The Road Towards Eliminating Cervical Cancer in Two Decades

General

Cervical cancer has claimed the lives of many women and is estimated to be the fourth most common form of cancer affecting women, especially those living in poorer regions. Statistics in 2018 showed that fatalities sit at 300,000 globally, and the numbers are likely to keep growing. Vulnerable and underprivileged communities are most susceptible to deaths, mainly due to poor access to test screening and early detection, as well as treatment and proper care for both pre-cancers and cancer stages.

Facts About Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer, primarily caused by various strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) is the abnormal cells that developed in the lining of the cervix—a part of the female reproductive system located on the lower portion of the uterus that connects to the vagina.

Most early stages of cervical cancer show no signs or symptoms. However, more advanced stages would show symptoms of:

Pain or pelvic pain during sexual intercourse
Vaginal bleeding between menstrual periods, after menopause, or after intercourse
Bloody or watery vaginal discharge that may have a foul odor

Did you know that there have been research studies conducted with the aim to wipe out cervical cancer within the next two decades? With this accomplishment of this lofty goal, researchers are hoping to save more than a thousand lives annually. HPV, as the main cause of cervical cancer, became the center of the study with emphasis on increasing HPV screenings on women by the time they reach 26 years old.

Additionally, HPV is also responsible for many other strains of cancer, including oropharyngeal, vulvar, anal, vaginal, and penile cancers. Most healthcare practitioners believe that if cervical cancer can be detected early, treated with the right methods, and eliminated before it gets too invasive, other cancers can be avoided.

Cervical Cancer Treatment and Prevention

Prophylactic HPV vaccines are available to help protect against HPV. There are about 100 types of HPV with 14 that are at high-risk types or are cancer-causing viruses. HPV vaccination at a large scale will not only help to wipe our cervical cancer by 2040, but it can also dramatically eliminate or substantially lessen the risks of other cancer for both men and women. On the other hand, cancer screening programs meant for women aged 30-49 years should also include testing for HPV-infection. This should be followed by the examination of the cervix for pre-cancers and providing local treatment.

Despite these steps towards cervical cancer prevention, however, the challenge lies within low- and middle-income countries where access to these tests and screenings are limited. It could be primarily due to cultural reasons, beliefs, and prohibitive costs that access, uptake, and availability of HPV vaccines are relatively low in these lower socioeconomic and rural areas.

Currently, there are no screenings or tests for HPV on men, though they can also be vaccinated. According to the CDC, HPV can cause men to develop genital cancers, especially those who are sexually active.

If high coverage of HPV vaccination will be implemented quickly, the impact on the burden of the disease will be substantially reduced within the next two decades.

Final words

There are three main elimination approaches to this disease: