13/03/2026
It is sad and disheartening for a doctor to tell her patient the bad news and this is the part of being a doctor i hate the most. Last week, i saw a patient with a cervical mass suspicious of Cervical Cancer. Yesterday, i saw another one. What is very sad is they had their FIRST pap smear and then this diagnosis and they are still in their late 30’s.
A Pap smear (Papanicolaou test) is a simple , inexpensive and quick screening procedure that collects cells from the cervix to detect precancerous changes and early cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer, mostly caused by persistent high-risk HPV infection, is often asymptomatic in early stages, but later causes unusual bleeding (after s*x, between periods, post-menopause), pelvic pain, and unusual vaginal discharge.
Regular pap smear screening and HPV vaccination save lives . I hope our govt especially the DOH will launch an extensive educational campaign about pap smear and cervical cancer because most women are not aware about pap smear. The slide method is done once a year and the tube method every 3-5years. HPV testing can be done also but this is quite pricey.
The HPV vaccination is given in 3 doses 0,2,6 month-interval and is exceptionally effective against specific high-risk HPV types.
