Understanding increasing risk of cervical cancer

CHENNAI: Peritoneal Surface Oncology, Recnac Oncology Team, MGM Cancer Institute says that advancements in surgery, such as Uterus Sparing Trachelectomy Surgery and Sentinel Node Biopsy for early cervical cancer, have shown promise in reducing Lymphedema of limbs. Moreover, advanced radiation techniques like IMRT, IGRT, and Brachytherapy significantly improve patient survival when the disease is detected early and treated effectively. One of the unique aspects of cervical cancer is the extended duration from sub-clinical disease to cancer development, making it amenable to effective screening strategies, much like agility of Jonty Rhodes on field.

Cervical cancer ranks as the second most common cancer among Indian women and stands as the third leading cause of death from all cancers across both genders in India. Shockingly, India accounts for nearly 20 percent of the annual global incidence of around 600,000 cases, with half of these cases resulting in fatalities.

Doctors say that human Papillomavirus (HPV), especially type 16 & 18, leads the attack on cervical tissues, paving the way for other risk factors like smoking, multiple childbirths, HIV, and other STDs to convert a common infection into cancer. In the fight against cervical cancer, our main treatment options, involve surgery and radiation, with chemotherapy playing a significant supporting role. Dr Balaji Ramani, Senior Consultant & Clinical

Dr Ramani added that regular pap smears every 3 years and HPV testing every 5 years, along with mass field screening strategies like Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid, enable early detection of the disease, often at stage zero, resulting in a nearly 100 percent survival rate. A recent game-changer has been the availability of the Cervical Cancer vaccine, offering protection against high-risk HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52 & 58 (causing cervical cancer) and low-risk types 6 & 11 (causing genital warts).