Dr.Dinesh
Port Blair, Apr 15: A & N islands private practicing Doctors Association (ANIPPDA) will conduct a free “pap smear test” for women for early detection of cervical cancer on 28/4/13 from 10 am to 1 pm at Astha Clinic. Cervical cancer is the third most common cancer in women worldwide. Women at the highest risk of developing cervical cancer are those between the ages of 40 and 49; the incidence of cancer gradually declines among women aged 50 and above.
“What most people do not know about cervical cancer is that it is caused by a virus and that with regular testing and early diagnosis it can be easily prevented and stopped in its tracks before developing into uncontrollable cancer cells. The virus infection which leads to cervical cancer is called the human papilloma virus (HPV). The cervix is considered to be the lower third of the uterus. A quick and inexpensive test done in the gynecologist’s clinic, the Pap smear, detects any abnormality of the cells in this area which can be easily treated at this stage before the affected cells go cancerous.
However, women between 40 and 49 years should be checked every year. Early diagnosis and treatment dramatically increase the chances of successful treatment and survival, rather than detecting the illness later on when the cancer has increased in size and may have metastasized to other parts of the body. According to oncologists, the survival rate for the earliest stage of cervical cancer is 92 percent and 60 to 70 percent for those with stage II cancer.
This is very promising in the usefulness of the Pap smear test as a diagnostic tool that can save lives. The early stages of cervical cancer may arise without any warning signs, which is why regular screening is emphasized by physicians. Occasionally, symptoms of cervical cancer may include one or more of the following: vaginal bleeding, a vaginal mass, moderate pain during intercourse, and unusual vaginal discharge. Symptoms of advanced cervical cancer are loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, pelvic pain, back pain, leg pain, swollen legs, and heavy vaginal bleeding.
Although contracting HPV is the main cause of cervical cancer, inadequate nutrition may also play a slight role. Eating a diet rich in anti-oxidant vitamins is essential for overall good health and not just for fighting cancer.
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