An approx. 11.5 million Malaysian women aged 15 years & above are at the risk of developing cervical cancer. Yearly, about 1682 women are diagnosed with this cancer & 944 woman die from it. Ranked as the 3rd most common cancer among Malaysian women. This disease is preventable if one is diagnosed & treated early.

Cervical cancer is a malignant tumour found in the cervix tissue. It is also known as an asymptomatic “silent” cancer, as it has a pre-cancer stage that can last 5 to 10 years before the actual cancer manifests. Those who are sexually active & non-vaccinated are at an increased risk of developing it. HPV (Human Papillomavirus), a sexually transmitted disease, is a primary cause of cervical cancer as the infection may cause cervical cell abnormalities resulting in cancer. This occurs when the abnormal cervical cells turn into cancer cells. The cancer is usually within the cervical area, but it may spread to other parts of the body. Common cancer treatments for it are surgery, radiotherapy & also chemotherapy.

There are 2 screening tests to prevent & diagnose cervical cancer early and these are Pap Smear & HPV test. Pap Smear is a simple & inexpensive way where the doctor or nurse take some sample from the cervix & sent it to the lab for further examination. HPV test helps detect the presence of HPV virus in the body system & vaccinations are available to prevent one from acquiring HPV infection. All sexually active women should be screened, and screening is recommended every 3 years.

Symptoms of early staged cervical cancer: irregular blood spotting, postmenopausal spotting or bleeding, bleeding after sexual intercourse & increased foul-smelling vaginal discharge. In contrasts, the symptoms of advanced cervical cancer: persistent back, leg or pelvic pain, weight loss, fatigue, loss of appetite, foul-smelling discharge, vaginal discomfort & swelling of lower limbs. There may be other advanced cancer symptoms other than these depending on which organs the cancer has spread to.

In April 2010, Malaysia launched its first National School-based HPV Immunization Program targeting form 1 Malaysian female schoolgirls whereby consent forms and educational materials were given to their parents one week prior to the first dose of vaccination. The students received 2 doses of HPV vaccination in line with the WHO recommendation. Therefore, it is never too early to get your child, or you vaccinated & screened to prevent these complications in the future.