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Cervical Cancer: Understanding and Preventing
Cervical Cancer is the 11th most common cancer among women in Singapore, where 7 in 100,000 women are affected by it3,4.
Understanding Cervical Cancer
Are you exposed to any of the following factors that puts you at risk of developing cervical cancer5?
Early Detection Saves Lives: Cervical Cancer Screening
Early stages of cervical cancer have no signs or symptoms2. Hence, screening is very crucial to enable early detection of cervical cancer.
What are the appropriate tests for detecting cervical cancer1,6,7?
Prevent Cervical Cancer Today for a Brighter Tomorrow
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a widespread virus that usually does not cause any harm and is cleared naturally by the body. However, prolonged exposure to certain 14 of more than 100 strains can cause long-lasting infections, which may increase the risk of cervical cancer1,2,8.
However, there are ways to prevent this condition, as prevention is better than cure:1,8
Stay Safe, Get Vaccinated Against HPV
Cervical cancer is a slow-developing disease that can take up to 15 years to develop, but this can differ for each person. To prevent it, HPV vaccination is crucial and can be administered even before becoming sexually active2.
For individuals aged 25-29 years, a Papanicolaou (Pap) test is performed to detect any irregular cellular changes. As women within this age range are capable of more efficiently clearing off the HPV infections naturally, an HPV test is typically unnecessary2.
Women aged 30 years and above should undergo an HPV test to identify any high-risk strains. This test is particularly effective in assessing the risk of developing cervical cancer2.
After the test, the results are expected within 4 weeks. The respective physician notifies the patient in case of any necessary follow-up actions2.
Never Give Up Hope: Cervical Cancer Treatment is Possible
Never give up hope. Cervical cancer treatment is possible. Cervical cancer is treated in several ways depending on the severity of the condition. In early stages, it may be treated by removing a cone-shaped piece of tissue from the cervix1.
References
1. Cervical cancer: Overview. Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG). Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK279259/. Accessed on: 7 March 2023.
2. Screen For Life Booklet_English.pdf. Available at: https://www.healthhub.sg/sites/assets/Assets/Programs/screening/201909/pdfs/Screen_For_Life_Booklet_English.pdf. Accessed on: 6 April 2023.
3. Chua BWB, Neo P, Ma VY, et al. Health care provider’s experience and perspective of cervical cancer screening in Singapore: A qualitative study. Front Public Health. 2022;10:853453.
4. Singapore Cancer Registry Annual Report 2020.pdf. Available at: https://nrdo.gov.sg/docs/librariesprovider3/default-document-library/scr-2020-annual-report_web-release.pdf?sfvrsn=e0a73b99_0. Accessed on: 7 March 2023.
5. Cervical Cancer Risk Factors-Risk Factors for Cervical Cancer. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cervical-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/risk-factors.html. Accessed on: 7 March 2023.
6. Cooper DB, Dunton CJ. Colposcopy. StatPearls Publishing. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK564514/. Accessed on: 7 March 2023.
7. MOH Singapore: Cancer Screening. Available at: https://www.moh.gov.sg/docs/librariesprovider4/guidelines/cpg_cancer-screening.pdf. Accessed on: 7 March 2023.
8. Can Cervical Cancer Be Prevented-Ways to Prevent Cervical Cancer. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cervical-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/prevention.html. Accessed on: 8 March 2023.
About Frontier Healthcare Group
Frontier Healthcare (as part of the Qualitas Primary Care Division) runs 18 GP clinics, 2 Family Medicine Clinics (Clementi and MacPherson) and has 37 affiliated GP clinics under its Frontier Primary Care Network Program. Frontier Healthcare supports national schemes such as the Community Health Assist Scheme (Pioneer, Merdeka, CHAS Green, CHAS Orange, CHAS Blue), Baby Bonus, Healthier SG, MBS@Gov etc, as well as partnerships with major Insurers, Corporates and TPA partners to bring quality and affordable healthcare closer to the community.