Although cervical cancer could easily be eradicated in Taiwan, it remains the No. 1 cause of cancer in women because too many do not follow the Department of Health’s recommendation and get an annual Pap test, the Formosa Cancer Foundation said yesterday.
Foundation executive-director Lai Chi-ming (賴基銘) said the rate of incidence had dropped 7.6 percent since 2005 thanks to efforts by the department to raise awareness about cervical cancer, but the majority of Taiwanese women continue to ignore doctors’ recommendations to get an annual check-up and receive vaccination for the human papillomavirus, the leading cause of cervical cancer.
Only 35 percent of women receive a Pap test on an annual basis and 56 percent undergo the screening process every three years, he said.
A study by the department shows that about 5,000 new cases of cervical cancer are reported each year in Taiwan.
Lai said a new case of cervical cancer occurs every 90 minutes.
“Cervical cancer is a treatable disease if it is caught early enough and can be prevented through vaccination. In other words, if more women listened to their doctor, it would be possible to eradicate cervical cancer altogether,” Lai said.
In addition to vaccination and annual Pap tests, to lower the risk of contracting the disease, women are also advised to delay sexual activity, quit smoking, avoid having multiple sexual partners and use condoms during sexual intercourse.
Lai said even women who have had their ovaries removed should get a regular Pap test because the virus can attack cell tissue despite the absence of ovaries.
The most common symptoms of cervical cancer include vaginal bleeding, unusual vaginal discharge, pelvic pain and pain during sexual intercourse, he said.
However, too many patients do not realize the condition until the second or third stage of the disease because it is relatively pain-free at the onset, Lai said.
The national insurance health plan offers free annual Pap tests for all women above the age of 30.
In related news, the Bureau of National Health (BNH) yesterday said that more than 40 percent of Taiwanese are unaware that hypertension is a major cause of renal failure, urging the public to seek professional help when dealing with high blood pressure.
BNH Director-general Chiu Shu-ting (邱淑媞) said a survey conducted last year showed that while 90 percent of respondents understood the correlation between adult diabetes and renal failure, only 57.3 percent knew that high blood pressure can also damage the kidneys.
In 2007, studies showed that the rate of occurrence of renal failure in Taiwan was 415 per 1 million people — the world’s highest. About 58,000 people are on dialysis in Taiwan, said Lin Yu-feng (林裕峰), head of the Taiwan Society of Nephrology.
Lin said high blood pressure adds stress to blood vessels. Once blood vessels in the kidneys are damaged, they may stop functioning as waste removers, which can exacerbate the condition.
However, rather than seek professional medical help, many people choose to self-medicate with over-the-counter drugs.
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