DOH-6 to screen 70k women for cervical cancer

By Joseph Bernard A. Marzan

The Department of Health-Western Visayas Center for Health Development (DOH-WVCHD) is set to screen 73,628 women for human papillomavirus (HPV), the primary cause of cervical cancer, within the next two months.

The initiative spans across various provinces including Aklan (5,676), Antique (5,448), Capiz (7,507), Guimaras (1,775), Iloilo (19,204), Negros Occidental (23,457), Bacolod City (5,965), and Iloilo City (4,596), targeting women aged 30 to 65.

The target population represents about 5 percent of the 1,469,130 eligible women in Western Visayas, aligning with the DOH central office’s national target of screening 3 million women.

Screening methods include pap smear, visual inspection with acetic acid, or HPV deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) testing.

The pap smear, involving cell collection from the cervix, remains the standard technique. It is recommended three years post a woman’s first sexual intercourse, no earlier than 21 years old, and at 35 years old for unmarried, sexually inactive women.

Alternative methods include visual inspection using 3 to 5 percent acetic acid and HPV DNA testing, conducted similarly to pap smears.

HPV is predominantly transmitted through sexual contact, particularly among those with multiple sexual partners.

The campaign was launched with events in Iloilo and Bacolod Cities on May 9 and 10, projected to run for approximately eight weeks.

Dr. Arnold Liwag from the Western Visayas Medical Center (WVMC) emphasized during a press conference in Iloilo City that WVMC sees two to three new cases and treats about 15 cases of cervical cancer monthly.

Liwag also noted the absence of comprehensive regional or national cancer data which hampers a clearer understanding of the disease’s impact.

“There is no regionwide or nationwide cancer registry that can be easily accessed for a better idea of the number of cases we are managing or encountering. Take note that the recommendation right now for cervical cancer screening is gathered from other countries, not necessarily our local data,” Liwag said.

Liwag, who is the WVMC’s point person for the Scale Up Cervical Cancer Elimination with Secondary Prevention Strategy (SUCCESS) program, also cited a self-test method using HPV DNA. This is available only at the WVMC and the West Visayas State University Medical Center (WVSUMC), but they would hope to roll it out for the public.

Dr. Aimee Marie Gayomali, head of the DOH-WVCHD’s integrated non-communicable disease prevention and control program, mentioned collaboration with local health offices, hospitals, and the Philippine Obstetrics and Gynecological Society to facilitate the screenings.

According to the HPV Information Centre’s 2023 fact sheet, approximately 39.6 million women aged 15 and above in the Philippines are at risk of developing cervical cancer, with an estimated 7,897 new cases diagnosed and 4,052 fatalities annually due to the disease.