Gynecologists give the two keys to preventing cervical cancer

2024-03-26 15:06:38
Cervical cancer does not cause symptoms when it begins to form, which complicates its detection. Warning signs often appear after the tumor has spread. The good news is that there are ways to prevent it and screening for early diagnosis, which always improves the prognosis. In Spain it is a rare tumor, with an estimate of just over 2,200 new cases this year, and about 650 patients will die in 2022, according to the latest data offered by the Spanish Society of Medical Oncology in its annual report ‘Las cancer figures in Spain’. It is a cancer that is mostly diagnosed in young women between the ages of 35 and 50 and whose main cause is infection with the Human Papillomavirus (HPV), which is transmitted through sexual contact. Other risk factors for developing the disease are smoking, immunosuppression (patients affected by the HIV virus or requiring immunosuppressive treatments), coinfection with other sexually transmitted diseases (STIs), and long-term use of oral contraceptives. The inclusion of vaccination against HPV in the vaccination schedule, and screening and early diagnosis through cytology and molecular detection of HPV DNA have made it possible to stop and cure the disease when its diagnosis and treatment is carried out early and in the early stages. . These advances, together with surgical and oncological treatments, have translated in recent years into a decrease of more than 70% in mortality from cervical cancer in our environment. The survival rate for cervical cancer is among the highest among tumors affecting women in Spain, with a slight increase in recent years, reaching around 65%. The Spanish Society of Gynecology and Obstetrics (SEGO) insists on prevention, even more so when it is a tumor that is, in most cases, avoidable and with the possibility of early diagnosis. Gynecologists consider vaccination against HPV the most effective strategy to significantly reduce the risk of cervical cancer, even more so when chronic HPV infection is the fundamental cause in more than 99% of cases of this type of tumor. Gynecologists highlight the importance of women having their periodic check-ups regularly, in order to diagnose and locate the tumor and its precursor lesions in the initial stages, or that, if they present symptoms or detect any problem, they go to their gynecologist as soon as possible. . The main symptoms or signs of cervical cancer are blood spots or light bleeding between periods or after menstruation, longer and heavier menstrual bleeding than normal, bleeding after sexual intercourse or during the pelvic examination at the gynecologist’s office. , and increased vaginal secretion. Along with HPV vaccination, cervical cancer screening is an effective and efficient prevention strategy to prevent tumor development. Cervical cytology using the Papanicolaou technique has low sensitivity for the diagnosis of high-grade lesions, but it compensates with high specificity. The combination of HPV molecular detection and cytology reaches a sensitivity of up to 96% to detect these lesions. SEGO also insists on the importance of avoiding other risk factors at a general level that can cause any cancer, such as those linked to an unhealthy lifestyle, such as smoking and alcohol consumption, and adopting healthy habits: exercise regularly and eat a balanced diet.
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