3.Is there a test for cervical cancer?

Yes. A Pap test (also called a "Pap smear") is used to screen women for cervical cancer. For this test, your doctor or nurse looks inside your vagina using a device that looks like a duck beak (called a speculum). He or she will then use a small brush to collect cells from the cervix. A doctor will look at the cells under a microscope to see if they are abnormal. Depending on your age, the doctor will also do a test for a virus called human papillomavirus (HPV). Infection with HPV can cause cervical cancer.

If the test results are abnormal, the doctor will follow up with a test called a biopsy. During a biopsy, the doctor will remove a tiny piece of abnormal-looking tissue from the cervix. To see the cervix better during a biopsy, the doctor will use a magnifying lens called a "colposcope."

Doctors sometimes find cells in the cervix that are not cancer, but are abnormal and have a high chance of turning into cancer. If you have these "precancer" cells, your doctor can treat them in different ways. He or she might remove them to prevent them from turning into cancer. Or he or she might watch them closely over time.

4.What is cervical cancer staging?

Cancer staging is a way in which doctors find out how far a cancer has spread.

The right treatment for you will depend a lot on the stage of your cancer, your age, and other health problems. Your treatment will also depend on whether you might want to get pregnant in the future.

5.How is cervical cancer treated?

Cervical cancer can be treated in different ways. These include:

6.What if I want to get pregnant one day?

If you want to have a baby one day, talk with your doctor before having treatment. Some women can still get pregnant after being treated for cervical cancer. But, a woman cannot get pregnant after some types of treatment, such as a hysterectomy, radiation therapy, or some types of chemotherapy.

Women are often able to get pregnant after other types of treatment. But they usually need to wait 6 to 12 months before they start trying to get pregnant, because their body needs time to heal.

7.What happens after treatment?

After treatment, you will be checked every so often to see if the cancer comes back. Follow-up tests can include exams, Pap tests, and X-rays.

8.Can cervical cancer be prevented?

In many cases, yes. Almost all cervical cancer is caused by a virus called HPV (human papillomavirus) that is spread through skin-to-skin contact and sex. Vaccines that prevent people from getting infected with HPV are now available. Ask your doctor if and when you should get an HPV vaccine. This vaccine is available for men and women, and works best if a person receives it before he or she starts having sex. Also, treating pre cancer cells can keep them from turning into cervical cancer.

2.What are the symptoms of gallbladder cancer?

Early on, gallbladder cancer might not cause any symptoms. In many cases, gallbladder cancer is found unexpectedly when:

When gallbladder cancer causes symptoms, they can include:

All of these symptoms can also be caused by conditions that are not gallbladder cancer. But if you have these symptoms, tell your doctor or nurse.

3. What are gallstones?

Gallstones are small stones that form inside the gallbladder. They can be tiny specks or get as big as the whole gallbladder, which can be up to 6 inches long.

Normally, the gallbladder fills with bile in between meals. Then, when you eat fatty foods, the gallbladder empties the bile into the intestine. Sometimes, though, gallstones clog the gallbladder and keep it from draining. Other times, gallstones just irritate the gallbladder. If the gallstones are pushed out of the gallbladder, they can keep the liver or pancreas from draining.

How are gallstones treated?

People with gallstones generally have 3 treatment options. They can have:

5.Is there a test for gallbladder cancer?

Yes. To check for gallbladder cancer, your doctor will do an imaging test. Imaging tests can include an ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI scan.

6.How is gallbladder cancer treated?

Gallbladder cancer is usually treated with one or more of the following:

7.What happens after treatment?

After treatment, your doctor will check you every so often to see if the cancer comes back. Follow-up tests usually include imaging tests.

You should also watch for the symptoms listed above. Having those symptoms could mean your gallbladder cancer has come back. Tell your doctor or nurse if you have any symptoms..

3.How can people get infected with HPV?

People can get infected with HPV if their mouths or genitals touch the mouths or genitals of someone who is infected. People who have a lot of sex partners have a higher chance of getting an HPV infection.

4.Are different HPV vaccines available?

Yes, 3 different HPV vaccines are available. All HPV vaccines come in shots. The dosing for the shots depends on the person's age:

5.At what age do people get the HPV vaccine?

