From cradle, every human is biologically expected to traverse series of developmental process. The inescapable growth of every being and the impinging environmental activities determine to a large extent the health status of every person. Diseases abound in every human society and they come in various forms and shades- Malaria, Hypertension, Yellow fever, Diabetes, Cancer and many more.
Definition
Cancer, and in this case, cervical cancer as a chronic
disease has been a subject of intense intellectual
discourses for quite a long time. By definition, cervical
cancer is the tumor of the cervix. Cervix is the neck of
the womb while, tumor is abnormal growth of the cells in
the body that spread to invade the surrounding tissue.
Types
There are various types of cervical cancer: Squamous cell
carcinoma, which develops from the squamous cell which
covers the cervix. It is the most common and account for
80% of all cervical carcinoma. Others are: adenocarcinoma,
which develops from a glandular cell within the cervical
canal, Carcinoma in situ and metastatic carcinoma. It
should be noted that cancer cervix is most common in women
of 45 to 55 years and about half a million people are
affected by the disease worldwide. Regrettably, the
disease is most common in women in developing countries
where there is prevalence of low socio economic indices.
Risk Factors
The risk factors for cervical cancer include: lack of
screening, multiple child birth, multiple sexual partner
or having partner that have multiple sexual partners;
multiple pregnancy, early sexual intercourse, low
immunity-women on steroids, HIV patient, diabetic patient,
infection with sexually transmitted infections such as
human papilloma virus.
Symptoms
The symptoms of cervical cancer include: vagina discharge
– foul smelling, occasional bleeding in between
period, post coital bleeding (bleeding after sex) and
post-menopausal vaginal bleeding. It should be noted that
cervical cancer does not present any symptoms in the early
stage.
Screening Methods
Cervical cancer can be screened through these methods: Pap
smear, Visual inspection with acetic acid (ViA), Visual
inspection with lugol iodine (VILI) and HPV screening.
Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA) is a cost
effective screening method and the test is done every
three years. The process is not painful and takes only
fifteen minutes. The woman lies in lithotomy position
while a sterile speculum is passed into her vagina thereby
exposing the cervix and the cervix is inspected and 3-5%
acetic acid is applied to it. Thereafter, the cervix is
then inspected for any changes, the findings are noted and
recorded and the speculum removed. If the outcome is
positive, the woman is informed and treated thereby
preventing the cervical cancer precursor cell from
becoming cancerous and the woman is hence saved from the
deadly disease.
Preventive Mechanism
The preventive mechanism come in through diet-take diet
that is rich in vegetable and fruits. Taking three to five
serving of vegetables protects a woman from any form of
cancer, regular exercise; walking, jumping, running,
jogging and many more; Immunization against HPV and
screening which reduces morbidity and mortality from the
disease.
By: Dr. (Mrs.) O.R. Ogunbowale (Ag. Director, University
Health Services, OOU)
