Women urged to screen for cervical cancer
Audrey Micah, Ghanadot

Accra, Feb 12, Ghanadot - Cervical cancer has become one of the most reported cases in hospitals around the country. Globally, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer death among women, after breast cancer.

The cervix of women, which is found in the lower part of the uterus, performs a significant role in protecting  and providing physical barrier to infections in women.

Though the cervix role is important, there are times when abnormal cervical cell changes may occur without symptoms. The symptoms only become visible if those cells develop into cervical cancer.

In an interview with Dr. Lynda Decker of Franklyn Medical Service, Ghanadot learned that cervical cancer develops as a result of persistent infection into a cancer – causing virus, known as Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).

She said the virus is extremely common and easily transmitted from skin-to-skin contact in the genital area. According to her although there are about hundred types of HPV, not all of them causes cervical cancer and some of them causes genital warts.

Explaining further, Dr. Decker said fifteen out of hundred types of HPV can cause cancer and out of this only two have a high association with cervical cancer.

She outlined some symptoms, saying when one starts to bleed from the vagina or experiences a change in menstrual cycle that is not normal, or starts to bleeed as a result of sexual act; or experiences pain during the act, it will be time to see a doctor.

In Ghana, cervical cancer is one of the most frequent cancer types that affect women and the leading cause of cancer mortality. It is estimated that each year, approximately two thousand women will develop cervical and eighty percent will die from the disease.

To her sexually active women were at risk and the risk begun with a sexual debut, worsening with the early onset of sex and lasted throughout a woman’s lifetime.

Using condoms as a protective measure, she explained did not offer full protection against HPV because penetrative intercourse was not the only means of transmitting HPV. Number of sex partners, age at sexual debt and current smokers were the risk factors. She urged women to report such cases to their doctors for immediate treatment.

According to her, screening is vital and should be done once a year to help protect women. She however maintained that one screening is not inadequate, hence the need to look at vaccination to eliminate the primary case of the disease.

Mrs Lynda Decker advised that since the disease is spread by engaging in sexual intercourse it would be better to abstain from sex as a preventive measure.

Ghanadot

 

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