Publications
Partners
Although cervical cancer can be prevented, and cured if discovered and
treated in the early stages, women aren’t undergoing screening.
In South Africa, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer type amongst women. Mortality is also high at 50% to 80% - mainly because women are diagnosed too late, when the disease is at an advanced stage.
Among the reasons often cited by women for not undergoing cervical cancer screening are lack of time, anxiety about being tested, and a poor understanding of the disease.
Polls by “Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust”, the United Kingdom’s only dedicated cervical cancer charity, for instance show that at least one in five women do not undergo screening. Some women say they believe screening to be unnecessary for them.
Others, due to lack of awareness of the disease, say they don’t know anything about the causes or symptoms, and how to prevent cervical cancer. Work and life commitments also prevent many women from going for testing. A lot of woman blamed a lack of appointment choices and difficulty getting time off work to go for testing.
In a similar poll, a lot of South African women’s reasons would be the same.
But Merle Loubser Market Access Manager at Roche Diagnostics says that women should set some time aside to learn more about cervical cancer and get tested. An hour every three to five years is all it takes.
“Most of us live at a frenetic pace. It seems that there is simply never enough time for everything. Any time we can spare for ourselves is considered a luxury, and perhaps the last thing any of us would want to spend our spare time doing is visiting the doctor for preventative screening on a disease we don’t understand all that well and might never get.”
But Merle Loubser Market Access Manager at Roche Diagnostics says that women should set some time aside to learn more about cervical cancer and get tested.
An hour every three to five years is all it takes.
“Most of us live at a frenetic pace. It seems that there is simply never enough time for everything. Any time we can spare for ourselves is considered a luxury, and perhaps the last thing any of us would want to spend our spare time doing is visiting the doctor for preventative screening on a disease we don’t understand all that well and might never get.”
“However, what a lot of women do not realize is that cervical cancer, although more common in women over 40, it is the second most common cancer amongst women between the ages of 15 and 44 in Africa.”
“Cervical cancer kills hundreds of thousands of women worldwide every year, and over 3 000 South African women annually. Sadly, many of those deaths could have been prevented if the disease was caught early enough. If more women understood more about the disease and made time to undergo screening, we could see a marked reduction in cervical cancer diagnoses and deaths.”
“A commitment of just an hour or so every three years for a pap smear or every three to five years for the HPV-DNA test is all that is required. The test itself take no more than 15 minutes. Just factor-in the time you may have to sit in the waiting room for your slot with the doctor.”
“When you consider the high prevalence of the disease and rate of related deaths, an hour every five years seems like a small sacrifice to make, one that most of us could manage,” urges Merle.
The best way to reduce the risk of cervical cancer is with regular screening. For years, the screening method of choice has been the Pap test (Pap smear). It involves taking a sample of cells from the cervix and should ideally be done annually or at least every three years.
Research now indicates that there may be more appropriate approaches to screening for cervical cancer.
This, according to Merle, incorporates HPV-DNA testing, which checks specifically for high-risk HPV types, including HPV 16 and HPV 18.
“The HPV-DNA test, such as Roche Diagnostics’ Cobas® 4800, is far more sensitive than conventional Pap tests, and women do not have to undergo testing as frequently. Every five years is recommended. The results of HPV-DNA tests are objective, as opposed to Pap test results which are subjective, and associated laboratory processes are automated, making them less labour and time intensive than Pap tests,” says Merle.
Like a Pap test, an HPV-DNA test is done on a sample of cells collected from the cervix. A HPV-DNA test may be done at the same time as a Pap test, or on its own to check for HPV in women older than 25 as part of screening for abnormal cells. HPV-DNA tests are available in South Africa and most medical aids will cover the costs.
Merle says: “It is now also possible to vaccinate against most common cancer-causing strains of HPV. Young girls from the age of nine can be vaccinated against HPV. These vaccines are for adolescent girls from the age of nine or ten years old, before they become sexually active. The vaccines comprise three injections administered over a six month period and cost about R3 000.”
Other general prevention strategies include not smoking, using condoms and following a healthy diet.
“Think of it as an investment in your health and wellbeing. That hour could mean that you will be around longer as a mother, sister, daughter or wife. It could save your life," says Merle.
