Cervical Cancer in Hindus
- In India, it is the second most frequent cancer among women, primarily affecting those in their middle years.
- With 77,348 fatalities and 1,23,907 new cases in 2022, India accounted for one-fifth of the world’s
- The primary cause is the existence of a high-risk, chronic HPV infection.
- co-factors that promote the onset and spread of cancer include poor socioeconomic level, weakened immune, various genital infections, smoking, and so forth.
- If caught early enough, cervical cancer is both preventable and treatable.
- The majority of incidences of cervical cancer and precancer are found in the reproductive age range.
- The pre-invasive stage of cervical cancer is protracted, lasting ten to fifteen years.
- This offers a window of time for the pre-invasive phases of the neoplasia to be detected and treated.
- When cervical cancer is discovered and treated early on, over 93% of cases are reported to be cured.
- Girls can avoid cervical cancer by getting vaccinated against HPV.
Causes of the high death rate:
- Ignorance
- Fear of cancer
- disease’s early signs not being obvious
- Women are not being screened
Cross-sectional study based on population (IIPH Hyderabad, Indian Institute of Public Health, 2021):
State of Andhra Pradesh:
- It revealed that only 3% of patients had received an HPV vaccination, and that for 68% of patients, traditional healers were their initial point of contact after developing cancer symptoms.
Actions made in response to cervical cancer:
- The only non-communicable disease that can be completely eradicated is cervical cancer.
- It might significantly help achieve Sustainable Development Goal 3.4, which calls for a one-third reduction in premature deaths by 2030.
Along three strategic pillars, WHO’s global plan includes specific goals and mechanisms for accountability:
- Propagation of HPV vaccination
- Early diagnosis and screening
- therapy for cervical cancer and precancerous lesions.
The suggested goals are:
- 90% of girls had received two doses of the HPV vaccine by the time they were 15 years old;
- 70% of women between the ages of 35 and 45 underwent a high-performance test screening.
- Palliative care is provided to 90% of women with cervical pre-cancer and cancer as part of treatment aimed at reducing the number of cases per 100,000 women to less than four.
Actions taken by India:
- Even in primary health centres, it has introduced cancer screening by certified nurses under the
- The NPCDCS programme stands for the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Diabetes, Heart Disease, Stroke, and Cancer.
- Simple and widely accessible screening instruments include HPV and ocular screening tests.
- For guidance, there are established methods for evidence-based management.
- Girls who are eligible will receive the HPV vaccine more frequently, which will stop the illness.
What actions are necessary?
- In locations with limited resources, HPV test kits and vaccines produced locally can be extremely helpful in allowing activities to be expanded.
The encouraging recent advancements include:
- HPV immunisation with a single dosage.
- HPV testing with self-sampling
- artificial intelligence tools that facilitate quick and precise diagnosis
- The potential for cervical cancer elimination in the future, even in LMICs, will be further accelerated by treatment.
- It is imperative to increase public knowledge about cervical cancer causes and preventative strategies.
- Promote the HPV vaccine’s uptake
- Create plans to combat vaccine reluctance.
- Promote age-appropriate screening, particularly with regard to HPV testing.
- Building capacity to increase the scale of pre-cancer treatment procedures
- seamless connections for referrals
- guaranteeing effective cancer care
- palliative care assistance when needed
- bolstering the healthcare systems so they can handle the full range of cervical cancer services.
- Consistent efforts are required to guarantee screening programmes that use the newest technologies for precise and timely diagnosis.
- Alongside this, cancer registries should be strengthened at the hospital and population levels, with better referral networks.
- It is important to reinforce the systems in place to lessen the cost of medical care.
- Create and maintain alliances with community-based organisations (NGOs) at the primary, secondary, and tertiary hospital levels.
- Individual tests are being developed by innovators and public health experts.
Path Ahead:
- Making all the connections in a patient’s care pathway is crucial, including quick diagnostic and treatment referrals, enhancing care quality, and utilising digital tools and simple communication.
- Sending out follow-up reminders and establishing early connections with palliative care will be helpful in bolstering the elimination efforts.
To move closer to the goal of eradicating cervical cancer, partnerships and collaborations in the most recent research as well as the adoption of effective models for community outreach and care pathways are equally important.
