Cervical cancer is still too common in France. The alarm signal has just been launched by the French Society of Colposcopy and Pathologies Service-Vaginal, an association of experts who wishes to improve the means of screening for this cancer which has affected more than 2,800 women. Cervical cancer affects nearly 2,800 women a year and still affects about 1,000 people each year. It is the second most common cancer in the world for women under 45 years of age.
40% of women do not realize smears
The best way to detect cervical cancer remains the vaginal smear. Recommended every 3 years from 25 to 65 years, it is not carried out by 40% of the female population.
The SFCPCV, therefore, wants to improve the smear by proposing to replace it with an HPV test and to organize a screening at the national level.
Papillomavirus vaccine to prevent precancerous lesions
Another preventive means per the association: the vaccine against Papillomavirus (HPV – Human Papilloma Virus).
For the past 10 years, girls between the ages of 11 and 15 are recommended to be vaccinated against a sexually transmitted virus, which can lead to precancerous lesions responsible for the development of cervical cancer.
“By avoiding an HPV infection, this vaccine prevents the emergence of cancer, but above all prevents a precancerous lesion that affects young women of reproductive age and whose treatment potentially compromises the future of obstetrics by exposing these Patients at the risk of premature childbirth “, recalls the statement of the association. Gardasil 9, a new vaccine planned for the end of 2017
however, the vaccine against Papillomavirus has not always been unanimous, testifies the polemic caused by Gardasil.
This HPV vaccine, suspected of being responsible for the onset of autoimmune diseases and serious side effects, triggered several complaints against the manufacturer and the National Agency for Drugs (ANSM) in 2013. By the A study carried out by ANSM and the Assurance Maladies showed that the vaccine was not involved, however, and the Paris public prosecutor’s office closed the case.
A new HPV vaccine, Gardasil 9, is expected to be released by the end of 2017, a nonvalent version that will cover nine HPV genotypes. In the long term, this vaccine would increase the protection against invasive cervical cancer by 70% for the quadrivalent vaccine (Gardasil) to a 90% protection for Gardasil 9. It would increase from 85% for the tetravalent to 92% for the nonvalent.
Cancer of the cervix: excessive surgeries pointed the finger
SFCPCV is also concerned about excessive and inefficient surgical procedures. In fact, out of the 25,000 cognitions (surgical procedures to remove part of the cervix affected by cancerous lesions) carried out every year, the SFCPCV estimates that only one-third of these interventions are not justified and that more of 70% are of very poor quality.
Read Also: 7 things you should never do to your vagina
The solution? Opt for more colposcopy
“The use of colposcopy makes it possible, during a treatment of a pathology of the cervix, to diminish the therapeutic gesture without, however, impairing the result in terms of therapeutic success, while at the same time reducing the obstetric consequences in patients often Very young, “the association said in its statement.
“The combination of screening and vaccination should make cervical cancer a disease of the past,” concludes the SFCPCV.
Towards comprehensive screening for cervical cancer in 2018
Announced the establishment of an organized screening for cervical cancer in France. This should be generalized in 2018.
At the same time, the National Institute of Cancer (INCa), the Ministry of Social Affairs, Health and Women’s Rights and the health insurance funds have also launched an information campaign on the occasion of the Week Prevention and screening of cervical cancer.
The aim of this campaign is to inform women and remind them of “good practices” via a simple message: “Against cervical cancer, every 3 years, a smear, you have understood everything”.
