“New technologies of treatment help in revolutionizing the public health” said Silvana Luciani of Pan American Health Organization.A partnership of five international organizations, the ‘Alliance for Cervical Cancer Prevention (ACCP)’ announced the important findings and recommendations as a result of eight years study in more than 20countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The detection of pre-cancerous signs using simple, virtual examination of women is as effective as the expensive Pap smear test.
“Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)” causes the cervical cancer which affects women annually about 500,000 and 270,000 are dies off due to this disease. But there is a huge difference in the death rate of rich and poor countries. About 80-85% of cervical cancer deaths occur in poor countries. Because in developed countries screening programs are conducted using the “Pap Smear Test” so that the disease can be treated as early as possible and saving lives through this. The ‘Pap Smear Test’ requires high level of organization, complicated laboratory equipments and highly trained technicians. But despite of the efforts of government of poor countries, large scale screening programs does not work properly. Because of this failure, ACCP activated the approaches to Pap test. Bill and Melinda Gates provided the funds for it.
Dr. Jacqueline Sherris of PATH, an ACCP founder during a panel presentation at the ‘Goethe-Institute in Washington DC’ said that the cervical cancer represents a huge global injustice on poor women. This disease will ruin their family at peak of their productive life, when these women are in their 40s and 50s.
Dr. Sankaranarayanan of the ‘International Agency for Research on Cancer’ has studied alternatives of ‘Pap Smear Test’ in India and other countries. According to him the treatment of cervical cancer is easy if the cancer can be detected at a very early stage. The affected tissue can be destroyed through freezing in the same way as the common lumps are frozen.
A trained worker will clean the patient’s cervix using vinegar that is painless procedure according to the visual screening methods tested by the ACCP. After one minute of cleaning, if there is any lesion which are the signs of future cancer can be detected with the naked eyes and is possible to treat the women during the same visit to the clinic. According to Harshad Sanghvi, another ACCP partner, the women won’t return to the clinic the day after examination, if they are asked come after few days. It is difficult oroften not successful, if the disease is treated at a later stage.
HPV vaccinations, visual screening methods and high tech DNA tests for HPV can prevent cervical cancer. Vaccination is not a substitute for screening. Screening is necessary for women who are already infected with HPV. Researches suggest that a combination of vaccines and screening can reduce cervical cancer related deaths.
