Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers among women worldwide. Early detection through Pap smear screening can significantly improve treatment outcomes and reduce mortality rates. This test helps detect precancerous or cancerous cells in the cervix, enabling timely medical intervention. In this comprehensive guide, we will discuss everything you need to know about Pap smear screening, its importance, procedure, and where to seek the best medical care in Delhi.

What is a Pap Smear Test?

A Pap smear, also known as a Pap test, is a simple and effective screening procedure used to detect abnormal cells in the cervix. This test plays a crucial role in identifying early signs of cervical cancer before symptoms appear. The procedure involves collecting cells from the cervix, which are then examined under a microscope to check for any abnormalities.

Why is Pap Smear Screening Important?

Pap smear screening is essential for the early detection of cervical cancer and its precursors. Here are some reasons why this test is crucial:

Who Should Get a Pap Smear Test?

Pap smear tests are recommended for women based on age and risk factors:

How is a Pap Smear Test Performed?

The procedure for a Pap smear is simple and usually takes only a few minutes:

  1. Preparation: The patient lies on an examination table with feet placed in stirrups.
  2. Speculum Insertion: A healthcare provider gently inserts a speculum into the vagina to widen it and gain access to the cervix.
  3. Cell Collection: A small brush or spatula is used to collect cells from the cervix.
  4. Laboratory Analysis: The collected sample is sent to a lab for examination under a microscope.

The procedure is generally painless, although some women may experience mild discomfort.

Understanding Pap Smear Results

After the test, the results may be classified as:

What Happens if Abnormal Cells are Found?

If a Pap smear detects abnormal cells, further tests may be required:

Timely follow-ups with a specialist at the best oncology hospital in Delhi can help ensure appropriate treatment and management.

How to Prepare for a Pap Smear Test?

To ensure accurate results, follow these preparation guidelines:

Where to Get a Pap Smear Test in Delhi?

For the most accurate screening and expert care, it is crucial to visit a reputed medical facility. The best hospital for blood cancer in Delhi and the best hospital in Delhi for cancer offer world-class diagnostic services, including Pap smear screening. These hospitals have highly experienced oncologists, advanced diagnostic tools, and personalized treatment plans for cervical cancer.

Treatment Options for Cervical Cancer

If cervical cancer is diagnosed, various treatment options are available based on the stage and severity of the disease:

Read More Blog: Different Stages Of Cervical Cancer And The Available Treatment Options

The best oncology hospital in Delhi provides comprehensive cancer treatment with state-of-the-art technology and expert medical teams.

Conclusion

Pap smear screening is a vital tool in the early detection and prevention of cervical cancer. Regular screenings can help identify abnormal changes in the cervix before they develop into cancer, ensuring timely medical intervention. If you are due for a Pap smear, consult the best hospital in Delhi for cancer to receive expert care. Early detection saves lives, so don’t delay your screening!

For more information on cancer screening and treatment options, visit the best hospital for blood cancer in Delhi and take a step towards better health today.

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Cervical cancer is the cause of death among all women. Cervical cancer begins in the cervix’s cells, and the cervix is the narrow end of the uterus. The cervix connects the uterus to the vagina. Cervical cancer grows gradually over time. In this type of cancer, the cervix cells undergo changes, which are termed “dysplasia,” in which abnormal cells start to develop in the cervical tissue. If these abnormal cells are not removed, they will spread rapidly in the cervix and surrounding areas over time. January is cancer awareness month, which is why Oncoplus Hospital raises awareness about cervical cancer, and the best cervical cancer treatment is also available here. In this blog, you will learn about cervical cancer.

Types of Cervical Cancer:

Cervical cancers are of two types: squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Generally, up to 90% of cervical cancers are squamous cell carcinomas that develop from cells in the ectocervix. Cervical adenocarcinomas, on the other hand, are a rare type of cancer that grows in the endocervical glandular cells and is also known as clear cell carcinoma or mesonephroma.

