Patna: Experts on Sunday rued that despite two lakh new cases of cervical cancer surfacing in India annually, the Union government was far from including cervical cancer vaccine in its national immunisation programme notwithstanding the fact that 72 countries across the world have already done so.
Addressing the three-day national conference of Asia Oceania Research Organisation on Genital Infections and Neoplasia (AOGIN), which concluded here on Sunday, the experts urged the Centre to include the vaccine in its programme as even countries like Bangladesh, Bhutan and Sri Lanka have done so.
"The vaccine has 99% efficacy against the human papilloma virus which causes cervical cancer. Delhi government has already introduced this vaccine," said
Padmashree Dr J K Singh
, the organising secretary of the conference. "Of all women cancer patients in
Bihar, 32% suffer from cervical cancer, which is highest in the ratio," he added.
According to experts, two types of cervical cancer vaccines are currently available in India. Two doses in the gap of six months are being prescribed for those below 15 years of age and three doses in a year for those above 15 years of age. Each dose costs about Rs 2,000.
Experts lamented that about 80% cases of cervical cancer reach them after stage 3, while it takes 12 years for a cell in cervix to become cancerous after the first complication appears. "Just one pap-smear test can detect cervical cancer if a woman gets it done once in five years. It is a five minute and non-surgical test. Lack of awareness among people and health workers is one of the reasons for late detection of cervical cancer cases in the country," Dr Singh said.
"I shared with experts who have come here from across the world that Bihar has witnessed a decline in cervical cancer cases in the last two years, though the behavioural causes (lack of proper hygiene of private parts and lack of cleanliness in surroundings) haven't changed much. France's Dr
Shankar Narayanan
explained to us that hysterectomy (uterus removal) has led to decline in cancer cases," Dr Singh said. Cervix is part of uterus. Incidentally, Bihar tops the chart in India in hysterectomy cases.
Experts from across the world talked about cervical cancer vaccine programmes on the concluding day of the conference. They included Dr P Walker (UK), Dr Wachara (
Thailand
), Dr Ashrafun Nessa (Bangladesh), Dr Sarita Ghimire (Nepal) and Dr Iacopo Baussano (France).