Press Info : Fighting Cervical Cancer and More
It is estimated that 12 Filipino women die of cervical cancer every day, making it the second most common cancer among women in the Philippines. About 6,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year; more than half of them will die within five years.
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That cervical cancer usually strikes at the peak of a woman’s productivity and family life or 35 to 55 years of age and diagnosed in the late stages further underscores just how grave a threat the disease is towards women. The disease indisputably carries great repercussions for the quality of life of patients.
To mark Cervical Cancer Awareness month this may, the Department of Health (DOH), along with the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society, the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists of the Philippines (SGOP), the Philippine Society for Cervical Pathology and Colposcopy, the Cancer Resource and Wellness (Carewell) Community, and Merck Sharp & Dohme, is set to undertake free nationwide cervical cancer screening for women ages 25 to 44 on May 26.
“This year marks a milestone for the annual program as it expands from 10 Metro Manila hospitals and 3 in the provinces to 60 DOH-retained hospitals all over the country,” said DOH Undersecretary Director Gako.
The screening program will come just days after a DOH two-day symposium for doctors, health experts and professionals on prevention and control of cervical cancer in the Philippines, including ways to address the root virus of the disease or HPV.
HPV or the human papillomavirus is a common infection in both men and women. There are over 100 HPV types with more than 30 of them affecting the genital area. A highly transmittable virus, genital HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection. US health data shows that 50% of sexually active men and women will get HPV.
High-risk HPV types are behind virtually all cases of cervical cancer, and may also lead to vulvar or vaginal cancer. Other types result in recurrent genital warts that annually affect 32 million men and women worldwide.
“Cervical cancer screening is a crucial secondary prevention method for early detection and treatment,” explained SGOP President Dr. Rey Delos Reyes. “Vaccination represents a primary prevention method to inhibit the development of the cervical cancer, as well as other HPV related diseases.”
For more information about HPV and the ways to ward off infection, consult your doctor and log on to www.helpfighthpv.com.
