Free cancer screening

CEBU, Philippines - A Cebu-based nongovernment organization and the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center (VSMMC) will give free cervical and breast cancer screening part of its advocacy for early detection measures to prevent breast and cervical cancer.

Eduardo J. Aboitiz Cancer Center (EJACC) executive director Ronald delos Reyes said the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc (RAFI) and the VSMMC encourage women to undergo free screening on February 4 at the EJACC conference room located within the compound of the VSMMC.

Delos Reyes said the screening encourages women to undergo early detection measures and maintain a healthy lifestyle, exercise, proper hygiene and avoid stress and vices to prevent breast and cervical cancer.

"An opportunity for women to detect pre-cancerous growth or any malignancy for cervical and breast cancer and the screening, which has limited slots, is open to the public at a first come, first serve basis," Delos Reyes said.

Based on the Metro Cebu population-based Cancer Registry of RAFI, breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths among Cebuano women.

EJACC records showed that from 1993 to 2007, there were 3,005 reported breast cancer cases in Metro Cebu.

Breast cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death among Filipino women while cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women. The average number of cervical cancer cases is 829 from 1993 to 2007, according to the Cancer Registry of RAFI.

Cervical cancer, which takes about 20 years to develop, is caused by the human papilloma virus, a sexually-transmitted infection occurring in both men and women. Doctors say it also causes cancer of the vulva, vagina, anus, head and neck cancers and genital warts.

Smoking and having multiple sex partners are also risk factors in the development of cervical cancer. – (FREEMAN)