Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer and the third leading cause of cancer deaths among women globally after breast and lung cancer; these figures were quoted by Dr. Yasmeen Bhurgri at a press conference on Cervical Cancer is Preventable organized by Health Awareness Society (HAS) at a local hotel here.
Speaking on cervical cancer prevalence, she added that annually, 270,000 women die of cervical cancer around the world: this is one every two minutes. Estimates show that up to 80% of women will acquire a Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection in their lifetime, while a staggering 75% of the 1.4 million cases occur in developing countries like Pakistan. The cancer affects the cervix or the neck of the womb and is caused by persistent infection with a particular virus, the HPV. Every woman who is sexually active is at risk of oncogenic HPV infection. A key study covering the period 1995 to 2007 shows a steady increase in the cancer’s incidence rate in Pakistani women. Surprisingly the research shows that cervical cancer’s prevalence is 27% in the financially deprived class and rising up to 48.7% in the affluent classes. The two options for prevention are screening and vaccination.
Dr. Yasmeen reported that in countries with established screening programmes, HPV vaccination coupled with screening is predicted to be “more effective than screening alone for the prevention of cervical cancer. A 2006 study suggests that in countries without existing screening programmes – such as Pakistan – vaccination is likely to be the most effective option to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer. HPV vaccines, now being introduced in Pakistan, prevent infection, and these are a strong media of protection.
Ideally all girls should be vaccinated at the community level and before marriage: their risk levels are much higher than those faced by earlier generations. In a society where so much emphasis is placed on the girls’ dowry, this is probably the most precious gift the parents can give their daughters, a future free from the trauma of Cervical Cancer. Dr. Yasmeen called for joining hands to help “these innocent future victims of today’s ignorant health policies. The world is taking effective measures to prevent the preventable, and it is time that we (Pakistan) follow suit. A mass scale awareness drive should be conducted for educating our women about the risk of this deadly disease and available primary and secondary prevention. I would like to encourage all women to guard themselves against cervical cancer – a silent killer.” Speaking on the importance of cervical cancer prevention and screening, Dr. Shereen Z. Bhutta said that the global burden of cervical cancer is nearly 500,000 cases and underlined the fact that at least 30 different types of HPV target the genital mucosa, and half of them can cause cancer. In fact all cervical cancers are caused by HPV and while most of these infections resolve, some may persist causing lesions that lead to cervical cancer in the long term. Dr. Shereen said that deaths from cervical cancers can and do occur in countries with established screening procedures and added that especially in Pakistan and other developing countries, “vaccines offer the only strategy for prevention of this cancer, as they are more effective and cost beneficial in the long term than screening alone.” Underlining the Screening status in developing countries she said that there is limited or no screening, with inadequate planning and implementation and overall poor quality.
Dr Shereen illustrated in her presentation the potential impact of an HPV vaccine over a period of time: a study shows an estimated 70% reduction in invasive cervical cancer.
HAS is a not-for-profit organization that over the last 15 years has conducted health awareness programmes across the country.