Symptoms of Cervical Cancer:

Usually, cervical cancer is difficult to detect because it doesn’t have symptoms. This is because many women don’t even realize they are suffering from cervical cancer.

In the early stages of cervical cancer, the symptoms that women suffer are as follows:

  1. When the women have vaginal bleeding after sex or menopause.
  2. If the regular periods are longer or heavier than normal.
  3. Women suffer from vaginal bleeding between periods.
  4. The odor of vaginal discharge is stronger or contains blood.
  5. If the woman feels so much pain during sex.

In the advanced stage of cervical cancer, the symptoms that women suffer are as follows:

  1. If there is a pain in the bowel and bleeding from the rectum,
  2. When a woman experiences pain while passing urine or when there is blood in the urine.
  3. If a woman experiences abdominal pain or fatigue, consult the doctor.
  4. Or if there is swelling in the legs.

Factors That Increase Your Risk of Cervical Cancer:

  1. If a person has a weak immune system, then their body cannot fight HPV infections.
  2. If the person smokes or breathes in secondhand smoke, this will also increase the risk of cervical cancer.
  3. If the person becomes sexually active before 18 years of age or if they have multiple sexual partners, then they have a high risk of HPV infections.
  4. Cervical cancer also occurs in those who use oral contraceptive pills or give birth to many children.

Methods for Preventing Cervical Cancer

According to your age, health, and lifestyle, cervical cancer occurs in women. But some precautions can be taken to prevent cervical cancer. The precautions are as follows:

  1. Get vaccinated against HPV infections.

There are vaccines available for both adults and young children to protect against HPV infections. It is essential to give the vaccine to a person before they are exposed to HPV. This vaccine will help prevent cervix cancer. Usually, the side effects of this vaccine are mild, such as redness, soreness, and swelling at the injection site. HPV vaccination is recommended for children between the ages of 9 and 12. This vaccination is not recommended for those who are older than 26 years of age.

  1. Regular Pap Tests:

The Pap test is the best test for the early detection of cervical cancer, and it is also known as a Pap smear. A Pap test can also be combined with an HPV test.

  1. Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA):

VIA is a test that is done with a few tools and also with the naked eye. In this process, white vinegar is applied to the cervix. The doctors then observe the abnormalities on the cervix, which turn white when exposed to vinegar.

  1. No Smoking:

To protect yourself from cancer, you should not smoke, as smoking leads to squamous cell cervical cancer.

Treatment for Cervical Cancer Is Available:

The treatments that are available for cervical cancer are surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapy. These treatments help kill cancer cells.

Everyone should discuss cervical cancer with their doctors and choose an appropriate screening test as a precaution. Screening tests are recommended for people in their early teens, especially those who are at high risk of developing cervical cancer. Oncoplus Hospital is the best cancer hospital in Delhi for cancer patients.

 

Role Of Exercise For Cancer Patients During Treatment
Exercising improves a cancer patient’s physical and mental wellbeing during the treatment.

Exercise For Cancer Patients might be your best ally during and after recovery.

In the past, doctors would recommend resting as much as possible. But recent studies show that being physically active is more beneficial.

Exercise is well-known for its ability to reduce the risk of cancer. Research shows that it can improve a patient’s health and prevent cancer from recurring in survivors.

Benefits Of Exercising For Cancer Patients

Working out helps you improve your physical and mental wellbeing during cancer treatment. It can help manage some side effects of cancer therapies.

Some noted benefits of exercising during treatment include:

Some studies show that exercising during treatment changes the tumor microenvironment and triggers a strong anti-tumor response in the body.

Cancer survivors are less likely to develop cancer again if they include workouts in their routine.

How Much Exercise Is Needed?

Exercise guidelines for cancer patients and survivors are as follows:

What To Include In Workout Routine

Your doctor and cancer exercise specialist is best suited to advise you on what exercises to include in your routine.

Your workout routine may include:

Stretching

Stretching daily improves flexibility and posture. It boosts the flow of blood and oxygen to your muscles and helps in the body’s repair process.

