WORLD CANCER DAY Detection of cervical cancer may cost 100

Mumbai: The most technologically advanced cancer detection will soon be within the reach of the common man, or woman in this case. The central Food and Drugs Administration is working towards making the optimum cervical cancer screening option available at a lowcost.      Cervical cancers are associated with persistent infection withoncogenichuman papillomavirus(high riskHPV).      An HPV DNA test can detect the presence of oncogenic strains of the virus in cervical cells. The government is working tobring down thecostofthe test to make it available to poor patients.      "Thistestis nowofferedfor Rs900. For below poverty line patients, the test is for Rs300. But the FDA is working towards bringing down the test's cost. Soon, it will be available for lessthan $2(approx Rs100)," saidDr Surendra Shastri,head of preventive oncology, Tata MemorialHospital.      Thetestwill notonly reveal if a woman is suffering from cancerous lesions, but also if shewill getitin future.      Projections from Globocan 2008 reveal that 72,825 women diedduetocervicalcancer.The Globocan software is worked out by the WorldHealth Organization and International Agency for Research on Cancer every few yearstohelp public health officials work out a plan againstcancer.      Dr InduAmbulkar,consultantoncologist, SevenHillsHospital, said it was important for the HPV DNA test to be availablefor the poor, as morecasesof cervicalcancer arefoundin rural areas. With poor genital hygiene, cervical cancer numbershavebeen going up. "Early detection is the need of the hour," she said. "The main symptoms of cervical cancer are unnatural bleeding, apart from the menstrual cycle and post-coital bleeding (after intercourse). In case of any of these, the woman should rush to a doctor," shesaid.      Tata Memorial Hospital doctorssaidthatusing vinegar (4% acetic acid) is the easiest way to detect abnormality in thecervix.  THE HPV TEST      A human papillomavirus (HPV) test is done to find high-risk HPV infection in women      HPV is a sexuallytransmitted disease. An HPV test checks for genetic material (DNA) of virus. Like Pap test, HPV test is done on sample of cells collected from cervix      Projections from Globocan 2008 reveal 72,825 women died due to cervical cancer      More incidences of cervical cancer are seen in rural areas owing to lack of genital hygiene and awareness