TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Most of the patients cervical cancer not knowing that they have the disease. As a result, many cervical cancers are only discovered after an advanced stage.
“Because, cervical cancer is cancer which is very difficult to detect at an early stage, because there are no visible symptoms and any complaints from the patient, “said Director of the Dharmais R. Soeko Werdi Cancer Hospital Nindito Daroekoesoemo in a webinar entitled” Protect Yourself and Your Beloved From Cervical Cancer “on Saturday. , January 30, 2021.
However, there are several signs that indicate anomalies in the cervical area that has been exposed to the human papilloma virus (HPV) as a cause of cervical cancer. One of them is the occurrence vaginal discharge which is unnatural.
Women need to be vigilant if they experience vaginal discharge with an unusual consistency, unpleasant odor, accompanied by burning and itching sensations in and around the vaginal area.
A gynecology specialist oncology at Dharmais Cancer Hospital Jakarta, Widyorini Lestari Hutami Hanafi said that symptoms in the form of unnatural vaginal discharge will occur when cancer patients have at least entered stage 1B.
“Symptoms such as vaginal discharge have usually entered a rather severe stage. Then there is bleeding during intercourse or outside the menstrual cycle,” said Widyorini.
In addition to unnatural vaginal discharge, symptoms in the form of pain in the hip area that radiates to the ankle also need to be watched out for.
“If you feel hip pain that spreads to your feet and you have difficulty urinating, it’s better to immediately see a doctor,” said Widyorini.
Also read: Prevent Cervical Cancer, At What Age Do Girls Need HPV Vaccination?
Widyorini then stated something similar to Soeko, that cervical precancerous lesions were asymptomatic, so symptoms such as unnatural vaginal discharge only appeared when the patient had entered an advanced stage.
For this reason, Widyorini reminded the importance of changing the mindset of women, so that they take precautions in the form of HPV vaccination as well as screening in the form of Pap smear and HPV DNA tests, without waiting for cervical cancer symptoms to appear.
“Do not come to the doctor when you have symptoms, but you are still healthy and you should also be screened so that when precancerous lesions are found, you can immediately treat them,” explained Widyorini.
If the HPV vaccination to prevent cervical cancer can be done since a girl is 9 years old, then the pap smear can be done at the earliest after the initiation of intercourse for the first time. Widyorini advised that the pap smear should be done once a year, while testing HPV DNA can be every three years if the results are negative.
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