Women need to reduce risk of cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women in India and first among gynaecological cancers. More than 90 per cent of cervical cancer is due to a viral infection called the human papillomavirus. The virus is transmitted through sexual contact. The health experts say it takes 5-10 years for the virus to change normal cervical epithelium to cancer, therefore it is important to prevent the infection.

“Once infection happens, only screening for cancer can be done by pap smear or HPV testing. So it is important to prevent viral infection. Fortunately, we have vaccines available for HPV infection, including Gardasil, Cervarix and Gardasil 9,” says Dr K Sivasubramaniam, Medical Oncologist & Radiation Oncologist, Be Well Hospital.

He added that the most important strains are HPV 16 and HPV 18 and these two strains are contained in all vaccines. Ideally, they should be given to females before their first sexual intercourse so that we can prevent the virus from entering or residing in female genitalia.

Gardasil targets HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18. Gardasil 9 targets 9 different strains and cervarix targets HPV 16 and 18. Nowadays Gardasil 9 vaccine is used commonly as it is protective against nine strains. Apart from cervical cancer other cancers like vulva, vagina, anus, oropharyngeal and other head and neck cancers, and some non-cancerous conditions are also prevented.

Doctors say the ideal vaccination schedule is between 9 to 14 years of age, two doses six months apart. For age 15 to 26 also vaccination is effective and three doses are recommended. The same 3-dose schedule is also useful in the 26-45 age group. It is given as an intramuscular injection.

So all females particularly the 9 to 14 year’s age group should consult an oncologist (cancer specialist) or gynaecologist and get vaccinated. It will prevent cervical cancer in later years.