Breathing

Many patients face difficulty in breathing or shortness of breath. Breathing exercises can help you inhale and exhale better. They also improve endurance and reduce anxiety.

Balance Exercises

Balance exercises counteract the loss of balance and mobility due to cancer treatment. They can help you return to normal activities safely and prevent falling.

Aerobic Exercises

Aerobic exercises, like walking, increase your heart rate and strengthen your lungs and heart.

Strength Training

Strength or resistance training twice a week is recommended to counteract weakness caused due to muscle loss.

Risks during Exercise For Cancer Patients

People suffering from certain diseases or side effects from treatments need to be careful. These may include anemia, bone density loss, weakened immune system, radiation therapy, and neuropathy.

Loss of bone density makes you vulnerable to injuries. You must avoid exercises that strain your neck and increase the risk of falling.

Senior citizens and people with nerve problems also need to take precautions against injuries.

If your treatment has weakened your immune system, then you need a germ-free environment to work out.

It’s important to keep track of your blood count to know whether it’s safe to exercise or not.

Consult your doctor before starting a workout routine during or after cancer treatment. They may recommend a cancer exercise specialist to help plan your schedule based on your needs.

Prevention against cancer and the ways to reduce its risk helps to bring a greater change in the body. It helps with early detection and successful treatment.

Here is our basic information about the term cancer and what you need to know about it.

Several types in one- Cancer might seem like a single type of ailment, it has broad meaning and variation. Cancer is not just one type of disease that happens to everyone, it is just a disease name and can vary from person to person based on its type.

Develops at any part of the body- It can originate at any part of the body. The basics of cancer development are when cells grow abnormally and take over standard cells. It disrupts the natural cycle of the body and leads to the formation of tumours which eventually spreads to the other parts of the body, making it all cancerous.

Time of occurrence - Cancer can also occur at any age and are efficiently treatable if detected early. While some cancers are highly contagious, others take some time to show their symptoms.

Mode of Treatment - Not all cancers are treatable through one common practice. Some cancer types are either treated with the surgical operation, others respond better with chemotherapy. There are two or more treatment processes required for the cancer treatment to garner the best results.

Witnessed Symptoms - Generally, cancer forms a lump that is known as a tumour, it is the accumulation of new malignant cells. There are also some cancers like leukaemia (cancer of the blood) that do not form any growth or tumour.

Stages in Cancer - Cancer is also identified with their different stages. Terms like Stage 1 and Stage 2 are often employed to describe the state of the cancer development that helps in the treatment. The Lower stage like Stage 1 and 2 signify that cancer has not spread while higher stages like stage 3 and 4 stage cancer have spread widely. The condition of the cancerous growth over the body determines the type of treatment.

There are several treatment options available to cure bone cancer at Oncoplus Hospital, Delhi.

What causes Cancer?

cancer leads to the damage in the genes that either happens via chance or through abundant exposure to malignant chemicals present in the environment. The prime suspect that causes cancer is known as carcinogens. A carcinogen is a chemical that is present in some molecules of tobacco or smoke. However, cancer can happen with environmental agents, genetics or viral factors. The number of growing cancers in the world is not attributed to a single cause, they all vary from each other.

Hence to simply the main causes, we’ve divided them into groups.

  • Biological Factors- Aspects such as age, inherited genetic abnormalities, gender, and skin type.
  • Environmental Exposure- Natural emitted substance from nature like radon, UV radiation and fine particulate matter.
  • Occupational Aspects - Coming in contacts with carcinogens like harmful chemicals, radioactive materials and asbestos.
  • Lifestyle Factors - Unhealthy habits, for instance, heavy alcohol Intake, prolonged exposure of UV rays, tobacco consumption and chemicals like nitrites & polyaromatic hydrocarbons through barbecuing food.

Book an appointment with the best oncologists for cancer treatment as well as diagnosis at best cancer Hospital in Delhi.

