Everything You Need To Know About Cervical Cancer - Types, Risk Factors, And India's Latest Vaccine

A recent George Institute report found that India has an age-standardized incidence and mortality rate of 22 and 12.4 per 100,000 women from cervical cancer each year, respectively. This accounts for 25% of all global deaths due to the disease, primarily due to inadequate screening and treatment. On the other hand, 5-year relative survival of 46% is strongly linked with the stage at diagnosis - while 73.2% of cases result in localized cancer, advanced-stage cancer only yields a 7.4% survival rate.

Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that affects the cervix, which is the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina. It can affect anyone, but most commonly affects women between 30 and 45 years old.

There are two main types of cervical cancer: squamous cell carcinoma, which occurs in thin, flat cells that line the cervix, and adenocarcinoma, which develops in glandular cells that produce mucus and other fluids. According to the World Health Organization, there are 123,000 new cervical cancer cases and 67,000 deaths in India every year. Human Papillomavirus (HPV) remains the leading cause.

Risk factors for cervical cancer include:

• Multiple sexual partners
• Early sexual activity?
• Other sexually transmitted infections (STIs)
• Pre-existence of UTI
• A weakened immune system
• Smoking
• HPV Infection?
• Poor Genital Hygiene?
• Prolonged use of Oral Contraceptive Pills
• Family History of the Disease

ABOUT INDIA'S NEW CERVICAL CANCER VACCINE

India now has three vaccines available against Human Papilloma Virus (HPV); Gardasil (marketed by Merck), Cervarix (marketed by GlaxoSmithKline), and the most recent addition, CERVAVAC - developed by the Serum Institute of India.

CERVAVAC is a quadrivalent vaccine, meaning it is effective against at least four variants of cancer-causing Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) and resulted from a partnership of DBT's Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation that supported Serum's development efforts.

It is expected that the HPV vaccine will significantly reduce cervical cancer rates in India, where the disease is currently the leading cause of cancer death among women aged 30-44.

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