As per the World Health Organisation (WHO) data, cervical cancer caused 342 000 deaths in 2020. According to the GLOBOCAN 2018 report, every year, 96,922 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in India and 60,078 die from the disease.
More than 95% of the cervical cancer cases are due to the human papillomavirus, which causes infection in the reproductive tract mostly.
"It takes 15 to 20 years for cervical cancer to develop in women with normal immune systems. It can take only 5 to 10 years in women with weakened immune systems, such as those with untreated HIV infection," the WHO report says.
Early signs of cervical cancer you should never ignore
"It started like a simple twinge, like a cramp, in my lower right abdomen"
Rose T, a cervical cancer survivor, ignored the initial symptoms like abdominal cramps and "just accepted that it was part of growing older".
She was 37 years old when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer, a form of cancer that starts in the cells of the cervix and is the fourth most common cancer among women globally.
A local marathon made her realize that something was "off". A runner, since the age of 12, she could barely finish the 5k run. "That’s when I knew something was “off.” I decided to see my sports medicine doctor because I noticed a limp in my stride and some back pain during the race. What followed was a regimen of physical therapy and rest, but things did not get better," she writes about her journey which is available on the website of the US CDC.
It was after getting excruciating pain and heavy bleeding after being intimate with her husband one night she went to the emergency room.
"In August, 2010, when I was in the hospital finally having the back surgery, an urologist discovered I had a rather large solid mass, approximately 6 to 8cm in size. He was unsure if it was on my cervix or my ovary. Then I had another grand mal seizure, which put me in the ICU [intensive care unit]. There, it was discovered that I had cervical cancer, diagnosed as stage IV, inoperable, and terminal," Rose writes.
After a series of surgery and treatment procedures, Rose emerged a winner.
"I went in for my annual gynecological exam and got a Pap test; the results came irregular"
Jennie was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 1964 when she was 32 years old. "I did not have any symptoms. I went in for my annual gynecological exam and got a Pap test. My results came back as irregular so the doctor recommended more testing. The results showed that I had cervical cancer," she has shared her story on the US CDC portal.
"I had the same type symptoms that you have going through menopause"
For Nancy Fawn Downing, the symptoms of cervical cancer were similar to those seen during menopause.Taking her experience to Quora, Nancy writes: I had cervical cancer growing for about 30 years before I learned I had it.I was in my late fifties. I had been in menopause for two years.I had the same type symptoms that you have going through menopause but nothing that made me think I needed to see a doctor.I hadn’t had sex in many years and I also hadn’t had regular Pap smears.Now that everyone has insurance, the best advice I can give is to be
tested regularly.I didn’t have strong enough symptoms or insurance for many years.I’m a stage 3 without chemo or radiation- just surgery, and I’m doing quite well in year 3.
Cervical cancer is curable
Cervical cancer can be treated if the disease is diagnosed at an early stage. Early medical intervention can check the progress of the disease and can help the patient recover."A major cause of high burden of cervical cancer in India is lack of awareness and lack of cervical screening due to which many cases are detected in advanced stages leading to high mortality rates. Before cancer manifests itself, screening can detect abnormalities in the cervix. It can also detect cervical cancer at an early stage, when it has not spread and is amenable to curative treatable," says Dr. Neha Kumar, Senior Consultant, Gynecologic Oncology, Amrita Hospital, Faridabad."Every three years, women between the ages of 21 and 29 should get a Pap test. From the age of 30, the optimal method of screening is to undergo testing every five years with a Pap test and an HPV test, OR every three years with a Pap test, until the age of 65," she recommends.
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