Come April and Kalavathi (name changed) will mourn the death of her mother who passed away last year. “It came as a rude shock when my mother was diagnosed of cervical cancer one-and-a-half years ago and by the time the cancer was detected it was too late to cure her. So doctors just made her comfortable.” one of her daughters who does not wish to be named, says. Early detection of cancer can surely cure the patient who is suffering this deadly disease. Cancer has become very common in women in India so much so that one in every four women who suffers this disease is an Indian.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), if the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccine is administered globally, hundreds of thousands of lives could be saved each year. We interacted with gynaecologic oncologist specialists, Dr Anbukkani Subbian from Kovai Medical Center and Hospital (KMCH). This specialist shares with us that of all cancers, cervical cancer affects a majority of women.
“Early detection and treatment can help in curing any cancer. If the cancer is diagnosed in the first stage, the patient can be cured of this disease. And, if the cancer is identified in the stage 3 or 4 all we can do is make the patient comfortable. One of the ways to diagnose cervical cancer is by doing the pap smear test. Every married woman whose sexual life is activated must get this test done as this is the only way to diagnose cervical cancer in women.” Dr Anbukkani Subbian said.
The trouble with cervical cancer is that it is a silent killer. It displays no signs or symptoms in the patient and symptoms of cervical cancer are displayed at a later stage. A few common symptoms may include pain during sexual intercourse, vaginal bleeding that is abnormal or pelvic pain. Women who have a weak immune system, habitual smokers and those who take birth control pills for a prolonged period of time are a high risk of developing cervical cancer. This makes it all the more important for women to do the pap smear test.
At KMCH cervical cancer is treated using robotic arms. “The cost of equipment is high and mechanical arms are used in this procedure. This has the same outcome of laparoscopy and at KMCH we charge patients who opt for this surgery the same amount as we charge for a laparoscopy surgery.” Dr Anbukkani Subbian said.
Her piece of advice for women “Prevention is better than cure, so every married woman must necessarily do the pap smear test once in every three years. It may cost a few thousand rupees, however it can go a long way in saving the woman and her family a lot of trouble.”