Most doctors recommend that people get the HPV vaccine at age 11 or 12. But people can get the vaccine any time from age 9 to 26. Women should not get the vaccine if they are pregnant.

The HPV vaccine works best when it is given before a person gets infected with HPV. The HPV vaccine can't cure an HPV infection that a person already has. That's why it is better to get the HPV vaccine before you have sex for the first time. If you have already had sex, talk with your doctor or nurse. He or she might recommend that you get the HPV vaccine anyway, because it could still help you.

6.What side effects can the HPV vaccine cause?

The HPV vaccine can cause redness, swelling, or soreness where the shot was given. It can also cause people to pass out, but this is uncommon. To make sure that this doesn't happen, your doctor or nurse will have you stay on the exam table for a few minutes after the shot.

7.Does the HPV vaccine always work?

The HPV vaccine is very good at preventing HPV infection and cervical cancer. It might also prevent other cancers, including mouth and throat cancer. But it is not perfect. In some cases, people who get the vaccine can still get an HPV infection.

8.Do I need to be checked for cervical cancer if I get the vaccine

Yes. All women, including those who get the HPV vaccine, should be checked on a routine schedule for cervical cancer. Most women are checked using a test called a "pap smear" starting at age 21.

Q.2 What are the most common risk factors for head and neck cancer?

Tobacco (smoked or smokeless) is the most important risk factor for this cancer.

Smoked tobacco includes beedi, cigarettes , hookaa, chillum , cheerot , chutta etc. Reverse chutta smoking includes smoking with the burnt end inside the mouth and is prevalent in some parts of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha.

Smoke less tobacco includes betel quid (pan), zarda, gutkha , khaini , mawa , gudakhu etc. Cancer usually occurs in the mouth in those places where betel quid are kept for long period of time.

Tobacco contains 29 types of cancer causing chemicals.

The other risk factors for cancer of head and neck include alcohol, aging and infection with Human papilloma virus

Alcohol and tobacco act in a synergistic manner to cause cancers of upper aerodigestive tract. Incidence of head and neck cancers increases with age and most patients are above the age of 55 years.

Infection due to Human papilloma virus leads to cancer of the oropharynx (Base of the tongue, Tonsils) mainly in younger persons who are usually non smoker and non alcoholic.

Q.3 What are the most common symptoms of cancer of head and neck?

Patients may present with mouth pain or non healing mouth ulcers, loosening of teeth, difficulty in swallowing solid and liquid food , weight loss and bleeding.

About 2/3 of the patients present with neck swelling which usually suggests advanced disease.

Patients with laryngeal cancer present with hoarseness of voice.

Nasopharyngeal cancer and cancer of sinuses present with bleeding from the nose.

Q.4 Is screening useful in cancer of head and neck?

Oral cancer occurs in sites that are generally accessible by physical examination

Thus, cancer of the head and neck has great potential for prevention through routine mouth examinations in high-risk individuals to detect pre cancerous lesions. This is known as screening.

In Kerala screening was done through visual inspection by trained health care workers. In persons with high risk of head and neck cancer (smokers and alcoholics) it was possible to detect disease in an earlier stage and thus reduction in the incidence of death.

Q5.What steps should be taken to prevent head and neck cancer?

Since tobacco is the most important risk factor for head and neck cancer , the single most important step to prevent head and neck cancer is to avoid using tobacco in any form.

Awareness programmes should be carried out and people should be educated about the harms of using tobacco.

Visual inspection of the mouth should be carried out in high risk individuals to detect pre cancerous lesions.

NO TOBACCO DAY

The Member States of the World Health Organization created World No Tobacco Day in 1987 to draw global attention to the tobacco epidemic and the preventable death and disease it causes. In the same year, the World Health Assembly passed a resolution calling for 7 April 1988 to be a "a world no-smoking day." In 1988, a second resolution was passed, calling for the celebration of World No Tobacco Day, every year on 31st May. The first theme for No Tobacco Day celebrated in 1988 was “Tobacco or Health: choose health”. The theme for No Tobacco Day 2020 is “Protecting youth from industry manipulation and preventing them from tobacco and nicotine use”. The campaign will create awareness among the public about the ill effects of tobacco on the health of youth mass.

