Cervical cancer is 2nd most diagnosed cancer in India
Cervical cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer in India, according to Dr D. Leela, Gynaecology Oncologist of Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital and Research Centre (HBCH&RC) at Aganampudi in Visakhapatnam. She was speaking after screening mother-daughter pairs at Visakha Vimala Vidyalayam at Pedagantyada on Friday.
She said a mother’s awareness about symptoms and risk factors for cancer has a large impact on the daughter’s knowledge and attitude. As a cancer prevention measure, mother and adolescent daughter pairs are selected as sample cases, because they are the target population at risk of carcinoma cervix.
Mothers aged 30 years and above are screened for breast and cervical cancer. Daughters, aged between 10–14 years, are given two doses of HPV vaccination at an interval of six months while those above 15 years are given three doses at 0, 2 and 6 months interval to protect them against HPV infection, thereby preventing cervical cancer, Dr Leela explained.
Dr D. Raghunatha Rao, director of HBCH&RC, said in a bid to prevent incidence of cervical cancer, the hospital has adopted remote villages like Appapuram and Dhana-nipeta in Srikakulam district for complete screening of all women and vaccination of all girls against HPV virus, wh-ich causes the cancer. Till now, they screened over 100 pairs of mother-daughter.
She said a mother’s awareness about symptoms and risk factors for cancer has a large impact on the daughter’s knowledge and attitude. As a cancer prevention measure, mother and adolescent daughter pairs are selected as sample cases, because they are the target population at risk of carcinoma cervix.
Mothers aged 30 years and above are screened for breast and cervical cancer. Daughters, aged between 10–14 years, are given two doses of HPV vaccination at an interval of six months while those above 15 years are given three doses at 0, 2 and 6 months interval to protect them against HPV infection, thereby preventing cervical cancer, Dr Leela explained.
Dr D. Raghunatha Rao, director of HBCH&RC, said in a bid to prevent incidence of cervical cancer, the hospital has adopted remote villages like Appapuram and Dhana-nipeta in Srikakulam district for complete screening of all women and vaccination of all girls against HPV virus, wh-ich causes the cancer. Till now, they screened over 100 pairs of mother-daughter.