Cervical Cancer Screening and Is It Effective?
If your doctor suggests you get a screening done, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have cancer. Cancer Screening is conducted to spot any abnormal tissue that can lead to cancer.
Intensive research is being conducted on what things and habits are more likely to cause cancer. This allows doctors to gain a better understanding of whom the screening tests should be done.
What Is Cervical Cancer?
The cervix is located at the narrow end of the uterus, leading the uterus to the vagina in the female reproductive system.
It is the 4th most common cancer women suffer from apart from Breast Cancer, Skin Cancer and Lung Cancer.
Cervical cancer often progresses slowly over time. Before cancer develops in the cervix, the cells undergo Dysplasia, a process in which abnormal cells begin to emerge in the cervical tissue. Cancer cells begin to develop and spread deeper into the cervix and neighbouring regions later on.
What To Look For In Cervical Cancer?
Here are a few warning signs you should look for if you’re being suspected of getting cervical cancer:
- Vaginal bleeding after sexual intercourse
- Unusual bleeding between the menstrual cycles and post menopausal women
- Pain during sexual intercourse
- Abnormal vaginal discharge
- Abdominal and backaches
- Recurring Urinal Infection
Screening Tests for Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer cases (99%) are linked to infection with high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPV), an extremely common virus transmitted through sexual contact ans seen in lower socioeconomic community
Cervical cancer screening involves testing women who have no symptoms and may feel perfectly healthy. When screening detects an HPV infection or pre-cancerous lesions, these can easily be treated, and cancer can be avoided. Because pre-cancerous lesions take many years to progress.
Comprehensive cervical cancer control can be done in 3 stages and starts from around 10 years …
Primary control
Target age group is 9-14 years , who have not been exposed to HPV infection , so they should be vaccinated and provide health and Community education
Secondary control
women who have been exposed to HPV infection, so after 25 years all the women should undergo HPV DNA testing once in 5 years, or once in 3 years cytology test , that is Pap smear tests.
Tertiary control
women who have been diagnosed with cervical cancer should be given appropriate treatment and control the disease
With a comprehensive approach to prevent [vaccinate], screen and treat, cervical cancer can be eliminated as a public health problem within a generation.
Is Cervical Screening Effective?
Pap Smear and HPV Tests are known to be effective.
But the thing with screening tests is that they can sometimes be inaccurate. This is because of false positives and false negatives and they are unavoidable. So you have to keep track of your symptoms very carefully.
On the other hand, it can be useful to detect or rule out the possibility of being diagnosed with cancer.
Click here to consult us Dr Lahari and Dr Ajay Chanakya for any cancer-related queries