By Favour Bukola Ojedoye
Cancer is a great threat to men, women and our generation at large and should be taken more seriously. It is a terminal disease which spreads around the body when not quickly detected and properly controlled, due to its severity, it could lead to death. Cancer in women mostly affects the female reproductive system; cervical cancer is a major killer of women in the world.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), cancer of the cervix is the second most common cancer in women worldwide and about 500, 000 new cases and 250, 000 death each year.
Cervical cancer is a cancer arising from the cervix. It is due to the malignant growths of cells that have the ability to spread to the other part of the body. The cervical cancer occurs when abnormal cells on the cervix grow out of control. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that opens into the vagina. Most cervical cancer is caused by a virus called Human Papiloma Virus (HPV). There are two main types of cervical cancer, the most common is called Squamous cell Carcinoma, and this develops from the flat cells that cover the outer surface of the cervix at the top of the vagina. The other type is called adenocarcinoma, this type develops from the glandular cells that line the cervical canal (the endocervix).
There are also other, less common types of cancer of the cervix, known as Adenosquamous Carcinomas, clear-cell carcinomas and small cell caccinomas.
Founder of Breast without Spot (BWS) said that cervical cancer is a major killer disease among women and Nigeria is the tenth in cervical cancer death toll worldwide. She further said that in Nigeria, 48, 000,000 (48 Million), women are at risk of cancer; while 17,550 women are diagnosed yearly with a total of 9.659 women dying annually. The breakdown according to her means that 26 women die daily in Nigeria.
Most cervical cancer are caused by a high risk type of HPV. HPV is a virus that is passed from person to person through genital contact such as vaginal, anal or oral sex. Things that may increase the risk of developing cancer following a high risk HPV infection include; having HIV or reduced immunity, taking birth control pills for a long time early age of first delivery. Although cancer is said to have no particular symptoms, women have been advised to look out for pains around cervix, having pains during intercourse, found smelling discharge, weight loss and weakness or some of the symptoms.
Women can lower their risk of contracting cervical cancer by getting an HPV vaccine, protect girls and young women against HPV that causes most cervical cancer. Get regular pap tests- pap tests help your doctor find and treat any changing cells before they turn into cancer. Women who have had the HPV vaccine still need to have pap tests.
Research show that condom use can lower your risk of getting cervical when used correctly and every time you have any type of sex. In the prevention of cervical cancer, women should be monogamous; meaning that they should have sex with just one partner can lower the risk, the best way to prevent sexual transmitted infection (STI). Also, in nutrition, women should try and take diet that contains Vitamins, it also lower risk of cervical cancer.
Government should improve and strengthen the health care system and make policy that will favour the citizen in terms of funding infrastructure, upgrade and training of medical personnel in this area. The government should provide more radiotherapy centres all over the world.
In Nigeria, the government should provide screening programmes for women. In as much as the government have role to play, Nigerians should inculcate the habit of regular screening to prevent late detection of cancer cases.
Written by:
Favour Bukola Ojedoye
Mass Communication Department,
University of Maiduguri
300Level