A day after Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget 2024 speech mentioned promoting the vaccination for Cervical Cancer in 9-14-year-old girls, popular model, and actress Poonam Pandey succumbed to the deadly disease.
Ironically, the cancer kills about 200 women daily. The efficacy of vaccines is still debatable, but Indian government is trying to find tangible solutions acknowledging the issue, and considering it seriously.
So, what is cervical cancer and what are its signs and symptoms? As per reports, cervical cancer can be hard to detect as it doesn’t show many symptoms in its early stages. Only regular screening can detect it.
It is a type of cancer that starts in the cervix that connects the lower part of a woman’s uterus to her vagina. Most cervical cancers begin in cells on the surface of the cervix.
Causes of Cervical Cancer: In most cases, cervical cancer is caused by sexually transmitted HPV. HPV means human papillomavirus, which is the same virus that causes genital warts. HPV can also cause vaginal cancer, anal cancer, throat cancer, and rectal cancer among others.
Symptoms: Usually, it doesn’t cause symptoms in the early stage. When symptoms appear, they’re easily mistaken for common conditions like menstrual periods and urinary infections. Some of the few symptoms include unusual bleeding, vaginal discharge, pain in the pelvis, more urinating, and pain during urination.
Treatment: Yes, cervical cancer is treatable through surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. There are also vaccines for young and adolescent girls.