www.bahrainthismonth.com July 2013 143 Cervical cancer is a preventable disease; yet it is still a leading cause of death in women. Learn how to stay safe. Stay Protected BAHRAIN SPECIALIST HOSPITAL Bahrain This Month meets with Dr Berly Balita of the Bahrain Specialist Hospital (BSH) to understand the workings of modern-day diagnostic tests. It is said that a good offence is the best defence; the specialist tries to spread this line of thinking by reaching out to mothers and their teenagers with the hope of promoting awareness about cervical cancer. The fatal disease occurs at the cervix or ‘neck of the uterus’ and is caused by a sexually transmitted virus called Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). It is an infection that does not produce any symptoms and therefore goes unnoticed by many who don’t undergo regular checkups. It takes about 15 to 20 years for cancer to develop after exposure, making it preventable if identified early. Pap smear is the screening test to detect pre-cancer and cancer lesions in the cervix. A small instrument called a speculum is inserted to open the vaginal canal and allow collection of cells from the cervix with a swab or brush. The sample is then spread or smeared on a slide for examination. “The procedure itself won’t take a minute, but the results come after a few days as it needs processing in the laboratory and microscopic examination by a specialist doctor called a pathologist,” explains Dr Berly. HPV infection can be detected by sending a separate sample from the swab or brush collected during the test, which is recommended from age 29 onwards. It is a DNA test to identify the high-risk type of HPV that can lead to the development of cervical cancer and can be prevented by vaccination with three doses at zero-, one- and six-month intervals for all women 10 to 55 years of age. “The good news is if the pap smear and the HPV test is negative, it means you have a very low chance to develop cervical cancer. The next test can be done after five years as recommended by the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in its latest guideline. This is very encouraging for women as it is uncomfortable to do it every year,” the obstetrics and gynaecology expert explains. BSH encourages all women from the age of 21 or within three years from initial sexual activity, whichever comes first, to have their annual pap smear. “More important is the prevention of cervical cancer, so we encourage all mothers to bring their daughters starting age 10 for vaccination. The idea is to have the immunity before they get exposed to the virus,” says the doctor. E Call 17 812-000. Dr Berly
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