a Ministry of Health Alert in anticipation of The Lilac March, a campaign to prevent and combat cervical cancer. The idea is to encourage women to know the basic forms of care and pay attention to the signs and symptoms of this type of cancer, which is It ranks third among females (behind breast and colorectal cancer), and the fourth leading cause of cancer death among women in Brazil. According to the Inca National Cancer Institute, Brazil should register 16,710 new cases of cervical cancer in the 2020/2022 triennium.

What causes cervical cancer?

Also known as cervical cancer, cervical cancer is caused by persistent infection with some type of human papillomavirus – the human papillomavirus, called a neoplasm. It is sexually transmitted and can cause damage to the vagina, cervix, penis, and anus. In some cases, cellular changes occur that can develop into cancer.

happily, These changes are easily detected on preventive examination – Also known as a Pap smear – it can be cured in most cases. for this reason, It is important to carry out regular preventive examinations.

paying off:

Cervical cancer is a slowly developing disease and may not have symptoms at an early stage. In more advanced cases, it can progress to intermittent or post-coital vaginal bleeding, abnormal vaginal discharge and abdominal pain associated with urinary or intestinal diseases.

Is there a cure?

The American Cancer Society (ACS .)) reports that the overall five-year survival rate for cervical cancer is 66%. This number jumps to 92% when cancer is detected in its early stages. Treatment becomes more complex when the cancer is more advanced. Depending on the stage of the disease, a person may need surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, or a combination of treatments.

protection

The main form of prevention is the HPV vaccine, available for girls aged 9 to 14 and for boys aged 11 to 14, in all family health units, where they are able to prevent 70% of cervical cancers and 90% of cervical cancers. Genital warts.

Another way to avoid the disease is to reduce the risk of infection with HPV, which occurs through sexual contact, while using a condom during intercourse. In addition, a preventive examination should be periodically performed by all women after the onset of sexual life, as it is able to detect early precancerous changes that, if treated, are cured in almost all cases, and do not develop into cancer.

*Text based on information from the Ministry of Health

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