What is cervical cancer?
Cervical cancer affects the cells of the cervix. Cervix is situated at the bottom of the uterus. The main cause of cervical cancer is the human papillomavirus (HPV) that is transmitted sexualy. It is the second prevalent form of cancer in India.
 
Awareness of prevention and early diagnosis are important to lower the prevalence of cervical cancer in India
Women of age 15 years and above are at risk of developing cervical cancer. Cervical cancer can be prevented with HPV vaccination, and it can also be treated if it is diagnosed at an early stage.
 
Get vaccinated to prevent cervical cancer
Women should get vaccinated before they become sexually active. Getting vaccinated is the most effective way to prevent cervical cancer. The protection from the vaccine lasts for more than five years.
Notable fact is, not all women with the HPV virus develop cervical cancer. One’s lifestyle habits, existing HIV/AIDS, STDs or low immunity, and smoking also contribute to the development of the disease. Limiting the number of sex-partners and practising safe sex is also essential in the prevention of cervical cancer.
 
Get screened on a regular basis for early diagnosis of cervical cancer
The HPV vaccine does not provide complete protection against cervical cancer that is why it is essential for women to get their health checkups regularly for the early detection of the cancer. Pap Smear test is important to screen and detect cervical cancer. Pap smear test detects the pre-malignant and malignant cells in the cervix. It also finds out the infections and inflammations developing in the cervix.
Regular screening for cervical cancer through Pap Smear test and full pelvic examination by a gynecologist is a must for women's healthcare. In case of normal results, Pap Smear should be repeated once every 3 years.
 
How does regular preventive health checkups help?
From the health checkups at Indus, in one year, 1% out of 5000 women found a suspicion of malignancy in their reports. Biopsy and other confirmatory tests were done for finalizing the diagnosis. 6% of them got to know about mild inflammation; 16% had fungal/bacterial infection/inflammation detected. All these conditions need treatment and proper management. These women who took the Pap Smear test were empowered with crucial information by understanding the changes in their cervix. Such knowledge equipped them to take corrective actions at the right time.
 
Indus’ full body checkup package, ‘Optima’ has 70+ tests including Pap Smear and Mammography for women. Book your package now.