Dr. Osman Ortashi
Doha: The Cervical Screening Clinic at Sidra Medicine is committed to supporting Qatar’s contribution to the World Health Organization’s strategy to eliminate cervical cancer.
World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer which was launched in November, outlines three key steps vaccination, screening and treatment.
According to Senior Attending Physician who oversees the Cervical Screening Clinic at Sidra Medicine, Dr. Osman Ortashi, rightly addressing the key steps highlighted by the WHO, can help hundreds of women who are suffering from the disease.
The Cervical Screening Clinic at Sidra Medicine offers cervical screenings which can detect abnormalities and identify the need for treatment. The services include pap tests, which check for cell changes in the cervix caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). The Clinic also offers HPV vaccinations to all eligible women and has embedded a system that will notify a patient when they require a follow up test.
“Through education and vaccines, coupled with well-trained professionals in the field, we support measures to not only raise awareness country-wide but also help reduce the mortality rate of cervical cancer,” Dr. Ortashi told The Peninsula.
He also said that WHO’s Global Strategy to Accelerate the Elimination of Cervical Cancer is achievable. “Cervical cancer is a preventable disease. It is also curable if detected early and adequately treated,” said Dr. Ortashi.
Cervical cancer is caused mainly by HPV, a sexually transmitted infection. Though it causes no symptoms, around 99 percent of all cervical cancer cases are a result of an HPV infection. Women should be screened for cervical cancer every three years from ages 21 to 49, and every five years from ages 50 to 64. Patients married for more than three years and not yet aged 21 are also eligible.
In Qatar, statistics indicate that only 17.2 percent of women in Qatar are screened for cervical cancer, and unfortunately 12 of 19 cervical cancer cases from 2018 resulted in death.
“The risk of cervical cancer can be lowered by having the HPV vaccine. It is recommended that the vaccine, which protects against several strains of human papillomavirus,” said Dr. Ortashi.
“People can be infected with HPV for years, before they experience any symptoms of infection. This is why women should get regular cervical screenings which will allow for early detection of any changes in the cervix. Treatment given in the early stages has a very high success rate. Waiting until the appearance of physical symptoms, such as bleeding and pain, will be too late,” said Dr. Ortashi.
The Cervical Screening Clinic at Sidra Medicine is staffed by internationally trained female nurses and physicians who also support patient education about cervical screenings and cervical cancer. The clinic offers appointments directly within seven business days and does not require a referral.
According to WHO, cervical cancer is the fourth most frequently diagnosed cancer in women, with an estimated 570,000 new cases identified in 2018.
The WHO strategy aims that 90 percent of girls fully vaccinated with the HPV vaccine by 15 years of age, 70 percent of women screened using a high-performance test by age 35 and again by 45 and 90 percent of women identified with cervical disease receive treatment (90 percent of women with pre-cancer treated and 90 percent of women with invasive cancer managed), by 2030.
