Written By: Debjani Arora | Published : March 12, 2018 8:23 PM IST
You can reduce the risk of cervical cancer ©Shutterstock
If diagnosed in its early stages, cervical cancer is treatable promising better longevity and quality of life compared to the cancer being diagnosed in its later stages. One way to prevent cervical cancer is to go for regular Pap smear tests every three years once a woman is sexually active or in the age reproductive age. Regular screening helps to detect abnormal growth of cells in the cervix early and an aggressive treatment to nip the cancer can be planned. Another way to prevent the cancer is getting vaccinated for HPV, the virus that is notorious for spreading cervical cancer.
But due to lack of awareness women don't opt for the screening or vaccination voluntarily. This is a reason why the number of women falling prey to this cancer is increasing exponentially despite cervical cancer being preventable. Like most cancers, cervical cancer is also asymptomatic and doesn't come to light till late. There are certain risk factors that make a woman prone to cervical cancer smoking, indulging in sexual activities with multiple partners, excessive use of oral contraceptives, family history, HPV infection, etc. However, not all women who suffer from HPV infection might develop cervical cancer but if infected with stains like HPV-16 or HPV-18 it can lead to the cancer.
'Treatment for cervical cancer depends on the stage and extent to which the cancer has spread. Planning a pregnancy after the treatment might be challenging. Fertility or chances of getting pregnant are grim for women post a cervical cancer treatment. Depending on how much the cervix is damaged either part of the cervix or the entire cervix with the uterus might be removed. If the cancer has spread deeper inside a hysterectomy might be done where the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, cervix and the surrounding parts might be removed. In such cases, planning a pregnancy after the treatment is practically impossible.
'In other cases, the cancer might have spread to other parts of the body or metastasised where a surgery might not be the option but chemotherapy and radiation might be needed to eradicate the cancer cells. Even in this case if the uterus remains post the treatment, radiation and chemotherapy will shrink it and also kill the eggs in the ovaries rendering it impossible for a woman to get pregnant post-treatment,' says Dr Bellarmine, medical oncologist, Fortis Malar Hospital, Chennai.
If diagnosed with cervical cancer at an early age, one should speak in lengths with her doctor and gynaecologist to find out how one can plan a pregnancy later. Some feasible options are freezing of viable eggs, surrogacy or other IVF techniques.
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