[Oak]

KATHMANDU, June 3 - Cervical cancer is the number one cancer among married women aged between 30 and 60 years in Nepal, a recent screening has shown.

BP Koirala Memorial Cancer Hospital detected 955 women with gynecological malignancies, of which 825 cases (85.7 percent) had cervical cancer, a senior gynecologist said here Saturday, citing recent screenings.

Nepal Network For Cancer Treatment and Research (NNCTR) recently conducted the screening under the program, "Cervical Cancer Screening and Prevention", which showed high incidence of cervical cancer among poorer women.

NNCTR conducted a random screening of 19,000 married women in Kavre, Bhaktapur and Chitwan, said coordinator of NNCTR, Radha Pyari Nakarmi.

"More screening is now going on at Stupa Community Hospital in Boudha. Exact number of cases will be tabulated after the screening is over," she added.

Dr Sheela Verma, chief consultant gynecologist at Stupa Community Hospital in Boudha, said, "Poor women, especially in rural areas are affected most as they lack hygiene and basic knowledge about the disease, which when detected in the early stages is curable."

"It takes a few minutes to detect cervical cancer," she said.

However, a senior nurse said women are shy to come for screening, which is affecting the detection and prevention of the disease.

Women with cervical cancer experience foul-smelling discharge, inter-menstrual cycle and vaginal bleeding after sexual intercourse, informed Dr Verma.

It is caused by lack of hygiene, sex with multiple partners and lack of birth-spacing. Having premature sexual intercourse, usually below the age of 18, also increases the chances of cervical cancer, experts said.

"To prevent it, we need mass screening, awareness about the disease and research at the community level," Dr Verma added, urging the government to immediately respond to the biggest public health hazard for women.

Every year, worldwide, 452,000 new cases of cervical cancer are detected, according to World Health Organization. In Nepal, Dr Verma said, it occupies number-one place in terms of common cancers among women.