Cervical cancer cases on the rise – VSMMC

CEBU, Philippines - Despite preventive measures, the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center recorded an increase in the number of cervical cancer patients this year.

VSMMC’s Dr. Marybeth de los Santos said,  in a month they have recorded three to five women being confined at the hospital for advance stage of cervical cancer.

“I could not tell you what’s our census for 2014,” she said.

De los Santos said that the Aboitiz Cancer Center holds the statistics in Cebu.

Dr. Eugenia Mercedes Cañal, Department of Health-7 Program Coordinator at the Non-Communicable Disease Section, said modern lifestyle may have caused the increase in cervical cancer cases.

“Awareness to people ang kailangan, but I think reinforcement lang gyud and individual principles nila kun unsa gyod ang paglikay,” said Cañal, adding that Filipino culture is also a factor because it is only when they feel something that people consult their doctors.

Delos Santos said the rising number is alarming because cervical cancer can be prevented through vaccine.

“Yes it’s alarming, somehow because supposedly there are primary and secondary preventions that we could have, at least to decrease the incidence no, but we still see women in advance stages,” she said.

Delos Santos said the primary prevention of cervical cancer is through a vaccine but it is quite expensive.

“Mas maayo gyud unta ang kaning vaccine has to be administered prior to sexual debut, before pa sila mag-engage into sexual contact, they have to be vaccinated mga as early as nine or ten years old,” she said.

Delos Santos added that there is a secondary prevention which is to have an annual screening.

“If the woman has sexual contact na at the age of 21, at least naa na siya’y annual cervical screening which we call the pap smear,” she said.

“The cause of this disease is the HPV or the human Papillomavirus and the way to prevent the transmission of HPV or to treat HPV first,” she said, noting that HPV disease would sometimes cause cervical cancer in 10 to 20 years.

Delos Santos said women are vulnerable to cervical cancer.

“So, when the woman has early contact as early as 17 years old, then that is a factor. Woman who had a lot of sexual partners more than 6, woman who are smoking, woman who had more children has higher risk,” she said.

She added that women who never had any screening are susceptible to the disease.

As part of the preventive measures, the DOH would be coordinating with the VSMMC for the observance of the Cervical Cancer Awareness Month this May.

VSMMC and DOH will have a series of activities this month.  Today, there will be a Lantern Walk that would start at the Fuente Osmeña Circle at 5 p.m. to Capitol Grounds.

The VSMMC will also hold a ‘Pulong-Pulong’ to educate patients regarding cervical cancer, which is recorded as the second common cancer for women next to breast cancer. —/LPM (FREEMAN)