<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR>March 19, 2009
CERVICAL CANCER
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>Over 90% here still ignorant of illness
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<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->A RECENT survey of 200 women here showed that the majority are still ignorant about cervical cancer - the sixth most common cancer among women.
Cancer of the cervix is caused by the human papilloma or wart virus, mainly passed through sexual contact, which may cause the mutation of cervical cells. Although vaccination against the virus has been available here for more than two years, less than 1 per cent of women have taken it up. More than 90 per cent of the women in the survey did not know that the virus was the main cause of the cancer, revealed the study conducted by the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society of Singapore in December last year.
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story --><STYLE type=text/css> #related .quote {background-color:#E7F7FF; padding:8px;margin:0px 0px 5px 0px;} #related .quote .headline {font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:10px;font-weight:bold; border-bottom:3px double #007BFF; color:#036; text-transform:uppercase; padding-bottom:5px;} #related .quote .text {font-size:11px;color:#036;padding:5px 0px;} </STYLE>Survey findings
More than 90 per cent of those surveyed did not know that the human papilloma virus is the main cause of cervical cancer.
Two thirds of them did not know there was a vaccine.
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Cervical Cancer: Over 90% here still ignorant of illness
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</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>In addition, two thirds of them did not know that there was a vaccine.
A group of 30 doctors surveyed by the society also cited cost as one main reason for the low take-up.
Earlier this year, GlaxoSmithKline - one of the two main firms providing the vaccine here - slashed the vaccine price by 30 per cent. The vaccination is recommended for women between the ages of nine and 26. It costs between $400 and $600 for a three-dose course at clinics.
Dr Beh Suan Tiong, president of the obstetrical and gynaecological society, said: 'Unlike other cancers, this is one cancer that is easily preventable by vaccination and regular pap smear screening.' The doctor acknowledged that more can be done to reach out to groups of women who may be missing out on the awareness efforts.
They include busy housewives, the less educated and those who hardly visit doctors in the first place.
At least one new case of cervical cancer is diagnosed every two days, with one woman dying from the cancer every five days. APRIL CHONG
CERVICAL CANCER
</TR><!-- headline one : start --><TR>Over 90% here still ignorant of illness
</TR><!-- headline one : end --><!-- show image if available --></TBODY></TABLE>
<!-- START OF : div id="storytext"--><!-- more than 4 paragraphs -->A RECENT survey of 200 women here showed that the majority are still ignorant about cervical cancer - the sixth most common cancer among women.
Cancer of the cervix is caused by the human papilloma or wart virus, mainly passed through sexual contact, which may cause the mutation of cervical cells. Although vaccination against the virus has been available here for more than two years, less than 1 per cent of women have taken it up. More than 90 per cent of the women in the survey did not know that the virus was the main cause of the cancer, revealed the study conducted by the Obstetrical and Gynaecological Society of Singapore in December last year.
<TABLE width=200 align=left valign="top"><TBODY><TR><TD class=padr8><!-- Vodcast --><!-- Background Story --><STYLE type=text/css> #related .quote {background-color:#E7F7FF; padding:8px;margin:0px 0px 5px 0px;} #related .quote .headline {font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size:10px;font-weight:bold; border-bottom:3px double #007BFF; color:#036; text-transform:uppercase; padding-bottom:5px;} #related .quote .text {font-size:11px;color:#036;padding:5px 0px;} </STYLE>Survey findings
More than 90 per cent of those surveyed did not know that the human papilloma virus is the main cause of cervical cancer.
Two thirds of them did not know there was a vaccine.
RELATED LINKS
<!-- Audio --><!-- Video --><!-- PDF -->
<!-- Photo Gallery -->
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>In addition, two thirds of them did not know that there was a vaccine.
A group of 30 doctors surveyed by the society also cited cost as one main reason for the low take-up.
Earlier this year, GlaxoSmithKline - one of the two main firms providing the vaccine here - slashed the vaccine price by 30 per cent. The vaccination is recommended for women between the ages of nine and 26. It costs between $400 and $600 for a three-dose course at clinics.
Dr Beh Suan Tiong, president of the obstetrical and gynaecological society, said: 'Unlike other cancers, this is one cancer that is easily preventable by vaccination and regular pap smear screening.' The doctor acknowledged that more can be done to reach out to groups of women who may be missing out on the awareness efforts.
They include busy housewives, the less educated and those who hardly visit doctors in the first place.
At least one new case of cervical cancer is diagnosed every two days, with one woman dying from the cancer every five days. APRIL CHONG
