Winning the fight against cervical cancer

MANILA, Philippines -  For many women, the fight against cervical cancer is a personal one, particularly for those who have journeyed with the disease and survived it. 

A handful of cervical cancer survivors from She Matters Cervical Cancer Foundation Inc. had this in mind when they recently gathered at the Lapu-Lapu City Health Office to support the “Mass Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid (VIA) Cervical Cancer Screening.” 

The event, organized by the Philippine Obstetrical and Gynecological Society (POGS) Cebu Chapter in cooperation with the Department of Health Region VII, is part of the annual “Scarlet May”, a month-long celebration promoting cervical cancer awareness, prevention, and control. 

Among the survivors who came to share her story was Gina (not her real name). Now 45 years old, she was only 22 when she was first diagnosed with ovarian cancer. After battling it for three years, she made a commitment to have herself screened regularly.

In 2006, Gina learned that her disease returned as cervical cancer at the late stage of 3B, followed by breast and thyroid cancer. She bravely fought these diseases until 2011. 

Despite being told that she only had seven months to live, she kept her faith and won the fight. Today, she continues battling cancer with other women by espousing activities such as those held on “Scarlet May”. 

She counseled over 920 women aged 21 to 65 as they waited to receive their VIA screening. VIA is proven an effective and viable alternative to pap smears in low resource settings. 

“Pap Smears and VIA screenings should be done yearly to keep safe,” she stressed. 

Apart from VIA, lectures on cervical cancer were also held during the event. Human papilloma virus (HPV) was highlighted as the leading cause of cervical cancer, with over 99 percent of cases linked to HPV infection. For participants found to be HPV-positive, free cryotherapy treatment was provided to quickly eliminate irregularities in the cervix. 

“Through events such as these, we want people to know that although cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths among Filipino women, it is highly preventable. Early detection greatly increases chances of survival, so we cannot stress enough the importance of screening,” explained Dr. Pherdes Galbo, POGS coordinator of the Scarlet May Cervical Cancer Awareness Month.   

For her part, Dr. Helen Amorin, president of the POGS Cebu Chapter, discussed the significance of vaccination for girls aged nine to 10. HPV not only causes cervical cancer but also genital warts, ovarian and vulvar cancers, among others. Thus, it is vital to get wider coverage protection against these various HPV strains.