T&T Can­cer So­ci­ety: Cham­pi­oning cer­vi­cal can­cer pre­ven­tion through ear­ly de­tec­tion

Jan­u­ary is Cer­vi­cal Can­cer Aware­ness Month. Cer­vi­cal can­cer re­mains one of the most pre­ventable forms of can­cer, yet it con­tin­ues to af­fect women across T&T. The Trinidad and To­ba­go Can­cer So­ci­ety (TTCS) plays a piv­otal role in re­duc­ing the bur­den of this dis­ease through its ro­bust screen­ing and pre­ven­tion pro­grammes.

The Im­por­tance of Screen­ing for Cer­vi­cal Can­cer

Cer­vi­cal can­cer is pri­mar­i­ly caused by the hu­man pa­pil­lo­mavirus (HPV), a com­mon sex­u­al­ly trans­mit­ted in­fec­tion. Reg­u­lar screen­ing is es­sen­tial be­cause it can de­tect ab­nor­mal changes in cer­vi­cal cells long be­fore they de­vel­op in­to can­cer. Ear­ly de­tec­tion not on­ly im­proves treat­ment out­comes but al­so sig­nif­i­cant­ly re­duces mor­tal­i­ty rates.

TTCS Screen­ing Ser­vices

The TTCS rec­om­mends pap smear tests and HPV screen­ings, two crit­i­cal tools in the fight against cer­vi­cal can­cer. Pap smears are ac­ces­si­ble, af­ford­able, and de­liv­ered in a pa­tient-cen­tred en­vi­ron­ment to en­cour­age more women to pri­or­i­tize their health. By iden­ti­fy­ing pre-can­cer­ous con­di­tions ear­ly, the TTCS em­pow­ers in­di­vid­u­als to take proac­tive steps to pre­vent dis­ease pro­gres­sion.

Aware­ness and Ed­u­ca­tion

Be­yond screen­ing, the TTCS is deeply com­mit­ted to rais­ing aware­ness about cer­vi­cal can­cer pre­ven­tion. Through work­shops, pub­lic health cam­paigns, and com­mu­ni­ty out­reach pro­grams, the So­ci­ety ed­u­cates women about risk fac­tors, the im­por­tance of vac­ci­na­tion against HPV, and the ben­e­fits of reg­u­lar health check-ups.

Pre­ven­tion Through Ear­ly De­tec­tion

The TTCS em­bod­ies the ob­jec­tive of pre­ven­tion through ear­ly de­tec­tion by mak­ing cer­vi­cal can­cer screen­ing a cor­ner­stone of its mis­sion. By en­cour­ag­ing women to adopt a proac­tive ap­proach to their health, the So­ci­ety is help­ing to build a health­i­er, can­cer-free fu­ture for T&T.

If you or some­one you know is due for a cer­vi­cal can­cer screen­ing, con­sid­er reach­ing out to the Trinidad and To­ba­go Can­cer So­ci­ety. To­geth­er, we can take ac­tion to pro­tect lives and fos­ter a cul­ture of pre­ven­tion.

For more in­for­ma­tion on TTCS ser­vices, vis­it can­certt.com or call 226-1221 to make an ap­point­ment for your pap smear test.

Pro­tect­ing your health

It’s a time to talk about cer­vi­cal can­cer, its risks, and how to pre­vent it.

What is Cer­vi­cal Can­cer?

Cer­vi­cal can­cer starts in the cervix, the low­er part of the womb. Any­one with a cervix can get cer­vi­cal can­cer.

How com­mon is it?

About 3,200 women in the UK are di­ag­nosed with cer­vi­cal can­cer each year, lead­ing to around 850 deaths. It main­ly af­fects those aged 30 to 45.

What are the symp­toms?

Cer­vi­cal can­cer may not cause symp­toms in its ear­ly stages. This is why reg­u­lar screen­ing is so im­por­tant. When symp­toms do ap­pear, they can in­clude:

* Bleed­ing be­tween pe­ri­ods, af­ter sex, or af­ter menopause.

* Changes in vagi­nal dis­charge.

* Pain dur­ing sex.

* Pain in the low­er tum­my or pelvis.

If you no­tice any of these symp­toms, speak to your GP. Do not wait un­til your next screen­ing ap­point­ment.

(https://www.bea­con­viewmed­ical­cen­tre.co.uk/)