'I was scared to do a pap smear': Why cervical cancer is still a top killer in Singapore
Source: The Straits Times
Author: Akshita Nanda
SINGAPORE - Ms Mas Azura Abdul Rahman, 32, works as a clinic manager for a gynaecologist. The trained nurse knows the importance of screening for cervical cancer, which is done through regular pap smears or testing for the human papillomavirus (HPV).
Still, the married mum of three children aged five to 13 has been hesitant to go for regular pap smears, citing discomfort and embarrassment over the test.
In early 2022, she was diagnosed with a pre-cancerous condition and had to have the affected cells of the cervix removed.
Subsequent testing has shown that she is out of danger, and she is now looking forward to her pap smear later in 2024 to reinforce her clean bill of health.
Her advice to other women now is to prioritise routine testing for cervical cancer. "Don't be scared, don't be stubborn," says Ms Azura.
Cervical cancer is preventable and easily screened for, doctors say, yet it remains one of the most common cancers in women in Singapore.
According to the Singapore Cancer Registry Annual Report 2021, which was released in 2023, cervical cancer is the 10th most common cancer in women in the country, and the 10th leading cause of cancer death for women.
The report found that from 2017 to 2021, cervical cancer accounted for 2.6 per cent of cancers in women and 2.8 per cent of cancer deaths in women. The top killer was breast cancer, accounting for 29.7 per cent of cancers in women and 17.2 per cent of cancer deaths in women.
About four Singapore women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every week, says Dr Ida Ismail-Pratt, who practises at Astra Women's Specialists clinic and The Obstetrics & Gynaecology Centre, Mount Elizabeth Novena Specialist Centre.
She adds: "Cervical cancer has a devastating impact on a woman's life."
Her patients are often starting families, have young children or are reaching the peak of their careers, when the disease hits.
Treatment may be painful, expensive and affect the patient's fertility.
"It's heartrending because we know that this can be prevented," says the obstetrician and gynaecologist, who is president of the Society for Colposcopy & Cervical Pathology of Singapore.
As a member of the Women's Gynaecological Cancer Awareness Month Committee of the Singapore Cancer Society, Dr Ida wants more people to be aware that cervical cancer is preventable and can be identified years before it reaches an advanced stage.
It can also be eliminated through vaccination. Nearly all cases of cervical cancer are related to HPV infection.
A vaccine against HPV infection has been offered to female students in Secondary 1 since 2019, as part of the school health vaccination programme. In 2022, the Ministry of Health (MOH) said that more than 90 per cent of the female Secondary 1 cohort has received the HPV vaccine.