One in every 100 women has undiagnosed cervical cancer in Maharashtra: Experts call for vaccination

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Subject :Science and Technology

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A recent statewide health screening programme revealed that for every 100 women examined, one was detected with undiagnosed cervical cancer in Maharashtra.

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Despite this, the long-pending demand to include Human papillomavirus (HPV) — a vaccine for cervical cancer — in the national immunisation programme remains unfulfilled.
In the state, a total of 73,554 women above the age of 30 years were examined, of which 925 were detected with undiagnosed cervical cancer.

About Cervical cancer-

Cervical cancer is a common sexually transmitted infection.
Long-lasting infection with certain types of HPV is the main cause of cervical cancer.
Even after getting infected, the virus can sometimes take years before it causes any symptoms.
Cervical cancer is considered the most common type of cancer witnessed among women which also has a high mortality rate due to late detection.
According to a study globally, 27 per cent of total cervical cancer cases are from India, which is home to 16-17 per cent of the world’s women population.
The existing vaccines have proven helpful in preventing cervical cancer globally.
So if it is included in the national immunisation programme in which it would be given free of cost to girls, it would help reduce the burden.
It can be prevented to a large extent with the administration of HPV immunisation among girl children before they turn 14 years.
Although HPV vaccination was introduced in 2008, it has yet to be included in the national immunisation programme.

Vaccine against Cervical Cancer-

Currently, two vaccines licensed globally are available in India — a quadrivalent vaccine (Gardasil, from Merck) and a bivalent vaccine (Cervarix, from GlaxoSmithKline).
Each dose costs Rs 2,800 (Gardasil) or Rs 3,299 (Cervarix).
These vaccines are expensive because of less demand.
But once it is included in the immunisation programme and with mass awareness programmes, its demand will increase which might help bring down its price.
The Indian Academy of Paediatrics Committee on Immunisation (IAPCOI) recommends that HPV vaccines be given as a two-dose regimen, six months apart for girls below the age of 14 years.
For those who are 15 and older, the vaccine is given in a three-dose regimen.
In July, the Serum Institute of India (SII)’s vaccine Cervavac — India’s first quadrivalent human papillomavirus vaccine (qHPV) against cervical cancer — received the Drugs Controller General of India’s (DGCI) approval for market authorisation.