According to statistics in 2020, cervical cancer was found to be second in Thai women after breast cancer. More than 9,000 new cases are found per year and 4,700 die per year, or every day up to 13 Thai women die from cervical cancer, despite the fact that cervical cancer is a cancer that can be prevented. And most often this disease is found in women around 40 years of age. 

Source: SIRIRAJ ONLINE

“I'm still young and my body is still strong. I have only one partner.” I believe that many women may be thinking like this. and consider themselves not at risk for cervical cancer and there is no chance of getting this disease But do you know that the important causes of Cervical cancer is an infection with the HPV virus It can be found in both men and women. 80 percent of Thai women have had HPV or currently have it but don't know it. This is because HPV infection often has no symptoms. and a general medical examination did not find any abnormalities.

Who is at risk of cervical cancer?

The most common cause of cervical cancer is infection with HPV (Human Papilloma virus), which is transmitted to other people. obtained from sexual intercourse In the life of a woman, she may have been exposed to this infection. But the body can get rid of it. And there are some parts that cannot be eliminated. Including other risk factors That causes changes in the tissue around the cervix and causes various diseases such as genital warts, cervical cancer, and others.

Important risk factors for cervical cancer

• Infection with the main strains of HPV (Human Papillomavirus) Strain types 16 and 18
•  Have many sexual partners
• Having sex at a young age
• Smoking increases the risk.

Cancer consultation appointment

What symptoms do cervical cancer patients have?

Normally, most patients with pre-invasive cervical cancer do not have any symptoms at all. In some cases, there may be more vaginal discharge than normal. Therefore, it is necessary to have an internal examination. and receive cervical cancer screening Those who deserve testing are women who have had sexual intercourse. They should get checked once a year, while people who have never had sexual intercourse should get checked when they are 35 years of age or older. For patients with advanced cervical cancer, symptoms such as excessive vaginal discharge may sometimes have an odor. And there was blood in the blink of an eye. In addition, there may be bleeding after intercourse, etc. If you have these symptoms You should consult a gynecologist to quickly detect abnormalities.

Cervical cancer signs

• There is abnormal vaginal discharge, blood, or vaginal fluid.
• Have a lot of menstruation or longer than usual
• vaginal bleeding After sex or pain during sex
• In the advanced stage, there may be pain and weight in the lower abdomen, difficulty urinating or defecating, swollen legs, loss of appetite, and weight loss.

Cervical cancer prevention is divided into 2 levels.

1. First level of protection (Primary prevention) Preventing viruses from entering the body. There are several ways to prevent this level, such as not having multiple sexual partners. Not having sex at a too young age Because the lining of the cervix is not yet healthy, HPV easily changes the cervix into pre-cancerous and cancerous conditions. Stop smoking Vaccination against HPV virus can be administered to both women and men from ages 9-45 if vaccinated before the first sexual intercourse. And the body is at an age that has good immunity. This will allow for maximum vaccine efficiency.
2. Level 2 protection (Secondary prevention) Fortunately, cervical cancer doesn't happen overnight. But it will pass through the stage before cervical cancer first. For many years before cancer Therefore, if screened from the pre-cancer stage and given appropriate treatment It will disappear and will not become cervical cancer. And the second level of prevention includes checking for abnormal cells in the cervix. Also known as a “Pap smear,” it is a test that has been used for a long time. which is accurate. In addition, there is a method for detecting the HPV virus based on the principle that If there is no virus, it will not become cancerous.

Why check for cervical cancer?

Currently, cervical cancer and precancerous lesions caused by HPV infection It can be prevented with cervical cancer screening. Because regular cervical cancer screening will help reduce the spread of abnormal cytology. which may turn into cervical cancer without showing any signs of illness at all Cervical cancer screening Testing begins at age 25 for women who have had sex or 30 years for women who have never had sex.

Cervical cancer screening

• Pap smear test Frequency: Every 2 years. Age at which the examination stops: more than 65 years if the examination results do not find abnormalities for 5 consecutive times.
• HPV DNA testing (in conjunction with cell examination Neurology (co-testing) Frequency: Every 5 years. Age at which testing stops: More than 65 years if the test results do not find abnormalities 2 times in a row.
• HPV DNA testing (Primary HPV testing) Frequency: Every 5 years. Age at which the examination stops: more than 65 years if the test results do not find abnormalities for 2 consecutive times.
• Cancer screening from stage zero (W9 Advanced Cancer Screening Test) Detects pre-cancerous lesions from an early stage. To reduce the risk of serious disease and can provide complete treatment

• Risk analysis for 13 serious diseases and 21 diseases that are commonly caused by genetics. (W9 Care Series) Detect the risk of each type of disease that is passed on genetically. and other chronic diseases In order to plan to manage future risks better.

Did you know that about 80 percent of people infected with this virus will recover on their own within 2 years through the body's immune system? But in the case that this virus does not disappear or cannot be eliminated Such infections may cause precancerous stages. and develop further until becoming cancer. Therefore, cancer screening starts at stage zero. Therefore, it can prevent disease.

“When we can prevent HPV infection, we can prevent cervical cancer.”