RINJ NGO Salutes WHO focus on Cervical Cancer Elimination

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https://media.fpmag.net/10172022/Mayo-Clinic-Explains-Cervical-Cancer.mp4?_=1

Cervical Cancer is one of the leading causes of death of women around the world. Cervical cancer is a killer of women especially in developing nations. Vaccination, screening and treatment is the way to prevent the worst outcomes.

Video: Dr. Kristina Butler of the Mayo Clinic explains diagnosis and treatment options for Cervical Cancer. This video arguably is the quintessential set of answers for women seeking to understand this disease.

The RINJ Foundation, a global women’s rights and safety organization has commended the World Health Organization and its World Health Summit (16-18 October 2022) for its new focus on Cervical Cancer Elimination. Read more.

Dr. Nassima al Amouri is a medical director of The RINJ Foundation with literally millions of patients under care says, “this disease is another frustration that makes me want to tear my hair out because cervical cancer is preventable but in developing nations it is ignored until too late. Women who have been raped are faced with the possibility of a number of ramifications including HPV and HIV. Sex with unknown partners poses enormous risks and cervical cancer (HPV) is one of them and it is a killer of women.

“Various strains of HPV spread through sexual contact and are associated with most cases of cervical cancer. Gardasil 9 is an HPV vaccine approved by for one example, the USA Food and Drug Administration and can be used for both girls and boys.

“We need to vaccinate boys and girls and young women and screen older women. Young women who have been raped, need to be vaccinated against HPV. We do this at our clinics and urge practitioners all around the world to make this decision. Most cervical cancers are associated with human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection. Widespread immunization with the HPV vaccine could reduce the impact of cervical cancer and other cancers caused by HPV worldwide.”

Any of the following in combination could be symptoms or signs of cervical cancer suggests the Cancer.Net Editorial Board, 01/2022:

  1. Blood spots or light bleeding between or following periods
  2. Menstrual bleeding that is longer and heavier than usual
  3. Bleeding after intercourse, douching, or a pelvic examination
  4. Increased vaginal discharge
  5. Pain during sexual intercourse
  6. Bleeding after menopause
  7. Unexplained, persistent pelvic and/or back pain

RINJ Patient Registration

RINJ Patient Registration in developing nations is quick and a session with the doctor or nurse can be as long as you need to make it,” says Dr. Nassima al Amouri. Photo courtesy The RINJ Foundation.

Union for International Cancer Control (UICC) agrees with Dr. al Amouri.

“Cervical cancer is often curable if detected early. Like many cancers, the earlier cervical cancer is detected, the higher the chances are of survival. For example, in the USA, the five-year survival rate for women diagnosed with cervical cancer at an advanced stage is 15%, compared with 93% if diagnosed when the cancer has not spread. This holds true in lower income settings as well,” notes the UICC.

“In India, a study among rural women with cervical cancer found the five-year survival rate to be 9% when diagnosed at Stage IV,” which soars to 78% when diagnosed much earlier at Stage I indicating an extreme emphasis on the importance of early detection. Vaccination of girls and young women and screening plus treatment for older women is strongly indicated.

https://media.fpmag.net/10172022/Cervical-Cancer-elimination.mp4?_=2

Video: Cervical cancer remains one of the most common causes of death for women. Each year, more than 300 000 women die of cervical cancer. Approximately 90% of deaths from cervical cancer occur in low- and middle-income countries. Video source is Cervical cancer elimination by UICC.

Click to enlarge image:

Fighting Cervical Cancer to its Elimination. Gynecological diagram. The most important thing you can do to help prevent cervical cancer is to have regular screening tests starting at age 21,” says CDC.  Photo credit: New art including data on defining early stage: Cancer Research UK​ – CC BY-SA 4.0 and New Art (Base image from CDC): Rosa Yamamoto / Feminine-Perspective Magazine

Anatomy of the female reproductive system. The organs in the female reproductive system include the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix, and vagina. The uterus has a muscular outer layer called the myometrium and an inner lining called the endometrium. (Image and data source: US National Cancer Institute)

Types of cervical cancer. Source: US National Cancer Institute

Cervical cancers are named after the type of cell where the cancer started. The two main types are:

  • Squamous cell carcinoma: Most cervical cancers (up to 90%) are squamous cell carcinomas. These cancers develop from cells in the ectocervix.
  • Adenocarcinoma: Cervical adenocarcinomas develop in the glandular cells of the endocervix. Clear cell adenocarcinoma, also called clear cell carcinoma or mesonephroma, is a rare type of cervical adenocarcinoma.

Sometimes, cervical cancer has features of both squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. This is called mixed carcinoma or adenosquamous carcinoma. Very rarely, cancer develops in other cells in the cervix.

Reader and Author Resources:

World Health Summit in Berlin on now. Cervical Cancer opens
https://media.fpmag.net/10172022/WHS-2022-Speaker-Teaser.mp4?_=3

Appendix

According to a paper published in the medical journal The Lancet

Published: January 12, 2019. ~ DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(18)32470-X

“Each year more than half a million women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and the disease results in over 300 000 deaths worldwide. High-risk subtypes of the human papilloma virus (HPV) are the cause of the disease in most cases.

The disease is largely preventable.

“Approximately 90% of cervical cancers occur in low-income and middle-income countries that lack organized screening and HPV vaccination programs.

“In high-income countries, cervical cancer incidence and mortality have more than halved over the past 30 years since the introduction of formal screening programs. Treatment depends on disease extent at diagnosis and locally available resources, and might involve radical hysterectomy or chemoradiation, or a combination of both. Conservative, fertility-preserving surgical procedures have become standard of care for women with low-risk, early-stage disease.

“Advances in radiotherapy technology, such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy, have resulted in less treatment-related toxicity for women with locally-advanced disease. For women with metastatic or recurrent disease, the overall prognosis remains poor; nevertheless, the incorporation of the anti-VEGF agent bevacizumab has been able to extend overall survival beyond 12 months. Preliminary results of novel immunotherapeutic approaches, similarly to other solid tumours, have shown promising results so far.” (Read full paper.)