Cervical cancer: The silent women killer

Cervical cancer is killing women faster than any other disease today. It starts in the cervix, the lower part of the uterus (womb) that opens at the top of the vagina. It starts in the cells on the surface of the cervix. There are two types of cells on the cervix's surface: squamous and columnar. Most cervical cancers are from squamous cells.
It usually develops very slowly. It starts as a precancerous condition called dysplasia. This precancerous condition can be detected by a Pap smear and is 100% treatable. That is why it is very important for women to get regular Pap smears.
Undetected precancerous changes can develop into cervical cancer and spread to the bladder, intestines, lungs, and liver. It can take years for precancerous changes to turn into cervical cancer. Women with cervical cancer do not usually have problems until the cancer is advanced and has spread.
Cervical cancer is the third most common type of cancer in women. Approximately 2-3% of all women over age 40 years will develop some form of cervical cancer.
Signs and tests
Precancerous changes of the cervix and cervical cancer cannot be seen with the naked eye. Special tests and tools are needed to spot such conditions.
•Pap smears screen for pre cancers and cancer, but do not make a final diagnosis.
•If abnormal changes are found, the cervix is usually examined under magnification. This is called colposcopy. Pieces of tissue are surgically removed (biopsied) during this procedure and sent to a laboratory for examination.
Early cervical cancer can be cured by removing or destroying the precancerous or cancerous tissue. There are various surgical ways to do this without removing the uterus or damaging the cervix, so that a woman can still have children in the future.

Dr. Matilda Kerry, ex- Most Beautiful Girl in Nigeria, 2000 is the founder and president of the George Kerry Life Foundation which cater for women, giving them awareness about their health, especially cervical cancer. She has decided to use her voice to speak to women about cervical cancer and cervical cancer awareness. We had an interview with her. Excerpts:
What is your level of involvement in this silent women killer called cervical cancer?
Well, what I run is cervical cancer awareness for early cervical cancer changes. Cervical cancer is one of the cancers that can be prevented if it is detected early and treated. So we offer that awareness, the screening and we offer the treatment under the auspices of George Kerry Life Foundation.
At what stage is cervical cancer critical in a woman?
Medically, we call that stage the CIM 3 stage to casinoma intusea stage which means that it is already a cancer but the woman is not aware of it. So, if we catch her at that stage, we can still save her life. But once it has gone into evasive cancer that means it has spread, then, the possibilities of saving her life have become very limited.
Through which means do you create this awareness because many Nigerian women seem to know little or nothing about cervical cancer?
The truth about it is that cervical cancer is a huge problem and awareness is something that requires a lot of funding because you need to do radio, television, you need to do bill board, all these things cost a lot of money. I always make sure I talk about cervical cancer because I know the message will get out there. We also have our awareness month which is January. We do a huge awareness all around the place and we make sure that women are informed.
What advice you have for women?
Get screened for cervical cancer. Go for your pap smear, go for you VIA. It is a test that you should do just once a year. And it is so cheap, if you consider all the shoes, bags and dresses that you buy then it is nothing. Make that commitment and go for screening just once a year. Then pass on the message to your daughters so that it becomes something that they are used to as they are growing up.
How much does the test cost?
It is a range but depending on the type of test. But the entire tests available are all very good and they cost between N1000 and N10,000, which is basically nothing, once a year.
At what age should a woman screen for cervical cancer?
We advise that women should start their screening three years after first sexual intercourse. This is because the virus which causes cervical cancer is sexually transmitted. So you should start your screening three years after your first sexual contact.