Cervical Cancer Awareness: Prevention and Treatment

With proper treatment at an early stage, a patient with cervical cancer can be completely cured. At this stage the treatment of abnormal and uncontrolled cell division of the cervix is done with cryotherapy.

Tumors are abnormal growths of any cell tissue due to irregular and uncontrolled cell division somewhere in the body. There are two types of tumors – benign and malignant. Although benign tumors are not as harmful, malignant tumors are cancerous. Cervical cancer is a well-known problem in women. It is possible to stay healthy if it is detected early and treated.

Marriage or sexual intercourse before the age of 18, having sex with more than one person, unclean genitals, infectious diseases of the genitals, pregnancy and becoming a mother under the age of 20, smoking, etc. are some of the significant causes of cervical cancer. One should be careful if there is irregular bleeding, bleeding again after one year of menopause, bleeding after sexual intercourse, excessive brown or blood-stained discharge in the vagina, and foul-smelling white discharge. However, having these symptoms does not confirm that the person has cancer. Regardless, through these important symptoms, it is necessary to be confirm through examination on what kind of disease a girl/women may have and in what condition.

Treatment

With proper treatment at an early stage, a patient with cervical cancer can be completely cured. At this stage the treatment of abnormal and uncontrolled cell division of the cervix is done with cryotherapy. In this process, infected cells are destroyed by applying extreme cold. Infected cells can also be destroyed by generating intense heat through electric current. When cancer is identified to be only in the place of origin, many specialist doctors choose surgery. In this treatment, the uterus of the patient is completely removed. Sometimes the upper part of the vagina, nearby tissues and lymph nodes are removed to prevent the cancer cells from spreading.

The basics of radiation therapy is to destroy the cancerous cells by radiation. It is used to control the growth of the tumor or to reduce the pain. This is used when all cancerous cells cannot be surgically removed. Every woman who enters into married or sexual life must undergo some tests once every three years. Consult a doctor if you have any symptoms of cancer.

Post-treatment activities

After surgery or radiation therapy, the patient has to be examined at regular intervals. Patient must abstain from sexual intercourse for some time. If all the rules and regulations are followed properly, the patient can start leading a normal life within two to three months of treatment.

Author: Professor Dr. Md. Yakub Ali , Head of Department, Department of Oncology, Enam Medical College and Hospital, Savar

Source: The Daily Star

Reference image credit: iStock Images