Yahneake Sterling, Staff Reporter

Cancer. This is one of the most dreaded words a woman can hear. There are many kinds of cancers and breast cancer is the most talked about; it is the number two killer of women, locally.

However, until recently, one of the least talked about cancers among women was cervical cancer.

This disease was rarely mentioned locally until mid-2006 when the campaign, "Tell Someone," aired on cable television after a vaccine called 'Gardasil' was developed by scientists to protect against four types of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), which together cause 70 per cent of cervical cancers and 90 per cent of genital warts.

There are close to 100 HPVs, but only between eight and 10 of them cause cervical cancer.

Gardasil approved

Gardasil was approved in June last year by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for use in girls and women, ages 9-26 years. The vaccine is given through a series of three shots over a six-month period.

In Jamaica, cervical cancer is second behind breast cancer, claiming the lives of close to 700 women yearly.

Research shows that approximately 20 million people worldwide are currently infected with HPV.

It is estimated that at least 50 per cent of sexually-active men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives.

Additionally, by age 50, at least 80 per cent of women will have acquired genital HPV infection.

But, no woman has to die from cervical cancer. According to Dr. Errol Daley, consultant gynaecologist, early detection of abnormal cells (normally brought on by HPV), can prevent the cancer from forming. It takes between 10 and 15 years for cancer to form, however, it may not be known how long it had been present in the body.

"It is entirely preventable if women do regular pap smears," Dr. Daley stressed.

Low grade vs high grade

"Almost all HPV show up on a pap test which will show the cells to be either normal or abnormal (low grade or high grade)," he continued.

Low grade cells, he said, will clear on their own, but high grade cells may become cancerous. However, as soon as the abnormal cells are found, measures to expel them from the body such as burning, freezing or surgically removing them can be undertaken.

The drug Gardasil which is believed to prevent cervical cancer in women, is not yet available locally. Each shot costs between US$300 (J$21,100) and US$500 (J$33,500).

Last September, in an article published in The Gleaner, Dr. Eva Lewis-Fuller, director of health promotion and protection in the Ministry of Health said the Ministry was yet to do a cost analysis to decide whether or not the Government will subsidise Gardasil.

Until then, it is important that women do regular pap smears to check for the presence of HPV and take measures to remove them before they develop into cancer.