The news of cervical cancer claiming the life of 32-year-old actress Poonam Pandey has shocked many. The incident is close on the heels of Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman's announcement during Thursday's interim budget, about encouraging vaccination of girls to prevent the ailment. The Union Health Ministry had last month said it is closely monitoring incidences of cervical cancer in the country and is in regular touch with states and various health departments on this. Indian women face a 1.6 percent lifetime cumulative risk of developing cervical cancer and a one percent cumulative death risk from cervical cancer, officials stated.
According to some recent estimates, every year almost 80,000 women develop cervical cancer, and 35,000 die due to it in India. Presently, the Serum Institute's made-in-India vaccine against cervical cancer, CERVAVAC, is available in the private market for about Rs 2,000 per dose. MSD Pharmaceuticals Pvt Ltd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Merck Sharp and Dohme (known as Merck and Co, Inc in the US and Canada) continues to sell its HPV vaccine Gardasil 4 (quadrivalent vaccine) in India which is currently priced at Rs 3,927 per dose.
Causes
Acccording to the World Health Organisation, prolonged infection with certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main cause of cervical cancer. “Persistent HPV infection of the cervix (the lower part of the uterus or womb, which opens into the vagina – also called the birth canal) if left untreated, causes 95% of cervical cancers,” according to the WHO website. While it takes 15–20 years for abnormal cells to become cancer, in women with weakened immune systems the process will be faster.
How to detect it early
WHO warns women should take medical health upon noticing the following:
1) Unusual bleeding between periods, after menopause, or after sexual intercourse
2) Increased or foul-smelling vaginal discharge
3) Persistent pain in the back, legs, or pelvis
4) Weight loss, fatigue, and loss of appetite
5) Vaginal discomfort
6) Swelling in the legs
(With PTI inputs)
