Reducing the Risk of Cervical Cancer

A mother daughter bond is unlike any other. A mother consistently strives to ensure that her daughter is protected against all possible harms. Unfortunately, the importance of educating their daughters regarding prevention against deadly diseases like cervical cancer is always undermined. More than 60,000 women lose their lives every year due to prevalence of cervical cancer in India and this number is only going to rise in the future. The good news is that this cancer can be effectively prevented by undertaking certain measures and mothers can play a significant role in educating their daughters about them. 

Mothers’ awareness and preparedness with respect to the prevention of cervical cancer in their adolescent daughters will go a long way in reducing its burden. Following are some of the preventive steps that can be taken:

Vaccination: Vaccination is the primary and one of the most effective ways to reduce the risk of cervical cancer. The disease is caused by Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and the vaccine available, known as the HPV vaccine, targets the riskiest strains of the virus thereby preventing cancer. The vaccine produces a stronger immune response if taken in pre-teen years; ideally it should be taken before being sexually active. Till the age of 14 years, only two dose of the vaccine is required, whereas for 15 years and above, a full three dose of vaccine needs to be administered. As with the child’s regular vaccination, cervical cancer vaccination too can be planned with the pediatrician.

Screening: It is tough to fight a cancer which has already grown in your body, therefore early screening cervical cancer is the best way to reduce its risk. Pap smear and HPV test can help find cell changes to the cervix caused by HPV. While different countries have different guidelines with respect to the age group for undergoing screening, 30 years is the average age when women should start undertaking screening tests. The same should be done every 2-3 years. Cervical cancer screening is considered vital by doctors as this disease often takes time to show symptoms until later stages. The HPV virus takes between 10-30 years to develop into cancer. Health care providers can help recommending how often one should be screened and which tests are appropriate.

Lifestyle: Smoking, drug abuse, poor-nutrition and weakened immune system can act as contributing factors to the HPV virus to cause cervical cancer. Also, women who have many sexual partners are at high risk of acquiring HPV infection. A healthy diet rich in fruits and vegetables along with healthy maintained weight, and regular physical activity is recommended to lower the risk of cervical cancer in women. 

These are simple measures which can be followed to prevent cervical cancer. While each of them have proven to be effective individually, adopting a combination of all three can considerably reduce cervical cancer risk. Clearly, mothers play an important role in the education of their daughters and thus, it is imperative that they communicate the significance of cervical cancer prevention to their daughters.

Dr. Nitin K. Shah

Guest Author Consultant Pediatrician, PD Hinduja National Hospital, Mumbai