Detect cervix changes in time.
Every day in Serbia four women get and one dies of cervix cancer.
Waiting for all relevant institutions to ‘wake up’, most often end in failure. That is why every single woman should understand how important it is to visit her gynecologist at least once a year for the control examination. Health Centre “Dr Ristić“ organizes these examinations for women twice a year by most popular prices
How is it performed? The first step – ”I know, and I will tell you to know and you tell her to know”. Permanent education of our patients, mainly through examinations and conversations as consulting makes every woman aware and informed of all issues of interest. When a woman exits our ordination, she becomes health missioner. The best recommendation for a doctor is when one patient recommends her to another.
The second step – In our institution it is enough to make just one phone call and to have the examination appointment whenever it suits the patient. There is no waiting, neither when making the appointment, nor for examination itself, while the uncertainty of waiting for the results is minimal. The third step – medical doctors training and high tech equipment lead to high accuracy and reliability of the examinations results.
Serbia records the highest rate of cervix cancer in Europe, 20 to 27 out of 100.000 women get this disease. In Finland, these figures are different, only 2,5. We are far from that, but also far from European average figures which is 6 to 9 out of 100.000 women. Epidemiologic data confirm that every day in Serbia four women get and one dies of cervix cancer. Not a single one should die, because it is the case of approachable organ and safe method for early detection of the disease. The best screening showed that PAPA test combined with colposcopy and biopsy represent the safest method in detecting and follow up of the cervix conditions.
In March Action, our Health Centre performed 2784 PAPA cultures. Within this group 30 pre-maligned suspecting results were found. From the group related to carcinoma suspicion within PAPA IV group, four women had positive results. The group PAPA V included only 2 women. The group PA II-ASCUS counts 10 women. Except one woman, NONE OF THESE WOMEN with pathology PAPA result DID NOT HAVE ANY SYMPTHOM OF ANY GYNECOLOGIC DISORDER OR DISEASE!!!
So, if a woman is waiting for some reason in order to go to the doctor for gynecology examination, she’ll face the disease. Cervix cancer in early stage is curable almost 100%, while in later phases it is curable only with 30% of chance.
In terms of gynecology treatment, the most interesting group is the group with PAPA III result because from this group women get into the group IV and V, so the reaction must be in time in order to avoid worsening of the condition and even better ‘returning the women into the PAPA II group of safety. Out of those 30 PAPA III, 15 of them went last year for control examinations and had the satisfactory results – PAPA II group. The goal is to protect all women from disease progression and this is absolutely possible.
The fact that all patients with the PAPA IV and V group, except two women, happened to have the first examination ever, confirms that cancer is not thunder, but slow and evil ‘live coal’ slowly burning and unstoppable if undetected on time. That is the reason why not only patients but also the doctors must be aware that they are not only to detect an cure the disease, but to prevent the disease and act as health guard.
We hope that regular gynecology examinations will become usual habit of women who are aware of its importance. The number of pre-cancer and micro-invasive forms of cervix cancer is in increase while there are less and less invasive forms, showing how important it is to have appropriate plan of action and as mass of informed people. The optimal time for PAPA test is on the half of the period, including avoiding the use of vaginal medicines and sexual intercourse the day before the test. Cotton sticks are not in recommended use any more, so insist that your gynecologist uses the brush sticks produced specifically for the purpose of the test. The accuracy of the test depends also on these details.
We wish our patient to see each other on the road of health, never disease, we want you to have a set of the pearls of health and wisdom which you will gain every time you come for health check examination.
MD Marica Đuran,
Gynecology and obstetrics specialist
