Gynaecological Cancer: Prevention and Screening

Preventing and Screening for Gynecological Cancer

Preventing and Screening for Gynecological Cancer

Cancer has become a major contributor to human health on a global scale, and the burden is increasing with each passing year. 

According to the organ of origin, cancer has a multifactorial etiology theory and presents with different signs and symptoms. 

Every year, 1.4 million individuals in India are diagnosed with cancer, and 8,50,000 people die from it. Breast cancer, lung cancer, mouth cancer, cervix cancer, stomach cancer, and head and neck cancer are all important cancer forms that can be prevented, however, the majority of cases are identified at an advanced stage.

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Gynecological malignancies are one of the most frequent cancers in women, making them a major public health concern. 

According to Dr. Abhishek Shankar, Associate Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology, AIIMS Patna, most women report at advanced stages due to a lack of cancer awareness, variable pathology, and a lack of proper screening facilities in developing countries like India. 

This has a negative impact on prognosis and clinical outcomes. He says that focusing more on cancer prevention and screening is an important objective to ensure that cancer patients reach the hospital.

Screening plays an important role in discovering malignancies at an early stage before symptoms arise. Cancer prevention and screening will be a cost-effective exercise to reduce cancer incidence and related mortality by detecting precancerous lesions and invasive cancer at an early stage in low and middle-income countries (LMICs), where the majority of cancer cases present to hospitals at an advanced stage.

Cancer Prevention Through Health Promotion

 According to Dr. Abhishek, health promotion activities can aid in the reduction of the incidence and prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), such as cancer. 

Physical inactivity, overweight, and obesity, dietary factors such as fruit and vegetable intake, cigarette and alcohol use, infections, and environmental and occupational exposure are all addressed through health promotion activities as a cancer prevention method.

"Physical inactivity is responsible for roughly 5% of all cancer deaths." Physical activity has been shown to reduce the risk of endometrial cancer in a number of studies.

According to AIIMS Patna Doctor, obesity and overweight are responsible for 41% of uterine carcinoma cases, and each unit increase in BMI will result in an increase in cancer incidence of roughly 3800 instances.

In females, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is linked to cervix, vaginal, vulva, head and neck cancer, and anal canal cancer. 

Nearly 90% of cervical cancer patients involve HPV, with HPV 16 and 18 being the most commonly identified types.

Chemoprevention is a term used by oncologist Dr. Shankar to describe a variety of drugs, medicines, compounds, and agents that are utilized to delay or slow the course of disease in cancer. 

The growth and refinement of research in recent years have provided an additional understanding of cancer biology. Many of the chemoprevention therapeutic drugs currently being tested are controversial.

HPV vaccinations have been shown to reduce the risk of cervical cancer in clinical trials. Cervical cancer risk is reduced by eating a vitamin C-rich diet. 

Other trials using supplements such as beta carotene and folic acid were done, but none of them were proven to be clinically useful.

 Cancer Prevention and Screening Based on Scientific Evidence

The goal of cancer prevention and screening is to reduce cancer incidence and mortality. It is a crucial step toward increasing public awareness of the signs and symptoms of many malignancies. 

Cancer prevention includes changing one's lifestyle and eating habits, changing one's behavior, and reducing one's exposure to carcinogens in the environment and at work, whereas cancer screening aims to detect pre-malignant lesions or cancer at an early stage when the chances of cure are much higher.

Cervical cancer is common in developing countries, and HPV infection is the leading cause of cervical cancer. 

Cervical cancer screening with cytology has been demonstrated to be effective in lowering the risk of cervical cancer among women in developed countries. 

Cervical cancer can be detected using a cytological examination, generally known as a pap test or smear. 

Because of a lack of qualified human resources, infrastructure, and funding, cytology-based screening is difficult in underdeveloped countries. 

Other low-cost techniques have been developed that can be conducted by community-based healthcare practitioners.

"Oncologists' roles in cancer diagnosis and treatment have been limited, but there is a need to expand oncologists' roles in cancer prevention and screening. 

By assessing the danger of persons in high-risk groups, oncologists can play a critical role in cancer prevention and control "Dr. Shankar stated.

Dr. Abhishek recommends a multipronged approach to combating the rising cancer burden and reducing the preventable cancer burden, which he believes is the best long-term approach. 

Further impediments to launching an attack on these avoidable cancers include a lack of universal screening guidelines and vaccination initiatives.

Apart from government activities, civil society advocacy and non-governmental organization efforts must also be encouraged in this area.

In conclusion, indigenous and country-specific ways to dealing with the particular issues of preventable cancer burden may result in long-term cancer control that is sustainable.

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