'Cervical cancer can be cured'

Cervical cancer can be fully prevented if there is awareness. The tragedy, however, is that because of lack of knowledge and the it-cannot-happen-to-me attitude, it is the most common kind of cancer in India today.

“It’s tragic that cervical cancer mostly hits the young population, whose lives seem shattered after they come to know of it. But the most important thing to understand is that it is completely preventable,” says Ranjana Sharma, senior consultant, obstetrician and gynaecology, Apollo Hospital.

It occurs because of a viral infection caused by the human pappiloma virus (HPV).
Symptoms to watch out for are post-coital bleeding; continuous, smelly vaginal discharge; bleeding between menstrual cycle and irregular periods.