For a long time the city gynaecologists and cancer surgeons have been claiming that cervical cancer is becoming the leading cancer in women. This was confirmed in the study, led by the centre for global health research, in close collaboration with Tata Memorial Hospital, published in Lancet on Wednesday. It revealed that 17% of the total cancer deaths in women are because of cervical cancer.

In women, cervical cancer was the leading fatal cancer in both rural and urban areas, with somewhat higher rates in rural areas. The cervical cancer death rate of 16 per 1 lakh population suggests that a 30-year-old Indian woman has about 0.7% risk of dying from cervical cancer before 70 years of age, in the absence of other diseases. By contrast, the risk of deaths during pregnancy for Indian women aged 15- 49 years is about 0.6%.

The study pointed out strategies to reduce cervical cancer deaths. This included vaccination against human papillomavirus before marriage, and for married women a once-only-testing or screening followed by visual inspection with acetic acid and further referral for treatment.

According to experts, simple precautions like better hygiene, use of copper-T (birth control measure for women) and regular screening can help bring down this cancer considerably. Dr Rajendra Badwe, director of Tata Memorial Hospital said, “The incidence of cervical cancer is coming down every year by 15- 20%. Early detection is one of the key factors to bring down the cervical cancer mortality rate.”

The study also shows mortality deaths were higher in Hindu women than in Muslim women and experts feel this is because of circumcision among Muslim men, which reduces the sexual transmission of human papillomavirus. “Studies have proved that circumcision reduces the risk of transfer of HIV virus,” said Badwe.

Ashwini Bhalerao Gandhi, consulting gynecologist, PD Hinduja Hospital said, “I ensure that women coming to me are made aware of what is cervical cancer and the how it can be prevented. If they have daughters, we persuade them to go for vaccination. I have kept a pamplet with all the information on cervical cancer and I make the patient read it.”