HPV vaccination is the need of the day to prevent second deadly most cervical cancer: Dr Rekha Sachan
The event was graced by Dr. Radha Rangarajan, Director, CSIR-CDRI, who welcomed the guests Dr. Rekha Sachan, Senior Gynecologist from KGMU and Dr. Malti Maurya, Expert Pathologist from KGMU. Dr. Radha emphasized that cervical cancer is one of the leading causes of death among women worldwide. She informed that CSIR-CDRI scientist Dr. Monika Sachdeva and her team, have identified potential biomarkers for early detection of cervical cancer wich would be very useful for developing the diagnostics for cervical cancer. The Director, Dr. Radha lauded the efforts of Dr. Monika and her team for organizing this awareness program and encouraged all participants to actively engage in the health check-up as their contribution would support ongoing research studies.
The program featured an informative health awareness lecture and free health check-up services. During the awareness lecture, Dr. Rekha Sachan highlighted the risk factors, symptoms, and preventive measures of cervical cancer. She stressed that early detection through regular screening can significantly improve treatment outcomes. The key risk factors include early marriage, multiple sexual partners, poor genital hygiene, frequent childbirth, malnutrition, smoking, and immunosuppressive diseases like HIV-AIDS. Dr. Rekha Sachan also elaborated on the importance of HPV vaccination for preventing cervical cancer, especially if administered before the onset of sexual activity. Dr. Sachan emphasized that Cervical Cancer is the second most common form of cancer among women in India but is curable if detected early through regular screenings.
According to WHO (2022), an estimated 604,000 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer globally, with about 342,000 deaths recorded. The vaccination helps prevent infections caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), a major cause of cervical cancer.
Dr. Malti Maurya provided a detailed explanation of the sample collection for detecting abnormal cervical cells using Pap Smear Test (LBC) and the instruments involved in the procedure. She demonstrated the instruments used and described how to detect abnormal cells that may indicate pre-cancerous changes.
Following the lectures, participants underwent free health check-ups, including Complete Blood Count (CBC) and Pap Smear Tests sample collection for further screening. More than 150 women participated in this program. The data collected during the health camp will play a crucial role in the development and validation of biomarkers and the creation of diagnostic kits for early detection of cervical cancer. CSIR-CDRI remains committed to raising awareness and advancing research in women's health, contributing to the mission of early detection and prevention of life-threatening diseases.