Prof. K.R. Sethuraman, Vice Chancellor, Sri Balaji Vidyapeeth, has called upon medical professional bodies to lobby for cheaper and affordable vaccines to check relatively preventable infections like the Human Papilloma Virus, which is one of the leading causes of cervical cancer.
Speaking after releasing a souvenir at a one day CME on “Cervical Carcinoma – An Update’ hosted by the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Mahatma Gandhi Medical College &
Research Institute, Puducherry, in association with the Obstetrics and Gynaecological Society of Puducherry, Prof. Sethuraman pointed out that currently the HPV vaccine is administered to teenage girls and younger women in several countries, and seemed to be a promising method of cancer prevention.
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The HPV is the major cause of cervical cancer and the good news is that it is vaccine preventable to certain extent. However, in India, the unfortunate death of a few girls during trial of HPV vaccine has put a stop to this campaign.
According to Prof. Sethuraman, cost effectiveness remains a major concern with HPV vaccine. In Malaysia where Government funds the mass vaccination of girls, it has been shown that, it cost is 20 times more to prevent a case than to treat it--- treating a case cost about Rs 30 lakhs, while preventing a case through mass vaccination cost Rs. 7 crore.
“This is clearly not sustainable. Therefore, associations like the Federation of Obstetric and Gynaecological Societies of India or Indian Medical Association should lobby for cheaper and affordable vaccines, for such effective program to be sustained,” he said. Simultaneously, other proven strategies like PAP smear need to be strengthened, he added. Prof. Seetesh Ghose, Head of Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, MGMCRI and the organizing president said that cervical carcinoma was the most common genital tract malignancy in females. Although its occurrence is on a declining trend, it continues to be a major public health problem for women in India, he said.
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The CME spoke on primary prevention, secondary prevention, role of coloposcope, epidemiology, pathology, palliative care, surgical management and radiotherapy of cervical carcinoma. A panel discussion discussed special situations such as the occurrence of cervical carcinoma in young women planning for conception or those with pregnancy and others who were diagnosed following removal of uterus. The CME was attended by gynaecologists and junior doctors from Puducherry and TN regions.
Sethuraman said HPV vaccine given to girls seemed promising to check cervical cancer