Our Services Cancer Prevention and Screening
Cervical Cancer
This is the only preventable gynaecological cancer.
Primary prevention (cervical cancer vaccines):
- Currently, vaccines available can reduce cervical cancer risk up to 90%.
- Most of the women are suitable for vaccination but of variable efficacy according to individual situations.
- One should know more about the vaccines before vaccination.
Secondary prevention (cervical cytology screening):
- Cervical cytology screening (Pap smear) is currently the most effective method in the prevention of cervical cancer.
- Cervical cells can be obtained by a gynaecological examination.
- Cells collected will be examined under the microscope.
- Patients having abnormal smears may need to undergo colposcopy examination to assess the cervix and vagina.
- Pre-malignant lesions picked up can be removed by surgical excision to prevent the development of cervical cancer.
Ovarian Cancer
Normal population
- There is no good evidence to support routine screening of ovarian cancer in normal population
- Symptoms are usually mild and even asymptomatic in most of the women who suffer from early-stage ovarian cancer. This is the reason why patients presented late to their doctors.
- Although there is no solid evidence to suggest routine ovarian cancer screening in picking up early-stage ovarian cancers, regular gynaecological checkup may sometimes diagnose the disease before symptoms develop.
High-risk group
- It is defined as patients having strong family history of ovarian cancer or known to carry mutated genes, which increase the risk of developing ovarian cancer.
- Regular check up may help diagnose ovarian cancer in its early stage.
- For patients who are known to carry abnormal genes such as the BRCA1 and BRCA2, prophylactic removal of tubes and ovaries can reduce the lifetime risk of developing ovarian cancer significantly.