Cancer Prevention methods

About 30-40% of all cancer is easily preventable. It is true, with changes in your lifestyle and some careful precaution, cancer can be actively prevented. We know it sounds too good to be true, but it is possible. According to the reports from Harvard School of Public Health, it estimates that about 75% of cancer deaths can be prevented with helpful measures taken.


Here are some of the methods that you can use to prevent the development of cancer in your body:

Stop consuming Tobacco

Use of tobacco brings the most prominent risk for developing cancer. Consumption of tobacco kills approximately 6 million people each year. Most of you are unaware of how many damaging chemicals tobacco contains in itself. Tobacco smoke has about 7000 chemicals which have at least 250 that are harmful while the other 50 are known for causing cancer.

Tobacco leads to the causes of many types of cancers such as cancers of the lung, larynx, throat, mouth, kidney, oesophagus, bladder, pancreas, stomach and cervix. The other tobacco, i.e second-hand smoke causes lung cancer. Hence it should be avoided in all forms.

Physical inactivity and Obesity

Lack of exercise and weight gain also contribute to the cause of cancer. There is a link between being obese and overweight that leads to cancers of oesophagus, breast, colorectal, endometrium and kidney. The only solution to getting rid of fat is by doing daily exercise. Addition of a healthy diet and regular physical activity of the body can considerably reduce cancer risk. It’s been said that physical activity leads to a reduced risk of colon cancer. For women as well, regular exercise leads to a reduced risk of breast and reproductive cancers. Exercise itself is a healthy milestone even though you lose weight or not.

Decrease or cease Alcohol Consumption

Alcohol intake is one of the largest contributors of several types of cancer including oral cavity, larynx, pharynx, oesophagus, breast, liver and colorectum. The amount of alcohol you consume, the greater the risk of cancer increases with abundance. The risk turns more deadly when there's a consumption of alcohol and tobacco at the same time. Hence start slow, start by drinking one drink a day to an average.

Maintain a healthy diet

Healthy alternatives are not a major assurance of cancer prevention, it does help to reduce the risk hence it benefits indirectly. Here are some things to add in your habits for maintenance of a healthy diet:

  • Eat fruits and Veggies on a larger scale - Your diet must involve vegetables, fruits, and other food that involves plant-based sources such as whole grains and beans.
  • Avoid fat-based food - Food rich in oil can lead to obesity which contributes to the risk of many types of cancer in the body. Hence add lighter and less high-calorie food such as refined sugars and animal fat from your food.
  • Restrict processed meat - According to the latest report from Cancer Research, it's been proven that eating processed meat in larger amounts can contribute to the risk of developing a certain type of cancer.

Exposure to Radiation

Radiation from either man-made or natural sources leads to an increase in developing leukaemia and other tumours in the body. The risk increases if you are under the exposure of the radiation at a young age or either when the exposure is in abundance. Exposure to radiation causes various types of skin cancer such as basal cell carcinoma (BCC), melanoma and squamous cell carcinoma.

Hence it's vital to seek active prevention from the sun by the use of sunscreen and protective clothing. Try to get medical imaging studies only when it's required. Look out for residential radon that leads to an increase in the risk of lung cancer.

Guard yourself against infections

Many cancers are also attributed via infecting agents such as helicobacter pylori, hepatitis B and C, human papillomavirus, and Epstein-Barr virus. Though there are vaccines available for hepatitis B virus and some types of HPV that can rescue you from the risk of developing liver and cervical types of cancer. Many of these infections are sexually transmitted or through contaminated needles.

Avoid Environmental Chemical Exposure

Contaminants from air, water and soil containing carcinogenic chemicals lead to the development of cancer in varying degrees. Pollution from outdoors is highly malignant to humans as it leads to almost 3.5 million premature deaths and others with lung cancer deaths. Indoor pollution involves households activities like cooking with solid fuels. Especially, cooking with the use of coal fires double the trigger of developing lung cancer mostly in women.

Consult the cancer specialist at Oncoplus Hospital, Delhi.