CERVICAL cancer is totally preventable, says doctor Pushpa Nusair from the MIOT Pacific Hospitals.
Dr Nusair made this comment during her presentation at the “Win Against Cancer” seminar held at the Grand Pacific Hotel in Suva yesterday. Dr Nusair said in stage 1A of cervical cancer the growth was small that it could only be seen through a microscope.
Stage 1A1 means the cancer has grown less than three millimetres (mm) into the tissues of the cervix, and it is less than 7mm wide. Stage 1A2 means the cancer has grown between 3 and 5mm into the cervical tissues, but it is still less than 7mm wide.
She said when cervical cancer was seen with naked eyes and when a woman complained of bleeding, she was already on the stage 1B meaning that the cancerous areas were larger. Dr Nusair said the diseases could be preventable at its early stages.
She added that there needs to be more collaboration and partnership which would bring about togetherness in helping eradicating the disease.
Dr Nusair said there was a need for a National Cervical Cancer policy on screening and prevention.
She said it was vital for Fiji to have this as women die of cervical cancer.
“Women come to us in very late stages of the disease,” she said.
