No. 1 killer, 20 victims a day

Hana Yuhana told the story of her battle against cervical cancer during an award-presentation held by the Women Care about Cervical Cancer (PPKS) foundation in Central Jakarta on Monday.

At the age of 60, she was diagnosed with the number one fatal disease for the country’s women.

The 67-year-old kindergarten teacher realized that something was wrong after experiencing abnormal bleeding.

Her family urged her to undergo a medical examination. Hana said during four months of treatment, including large medical bills, her family provided her with solid support.

Hana is among the lucky ones.

A few months ago, her neighbor died of the same cancer. “She was only 38 years old and she had a small child,” she said.

State Women’s Empowerment Minister Linda Amalia Sari Gumelar said at the same event that the rate of cervical cancer in the country was alarming.

“Nearly every hour a woman dies from cervical cancer.

“This is a threat to the quality of life for Indonesian women,” she said.

She said that every day approximately 20 to 25 women died of the cancer and 40 to 45 new cases emerged.

The second chairwoman of the Indonesian Cancer Foundation (YKI), Melissa S. Luwia, said that cervical cancer, commonly caused by several types of the human papilloma virus (HPV), could be effectively prevented by a cervical cancer vaccination.

However, the vaccines, which cost around Rp 700,000 (US$70) a shot, is not a sure guarantee for women who have already come in contact with the virus, Melissa said.

“If you have been exposed to HPV-16, for example, the vaccine will only protect you from other types of cervical cancer-causing HPVs,” she said.

She also encouraged women to routinely have Pap smears to monitor cervical cancer.

A Pap smear test costs between Rp 50,000 and Rp 200,000.

Melissa said that if women were diagnosed with the cancer in its early stages, they could be more easily treated.

She said treatment cost around Rp 1 million.

But some women are reluctant to have a Pap smear, or even necessary medical procedures once diagnosed with the cancer, she said.

PPKS campaigner Poppy Diah Retnowulan said that she often met women who refused to take Pap smear tests during her campaigns.

“We don’t want to know the results because then we will have to deal with treatment costs,” is a statement Poppy usually hears, she said.

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