A smear every three years in people over 25 and HPV vaccination from 11 years old, these are the two recommendations that INCa recalls in its campaign against cervical cancer.
Getting rid of cervical cancer is easy. The National Cancer Institute is convinced of this, but on condition that women put all the chances on their side. This is why INCa is launching a new campaign in favor of screening smears and vaccination against the human papillomavirus (HPV). And today, it is urgent to promote these prevention tools. Cervical cancer kills more than 1000 women in France every year.
Information to make women better known
But with 3,000 new cases each year, it’s not an easy task. Less than 30% of young girls are properly vaccinated and 40% of women do not have a smear regularly, most often for lack of gynecological follow-up. For the Institute, it is therefore important to remember that the smear can be done by the doctor, the gynecologist or a midwife, in private practice, in hospital, in a health center, in a family planning or education center, or, on prescription, in certain medical biology analysis laboratories. “This information is too little known to women and justifies continuing to educate them,” insists the Inca.
In addition, she recalls that smear screening is recommended for women from the age of 25, whether or not they are vaccinated. It should be done every 3 years, and up to age 65.
His utility
As the INCa campaign explains, carrying out a smear regularly is essential: “most of the time, the anomalies do not manifest themselves in any symptom. When they do appear, the cancer is often already at an advanced stage, and therefore more difficult to cure. The smear makes it possible to detect precancerous and cancerous lesions of the cervix and thus to treat this cancer earlier, or even to prevent its appearance ”, specifies the brochure.
Another lever, vaccination
Finally, to protect against cancer of the cervix, there is another effective and complementary lever of the smear: the anti-HPV vaccination, which is recommended from the age of 11 by the 2013 vaccination calendar online on the website of the ministry. of Health.
So, for all these reasons, and ahead of the European week for prevention and screening of cervical cancer (January 19 to 25), the National Cancer Institute and the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health will broadcast from January 11 to 28 a radio campaign (1) and information documents. The objective is obviously to remind women aged 25 to 65 of the importance of these effective prevention tools against cervical cancer.
Listen INCa radio sport
(1) France Inter, France Info, France bleu, Europe 1, RTL, Nostalgie, Chérie FM, RFM and Classic Radio), community stations (Radio Orient, Beur FM and Africa n ° 1) and overseas departments (Guadeloupe 1ère, RCI Guadeloupe, Guyane 1ère, Metis FM, Martinique 1ère, RCI Martinique, Réunion 1ère, Freedom, Mayotte 1ère).
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