Cervical cancer screening is less expensive - Oncologist

Cervical cancer screening is less expensive and often leads to early detection and prevention, compared to the cost of treatment for the disease.

Dr Anita Owusu-Afriyie, a Medical Officer at the Oncology Unit of the International Maritime Hospital (IMaH) in Tema, who gave the caution said,

"Most women shy away from cervical cancer screening using cost as an excuse”.

She explained that whereas paying about GHS500.00 to get the two sets of tests done and subsequently a vaccination if tested negative to protect themselves some women would wait until the symptoms of the disease emerged before reporting to the hospital.

This, she said, would attract a series of tests plus treatment, which would cost more than the price for screening.

Dr. Owusu-Afriyie was speaking at Ghana News Agency’s weekly health promotion programme, an initiative to promote health-related communication.

The programme was on the topic: “Female Cancers: Cervical Cancer,” and she said the disease was preventable.

She advised women aged 21 years old and above to undergo a cervical and Human Papillomavirus (HPV) screening for early detection, saying though the disease was a “killer,” its early detection saved lives.

Statistics from the HPV center indicated that every year a total of 2,797 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer, and 1,699 died from the disease, she said.

Dr. Owusu-Afriyie indicated that HPV could be contracted through any form of sex -vaginal, anal, and oral with an affected person.

Again, untreated warts could also lead to cervical and penile cancers; therefore, any detection of warts on the private part must be taken seriously and reported for treatment at the hospital.

She added that the cancer could spread to other organs of the body, such as the spine, lungs, and liver, among others.

The Medical Officer encouraged women, to examine their vulva when bathing to identify early if any warts growing there and report it.

Dr. Owusu-Afriyie stated that other symptoms include painful sex, post-coital bleeding, spotting in between menses, and offensive vaginal discharges.

She encouraged early screening, saying “All those who report to the hospital with symptoms already have an advanced stage of cancer,” but all pre-cancer cell detection could be seen through early screening.

The Medical Officer explained that due to the position of the cervix, which was at the mouth of the womb and served as the link between the uterus and the vagina, it was difficult to detect any abnormal happenings there without proper medical screening.

She stressed the need for all women within the specified age bracket to ensure regular cervical screening, to help save the complex and sometimes helpless situation often presented to the hospital.