Cervical cancer is the second cause of death in women in Panama; second only to breast cancer.
In the region of the Americas, data from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) reveals that some 34,000 women die from this disease each year.
However, performing tests such as the Pap smear and vaccinating children against the Human Papilloma Virus can make a difference in reversing these figures and saving lives.
With awareness and education as torches, every March 26 worldwide the day of the prevention of cervical cancer (CCU) is commemorated to raise awareness about the importance of preventing this disease, an action that is joined by the teams of primary care of the Social Security Fund (CSS).
Dr. José Leonardo González, head of the Maternal and Child Program of the National Subdirectorate of Primary Health Care of the CSS, explained that this type of cancer begins in the cervix or neck of the uterus, an area located in the lower part of the womb.
The most frequent symptoms are:
- Spotting or light bleeding between or after menstruation
- Menstrual bleeding that is longer and heavier than usual
- Bleeding after intercourse, douching, or pelvic exam
- increased vaginal discharge
- pain during intercourse
- Bleeding after menopause
- Persistent back and/or pelvic pain for no apparent reason.
The most important risk factor for cervical cancer is infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV). Some of the viruses in this family cause a type of growth called a papilloma.
Importance of Pap Smear
Also called under the names of vaginal cytology and in popular jargon as PAP, the Papanicolaou test takes a few minutes and is used to detect abnormal changes in the cells of the cervix, such as the cellular changes caused by the human papilloma virus that trigger in a cancer.
As Cervical Cancer is a disease that has primary prevention, the specialist reported, it is that in all the Polyclinics and in the Local Primary Health Care Unit (ULAPS) that the PAP is being carried out and in addition to the HPV genotyping, which does not It is more than the imprint of the genetic profile of the human papillomavirus that the affected person had.
The specialist highlights the importance of having a Pap smear every year, highlighting the importance of prevention, and not waiting to have symptoms to have such an important test.
Dr. González also highlighted that cervical cancer screening was implemented within the Social Security Fund, using the CO-TEST (Cytology + HPV), which is applied in all health facilities nationwide.
The head of the Maternal and Child Program also preponderated some important figures, especially in these times of living with a pandemic, and it is the number of such tests that have been carried out in 2022, in the CSS.
He confirmed that in the last year 15,153 women throughout the country have benefited from this health program, and it is estimated that by the middle of this year the number of tests will be in the order of 20, 220 tests carried out. .
Vaccine
The HPV vaccine targets the types of HPV that commonly cause cervical cancer and cancers of the vulva, vagina, anus, and oropharynx. It also protects against the types of human papillomavirus that cause most genital warts.
Thanks to the vaccination program against the Covid-19 virus that is being developed in colleges and schools nationwide, this vaccine is being applied – with prior authorization from parents – to children over ten years of age.
The head of nursing at the President Remón Polyclinic (PPR) of the CSS, Carol Castro, spoke about immunizations in schools, especially in the El Chorrillo, Santa Ana, San Felipe and Ancón sectors.
Mrs. Castro invited parents to allow their children to be inoculated against disease, and thus offer them a better chance of life.
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