Every two minutes, a woman dies from a form of cancer caused by the HPV virus. Every year, more than 600,000 new cases of cancer are reported due to HPV infection.
And every year, more than half a million new cases of cervical cancer are detected due to the human papilloma virus, and more than 300,000 women lose the battle because of it. In fact, cervical cancer is the second most common cause of neoplasm in women. In Romania, the situation is even worse. Every day, cervical cancer kills five people.
Statistics show that almost 80 percent of us get infected at some point in our lives with the HPV virus, which is most often sexually transmitted.
“Most of us do not suffer from this virus, even if at some point we are infected with it. The immune system manages to defeat it and thus the body heals itself. However, there are cases in which the infection persists or recurs. This can lead to cancer. The most common is cervical cancer. In fact, nearly 99 percent of cervical cancers are caused by the HPV virus. Other types of neoplasms that have the papilloma virus as a starting point are cancers produced in the genital area “, says Prof. Dr. Șerban Negru, president of the OncoHelp Timișoara Association.
The motto of this year’s HPV International Awareness Day is: “One less concern”, and this is because the risks of papilloma virus infection can, in fact, be prevented.
“Among the prophylactic measures that can be taken is the vaccination of young people, that immunization with anti-HPV serum.
This involves vaccinating girls and boys between the ages of 11 and 14, ie before they start having sex. The vaccine reduces precancerous lesions and thus reduces the incidence of cervical or cervical cancer.
Another measure is to facilitate access to screening programs, regular gynecological examination and a Babeș-Papanicolau test. Women should start these investigations at the age of 21, with an annual frequency or at least every two years. Unfortunately, most cases of cervical cancer caused by the HPV virus are detected in women up to 45 years old “, says Prof. Dr. Șerban Negru, president of the OncoHelp Timișoara Association.
At Oncohelp Oncology Center, patients can receive free treatment for all types of cancer caused by HPV. Depending on the stage of the disease, it is about radiotherapy, chemotherapy and even immunotherapy.
The OncoHelp Oncology Center is a university hospital with 165 beds, of which 131 for continuous hospitalization, 29 beds for day hospitalization and five beds for ATI SPA (Post-Anesthesia Surveillance).
The Center offers free medical services for oncology, radiotherapy, hematology, upper and lower digestive endoscopy, medical imaging (computer tomography, medical ultrasound and mammography).
The health center has the only palliative care center in a university hospital in the west of the country. Here, too, patients receive free accommodation and meals during radiotherapy treatments in a 48-bed building, which provides modern hotel conditions.
–
