The Department of Health (DOH) announced that it will offer free cervical cancer screening to women between ages 35 and 45 in 58 designated hospitals all over the country.
The cancer screening will be done once a week for the whole month of May in the observance of the cervical cancer awareness, according to the DOH Website.
Following breast malignancy, cervical carcinoma is the second most common type of cancer among Filipino women.
It was found in the past that the following areas had the highest incidence of cancer of the cervix in the country: Manila, Makati, Pasay, Pasig and Taguig. The incidence of cervical malignancy was lowest in Rizal.
The DOH said that about 30,000 women will undergo screening, which has been diagnosed in 1,984 cases last year, the Manila Bulletin reported.
Acetic acid (vinegar) and Pap smear are the procedures used to diagnose the disease, which may take 20 years to develop.
The malignancy is believed to be caused by a sexually-transmitted infection, the human papillomavirus (HPV).
The HPV may also lead to warts of the genitalia and cancer of the anus, vagina and vulva.
Prevention of cervical carcinoma is available for females from age nine in the form of vaccination.
Details of this report here.
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