Jakarta, IO – According to the 2022 Globocan research, cervical cancer is the second most prevalent cancer among women after breast cancer. Indonesia itself is the country with the highest incidence of cervical cancer in Southeast Asia, followed by Thailand, Filipina, Myanmar, Vietnam, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, and Timor Leste, respectively.
Here is the latest data of cancer in females of all ages in Indonesia in 2020: a total of 213,546 new cases, comprising 65,858 cases of breast cancer (30.8%), 36,633 cases of cervical and utero cancers (17.2%), 14,896 cases of ovarium cancers (7%), 12,425 cases of colorectal cancer (5.8%), 9,053 cases of thyroid cancer (4.2%), and 74,681 cases of other cancers (35%).
“There are 100 new cases of cervical cancer diagnosed every day, with 57 daily deaths among women in Indonesia being due to cervical cancer. Most cervical cancer is diagnosed among women aged 36-55,” reported Dr. dr. Iwan Kurnia Effendi, Sp.OG(K), Onk., M.Kes., MRCC Siloam Hospital obstetrician specialist, in the “ Expanding The Role of Immunotherapy in Cancer Therapy” webinar held last Saturday (10/12/2022).
The death rate is extremely high because more than 70% of patients are diagnosed in their late stage: “Most are diagnosed at stage 3b, which is a pity because cervical cancer is preventable. It is not a genetic disease, we already know what causes it, and HPV vaccine is readily available for its prevention. Type-16 and Type-18 HPV vaccines can prevent more than 90% of cervical cancer incidence. According to the Indonesian Oncologists Gynecologists Association Guidelines, it is effective for females aged 10-55 years of age. It is to be administered in four doses: the initial shot, then shots in subsequent 1st, 2nd, and 6th months,” Dr. Iwan said.
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Furthermore, cost effective early detection methods for of cancers are widely available: Pap smear, IVA, DNA HPV. The disease takes a long time to develop. Therefore, prevention and early detection measures are effective, because the spread of cervical cancer is more extensive than that of breast cancer or colon cancer. Patients who completed their course of therapy should go in for control once every three months, even if they are declared to be “free” of the disease. (est)