In Serbia, every day four women are diagnosed with, and one of them dies from cervical cancer. The health education is considered to be very important because knowledge of risk factors is most important in the prevention of this disease.
The most important thing is that every woman understands the importance of going to the gynecologist, at least once a year, for a preventive examination.
Serbia has the highest incidence rate of cervical cancer in Europe, with as many as 20 to 27 per 100,000 women. The best screening has been achieved by the Pap test, and together with colposcopic examination and biopsy, it is the safest method of proving and monitoring changes in the cervix.
Cervical cancer is completely curable at the beginning, while in the later stages only 30% can be cured, and that is why it is important to perform a screening examination with a Pap test once a year. Gynecologically, the most important finding is the class 3 Pap smear, because it is exactly from that group that more severe forms of premalignant changes and cancer in situ (groups IV and V) are further developed, if not reacted on time and if adequate treatment measures are not applied to protect against further disease progression.
Important notes
High-risk groups include women with:
• early sexual intercourse;
• frequent changes of sexual partners;
• a large number of births;
• relation with a promiscuous man;
• sexually transmitted diseases;
• positive family history (previously present gynecological malignancy in the family).
Risk factors:
• HPV infection;
• early sexual activity and early sexual maturation;
• multiplicity of sexual partners, unprotected sexual relations;
• poor socio-economic conditions, poor hygiene;
• smoking and obesity.
Signs of the disease:
• irregular bleeding (between two menstrual cycles);
• scanty bleeding after sexual intercourse;
• abnormally increased secretion.