Tobacco and cancer

Globally 18 lakh deaths are caused by lung cancer annually. Lung cancer is the leading cause of death in both men and women .Smoking is THE most common PREVENTABLE cause of lung cancer. Smokers are 20 times more likely to develop lung cancer in their lifetime, compared with non-smokers. Exposure to second-hand smoke at home or in the workplace increases the risk of developing lung cancer by 30%. After smoking cessation the risk of developing lung cancer is halved compared to ongoing smokers. Annually 68000 new cases of lung cancers are diagnosed in India.

Tobacco contains hundreds of chemicals that can cause cancer (Carcinogen).There can be either smoked or smokeless forms of tobacco. Chewable forms of tobacco such as Gutkha, jarda, mawa ,gundi are highly prevalent in India. Cancers of the lip and oral cavity are the most common cancers in Indian males accounting for 92000 new cases annually. Most of these cancers present in an advanced stage leading to high morbidity and mortality.

Tobacco is also implicated in cancers of esophagus, stomach, intestine, kidney and bladder .

Tobacco and Lung health

Inhaled tobacco smoke causes damage to the lungs thus reducing oxygenation.

Asthma is a common respiratory disease characterized by episodic wheezing. Childhood asthma is being diagnosed increasingly and contributes to missed school days, disrupted sleep and restricted play. Inhaled tobacco smoke is one of the major precipitants for severe asthma.1 in 9 asthma related deaths is attributed to tobacco smoke.

Globally 25 crores people live with chronic obstructive lung diseases (COPD) characterized by chronic cough and breathlessness. Tobacco smoke is THE most common cause of COPD. One in five smokers will develop COPD in their lifetime, and almost half of COPD deaths are attributable to smoking .Smoking cessation reduces the risk of developing COPD as well as reduces the severity of COPD

Annually 1 crore people are diagnosed with Tuberculosis and there are 17 lakh deaths; making it the number one killer due to infectious diseases. Tobacco smoke doubles the risk of transformation of dormant TB to active disease. It also increases the risk of contracting TB as well as TB related deaths.

Tobacco control measures

WHO FCTC (Framework Convention on Tobacco Control) was adopted in 2003 “to protect present and future generations from the devastating health, social and environmental and economic consequences of tobacco consumption and exposure to tobacco smoke” by enacting a set of standards stating the dangers of tobacco and limiting its use in all form worldwide. India is a signatory to this framework. Signatory nations follow the MPOWER package to meet the goals of the framework.

In India the tobacco control measures are enacted through the key provisions of Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Product Act (COTPA), 2003 and National Tobacco control programmes. Some of these provisions include

Public should be made aware of these anti tobacco measures. Those violating these provisions are penalized.

National Tobacco Control Programme of India implements anti tobacco measures through State Tobacco Control Cells and District Tobacco Control Cells (DTCC).

Quitting Tobacco

Its Never Too Late To Quit

The decision to quit tobacco is a difficult one. But the first step in quitting tobacco is to MAKE A DECISION TO QUIT AND STICK TO IT.

Health care professionals provide tobacco cessation services to people willing to quit tobacco. This includes advice regarding benefits of quitting tobacco, steps to control craving once quit tobacco (e.g substitute with nicotine chewing gums) and treatment of withdrawal symptoms as well as underlying disease if any.

TOLL-FREE QUITLINES are convenient, population-based methods for giving tobacco users access to intensive behavioural counselling and has in fact increased the quit rates.

Mobile phone based tobacco cessation using Be He@lthy Be Mobile mTobaccoCessation app can reach a large population especially youth addicted to smoking and planning to quit tobacco. Social support strengthens the resolve to quit tobacco.

LIFE IS FULL OF BREATH TAKING MOMENTS. DON’T LET TOBACCO TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY.

Deaths in the age group between 30-69 years

Cancers of oral cavity and lungs in males and cervix and breast in females account for over 50% of all cancer deaths in India .

he top five cancers in men and women account for 47.2% of all cancers; these cancers can be prevented, screened for and/or detected early and treated at an early stage. This could significantly reduce the death rate from these cancers

Commonest cancer among males in India

Lip/oral cavity >Lungs >Stomach>Colorectum>Pharynx

Commonest cancer among females in India

Breast>cervix>Colorectum>Ovary>Lip/Oral cavity