Cervical cancer is the leading cause of death from cancer in Kenyan women, so evidence that it is curable is great news.

According to research by scientists at the University of Iowa in the US, regular screening for cervical cancer means that pre-cancerous conditions can be caught and treated early.

Moreover, if you follow the doctor’s recommendations based on your age and general health status, your chances of developing cervical cancer are almost zero.

The researchers stress the importance of Pap smears, seeing as cervical cancer presents no symptoms in the early stages.

The Pap test should detect any changes on the cells covering the cervix and even if abnormal cells are found, with follow-ups and treatment, these cells have no chance of turning into cancer.

PREVENTABLE AND CURABLE

Cervical cancer is preventable and curable but still, close to half a million women get diagnosed with it worldwide every year.

About half of these women die. In Kenya, there is an economic need for early detection and treatment of cervical cancer because of the high cost of invasive cervical cancer treatment.

It costs between Sh50, 000 in budget clinics and Sh350, 000 in high-end hospitals for chemotherapy alone.

Then there is the need for palliative care and pain control for the patient, not to mention the indirect costs and effect on the quality of life for family members.

Unfortunately, the screenings that could rid Kenya of cervical cancer are not accessible to women from the lower economic class.

There are also no solid statistics on Pap tests or HPV screenings in Kenya. Women 4 Cancer, a Kenyan organisation advocating for early detection and treatment of cervical cancer, has taken up the challenge to change this.

It hopes to change the future of cervical cancer in Kenya using the Change the Future campaign which is aimed at raising funds to acquire mobile screening units equipped with HPV DNA-based screening.

“We know that cervical cancer can be prevented and treated if discovered early.

By having these mobile units, we will be able to increase the number of those getting the HPV vaccine, and give priority to early detection and treatment which is a far more cost-effective alternative to waiting for invasive cancers to strike before offering standard treatment,” explains Benda Kithaka who is the co-founder of Women 4 Cancer.