Vaccination, Screening and Treatment Highlighted During Cervical Cancer Awareness Month
The National Cancer Institute of Kenya estimates that nine women die every day from cervical cancer, despite it being preventable through HPV vaccinations and more curable if detected early through screening. Every year the world observes Cervical Cancer Awareness in January to create awareness around vaccination, screening, and treatment.
The WHO's global strategy to accelerate the elimination of cervical cancer envisions that by the year 2030 through awareness:
• 90% of girls will be fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by the age of 15
• 70% of women are screened with a high-performance test by 35 years of age and again by 45 years of age
• 90% of women identified with the cervical disease receive treatment
Cervical Cancer Awareness month featured education, support and awareness activities.
Since 2017, the AMPATH Breast & Cervical Cancer Control Program (ABCCCP), supported by Eli Lilly and Company Foundation, a private tax-exempt organization, has improved access to screening and diagnostic services in Kenya by addressing the barriers of cancer care through a population health approach, aligned with the goal to improve access to quality health care for 30 million people living in settings with limited resources annually by 2030 – the Lilly 30X30 initiative.
The ABCCCP program works with communities and the Ministry of Health in Kenya with potential for scaling these efforts to other parts of the region. The program aims to provide access to services through the continuum of cancer care including cancer prevention, screening, early diagnostics, optimal treatment, and palliative and survivorship care. AMPATH’s cervical cancer screening programs have screened more than 164,000 women in western Kenya. In 2022, screenings reached approximately 21,000 women and all abnormalities were managed and treated appropriately.
The program works with communities and the Ministry of Health in Kenya with potential for scaling these efforts to other parts of the region. The program aims to provide access to services through the continuum of cancer care including cancer prevention, screening, early diagnostics, optimal treatment, and palliative and survivorship care. AMPATH’s cervical cancer screening programs have screened more than 164,000 women in western Kenya. In 2022, screenings reached approximately 21,000 women and all abnormalities were managed and treated appropriately.
Out of the eligible women between the ages of 25-49 years at risk of developing cervical cancer in Kenya, only 16-18 percent have been screened for cervical cancer in their lifetime. Further, despite introduction of the HPV vaccine, the uptake has been sub-optimal.
The ABCCCP program has some of their survivors as advocates in the community for the HPV vaccines, screening and for early treatment. During a survivorship care support group meeting, the survivors shared their experiences in conquering cancer which are shared here in recognition of Cervical Cancer Awareness month.
Jane
Over the years, I made it a habit to go to every cancer screening outreach near me despite the constant discouragement from friends. In the year 2019, I discovered blood stains and experienced some pain every time after passing urine.
I sought medical intervention immediately, but despite visiting several hospitals, there was no proper diagnosis of the disease. All doctors diagnosed me with infections that I kept treating, but they would recur shortly after. This was the first red flag. On one occasion during a screening, I heard the nurse and student nurse argue about the possibility of cancer and despite letting me go, I became very suspicious.
On my next doctor’s visit, I requested the doctor to screen me for cancer. The doctor agreed and advised me to have a biopsy. The myths around a biopsy scared me. So much so that I defaulted on the appointments and treatment. (A long-held myth has been that a biopsy can cause some cancer cells to spread.)
However, over time I got over the fear and went for the biopsy and I tested positive for cervical cancer. I had an operation to remove the growth and was referred for treatment at the MTRH Chandaria Cancer and Chronic Diseases Centre. I would say that the AMPATH team was God sent. They were strangers, yet they held my hand through it all. They were friendly, always ready to help and encouraged me through it all. After nine cycles of chemotherapy, I am happy to say that I was declared cancer-free.
Faith
For over ten years after getting my children, I never got my monthly periods. I thought that was a bit odd but had learned to live with it. It became a problem when I started having sharp abdominal pains with no solutions despite visiting different hospitals and getting different diagnoses and treatment options.
A CT scan done in 2019 revealed that I had a swelling in my uterus and the doctors recommended a hysterectomy (surgical removal of the uterus).
Getting positive cancer results came as a shock to me. I read a lot of concern on the lab technician's face, and I decided to check the results myself and have a Google search. All things on the search indicated cancer. This was confirmed by the doctor, leaving me overwhelmed. The results looked like a death sentence.
Seeing my young kids though, reignited my will to live and concur with the diagnosis. I had family support and started on chemotherapy and radiotherapy immediately. The journey, I must confess, was not easy. I had hair loss, swollen face and gained a lot of weight. I braved it all, but almost quit at the last stages where I needed brachytherapy (a type of internal radiation therapy that is often used to treat cancers). I felt that the therapy would be too intrusive. But through this all, I was encouraged by the support groups of the people walking a similar journey, my family, and the will to be with my children. I am grateful that I am now cancer-free.
I have vowed to use my experience doing advocacy in the community to encourage and bring them on for treatment. People in my circles now turn to me for support whenever they know someone who needs encouragement to go through treatment after a cancer diagnosis. We are lucky, unlike the earlier days when you had to go out of the country to get comprehensive care. So all those who have had the diagnosis--stay encouraged.
Millicent
My journey battling cancer was quite hard because it took me a long time to get the correct diagnosis. I started having symptoms including abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding in 2011, but I was afraid of going for screening. I felt that the screening would intrude on my privacy. So, for two years, I continued to suffer, fearing the screening.
In 2013, a friend strongly encouraged me to attend one of the screening outreaches by the AMPATH team. The screening detected some anomalies, and I was referred to the Chulaimbo Hospital. I started treatment, but I did not have much improvement. At one point I stopped going to the hospital and started using herbal medicine. This made things worse, and the back and abdominal pain became more intense.
I went back to the hospital, and I was referred to the MTRH Chandaria Cancer and Chronic Diseases Center where the tests were positive for cervical cancer. This was during the heat of the COVID pandemic, and I was referred for a hysterectomy in Kisumu due to the congestion at the hospital. Two months after the procedure, I was declared cancer-free.
I encourage women to seek treatment and go for screening as there is no need to be ashamed of getting help.