Follow Women24 on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
In South Africa, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer type amongst women. Mortality is also high at 50% to 80% - mainly because women are diagnosed too late, when the disease is at an advanced stage.
Among the reasons often cited by women for not undergoing cervical cancer screening are lack of time, anxiety about being tested, and a poor understanding of the disease.
Polls by “Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust”, the United Kingdom’s only dedicated cervical cancer charity, for instance show that at least one in five women do not undergo screening. Some women say they believe screening to be unnecessary for them.
Others, due to lack of awareness of the disease, say they don’t know anything about the causes or symptoms, and how to prevent cervical cancer. Work and life commitments also prevent many women from going for testing. A lot of woman blamed a lack of appointment choices and difficulty getting time off work to go for testing.
In a similar poll, a lot of South African women’s reasons would be the same.
But Merle Loubser Market Access Manager at Roche Diagnostics says that women should set some time aside to learn more about cervical cancer and get tested. An hour every three to five years is all it takes.
“Most of us live at a frenetic pace. It seems that there is simply never enough time for everything. Any time we can spare for ourselves is considered a luxury, and perhaps the last thing any of us would want to spend our spare time doing is visiting the doctor for preventative screening on a disease we don’t understand all that well and might never get.”
But Merle Loubser Market Access Manager at Roche Diagnostics says that women should set some time aside to learn more about cervical cancer and get tested.
An hour every three to five years is all it takes.
“Most of us live at a frenetic pace. It seems that there is simply never enough time for everything. Any time we can spare for ourselves is considered a luxury, and perhaps the last thing any of us would want to spend our spare time doing is visiting the doctor for preventative screening on a disease we don’t understand all that well and might never get.”
“However, what a lot of women do not realize is that cervical cancer, although more common in women over 40, it is the second most common cancer amongst women between the ages of 15 and 44 in Africa.”
“Cervical cancer kills hundreds of thousands of women worldwide every year, and over 3 000 South African women annually. Sadly, many of those deaths could have been prevented if the disease was caught early enough. If more women understood more about the disease and made time to undergo screening, we could see a marked reduction in cervical cancer diagnoses and deaths.”
“A commitment of just an hour or so every three years for a pap smear or every three to five years for the HPV-DNA test is all that is required. The test itself take no more than 15 minutes. Just factor-in the time you may have to sit in the waiting room for your slot with the doctor.”
“When you consider the high prevalence of the disease and rate of related deaths, an hour every five years seems like a small sacrifice to make, one that most of us could manage,” urges Merle.
The best way to reduce the risk of cervical cancer is with regular screening. For years, the screening method of choice has been the Pap test (Pap smear). It involves taking a sample of cells from the cervix and should ideally be done annually or at least every three years.
Research now indicates that there may be more appropriate approaches to screening for cervical cancer.
This, according to Merle, incorporates HPV-DNA testing, which checks specifically for high-risk HPV types, including HPV 16 and HPV 18.
“The HPV-DNA test, such as Roche Diagnostics’ Cobas® 4800, is far more sensitive than conventional Pap tests, and women do not have to undergo testing as frequently. Every five years is recommended. The results of HPV-DNA tests are objective, as opposed to Pap test results which are subjective, and associated laboratory processes are automated, making them less labour and time intensive than Pap tests,” says Merle.
Like a Pap test, an HPV-DNA test is done on a sample of cells collected from the cervix. A HPV-DNA test may be done at the same time as a Pap test, or on its own to check for HPV in women older than 25 as part of screening for abnormal cells. HPV-DNA tests are available in South Africa and most medical aids will cover the costs.
Merle says: “It is now also possible to vaccinate against most common cancer-causing strains of HPV. Young girls from the age of nine can be vaccinated against HPV. These vaccines are for adolescent girls from the age of nine or ten years old, before they become sexually active. The vaccines comprise three injections administered over a six month period and cost about R3 000.”
Other general prevention strategies include not smoking, using condoms and following a healthy diet.
“Think of it as an investment in your health and wellbeing. That hour could mean that you will be around longer as a mother, sister, daughter or wife. It could save your life," says Merle.
Follow Women24 on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
