains that make up 70-80 percent of all cases. So, even if one has been vaccinated on schedule, this does not exempt her from still acquiring the disease and later on developing cancer, still with a 20-30 percent chance.
The cost of the vaccine really depends on the brand that one avails herself of and each has its own unique features and benefits. Fortunately, since the vaccine first became available, the cost has been significantly reduced by up to 60 percent,. This enables more Filipinas to avail themselves of the vaccine and to make the fight against cervical cancer winnable. Just as Pia Magalona vigilantly says in her cervical cancer awareness TVC with daughter, Maxene, “we have to fight it every way that we can!”
Tag Archives: cervical cancer
Preventing Cervical Cancer
Risk factor of cervical cancer
Risk factors for developing cervical cancer include early age of sexual debut, having multiple sexual partners, high number of full-term pregnancies, smoking, long term use of oral contraceptive pills, a weak immune system and presence of other sexually transmitted infections such as Chlamydia or gonorrhea. “Condoms do not necessary for transmission of this disease because the virus can live on the skin of the genital and pubic area, hence skin to skin genital contact, oral and manual manipulation are enough to transmit the virus. HPV can also be transmitted via contaminated clothing and HPV-infected cells shed during intercourse.”
Abnormal or irregular vaginal bleeding, pain during sex and vaginal discharge may already be symptoms of a more advance case. Other signs to watch out for include pelvic pain not related to your menstrual cycle, heavy or unusual discharge that may be watery, thick and possibly have a foul odor, increased urinary frequency, pain or difficulty during urination and bowel movement.
Causes of Cervical cancer
Cervical cancer is caused by a chronic and persistent cancer-causing type of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, which is transmitted sexually. The infection leads to pre-malignant lesions and progresses to cancer. Because it develops over time, cervical cancer is also one of the most preventable types of cancer by a cervical screening and a cervical cancer vaccine,
According to Dr. Carrie Pacheco-Purugganan, a Medical affairs manager for HPV and MMRV vaccines of GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) Philippines, cervical cancer occurs when there is uncontrolled growth of cancer cells developing in the cervix. She explains, “The early precancerous lesions may be silent without any signs and symptoms. Because of this, once the patient develops signs like pain or vaginal bleeding, the cancer may be at an advanced stage already and usually this may be at an advanced stage already ans usually this may mean poorer outcome with higher mortality rate.”
However, Cecap advocate Dr. Marlies Bosch clarifies, “Not all types of HPV cause cervical cancer as there are only about 15 cancer causing types, of which HPV type 16 and 18 are the most common, comprising 70-80 percent of all cases.” She also points out that it takes 10-30 years from the time of infection for the lesion to develop into cancer, so you may already have it, but don’t feel a thing. Early cervical cancer has no symptoms and it is only when the disease progresses that you may experience these symptoms, she says.
Cervical Cancer
Bad News: Cervical Cancer is the Second most common cancer among Filipino women.
Good News: it is HIGHLY PREVENTABLE
Much has been said about cervical cancer. In the past year all over the world, so many efforts have taken place for the sake of its awareness, advocacy and prevention though various television and radio ads, print ads, fundraisers, online readings and many others. Yet, with 500,000 new cases diagnosed worldwide and 250,000 deaths that occur each year, the efforts to reach out to women who may get affected are not enough. In the Philippines, 12 Filipinas die every day with more than half diagnosed during the late stages.