Awareness key to prevent cervical cancer, says doctors

With India accounting for one-third of the global burden of cervical cancer, doctors Tuesday stressed upon spreading awareness among women to fight the disease.

Speaking at a conference organised at Delhi's Moolchand Hospital, Bandana Sodhi, a senior doctor there, said: "Vaccinations is a primary tool to safeguard against human papilloma virus (HPV) risks that causes cervical cancer."

"It induces higher antibodies in the blood and at the site of infection. There is as much as 85 percent reduction in cancer risks of this type when vaccinated at the correct time," she said.

Dinesh Gupta, laboratory director of CureHealth Diagnostics, one of the leading clinical labs, said: "Every seven minutes, we have women dying of cervical cancer, meaning nearly lakhs of women dying due to inadequate or inappropriate diagnosis."

"Therefore it is important to create awareness and better understanding on the cancer," said Gupta.