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Are current cervical testing expensive? Who should get a cervical test? And what is the purpose of a cervical test for? Learn more about cervical cancer testing is extremely important information for women to know in order to take active measures to protect their health and promptly treat common uterine-related diseases. Since there is a very high incidence of cervical cancer in Vietnam, the unpredictable consequences affect health and reduce the risk of reproduction in women.
The Importance Of Cervical Cancer Testing
According to statistics, Vietnam is one of the countries with the highest cancer rates in the world. In which, cervical cancer is the third most common disease for women. In 2018, data recorded that each year Vietnam had nearly 4200 new cases of cervical cancer, with the number of deaths from this disease approaching 2,400. This is an alarming situation for every woman we have to pay attention to reproductive health. Cancer cases in Vietnam are only 1/3 that of the US, but the death rate is 1.5 times higher. This is a paradox that is also worth thinking about the importance of early detection and treatment of cervical cancer in order to prevent dangerous complications that lead to death.
Usually, the early signs of cervical cancer are quite vague, with no obvious symptoms, very difficult to recognize, especially for those who are often neglected of health. Sometimes some of the signs can be confused with common gynecological diseases, leading to the wrong treatment that prevents the disease from going away, but at risk of progressing worse to a life-threatening stage. Meanwhile, people can actively protect their health by cancer screening to detect disease early in the onset stage, making it easy to treat and improve the rate of cure.
Common Causes of Cervical Cancer
When the process of prolonged gynecological infection is related to the virus of the papilloma group, it can easily lead to cervical cancer. According to recent statistics, about 70% of cervical cancer patients are associated with HPV infection.
Some of the most common causes of cervical cancer are bad habits and unhealthy lifestyles such as:
- Too early to be sexually active
- Have many “sex partners” but do not pay attention to safety during sex
- Ignoring good or bad sexual hygiene practices
- The use of stimulants, especially cigarettes, is also a cause of gynecological disease
- People with immunodeficiency make the risk of HPV infection higher than normal
- Have chronic cervicitis, but no treatment
- Having a baby too early is usually under 17 years old
- Women give birth many times
- Abuse of birth control pills for a long time
The Subject Should Get Tested For Cervical Cancer
Women who have gone through sex and the reproductive period are at high risk of cervical cancer. According to the recommendations of medical experts, women aged 25 years and older should also focus on their health by proactively testing for cervical cancer early to help doctors guide highly effective treatment. If a uterus-related disease is detected without treatment for a long time, it will decrease fertility.
People with a history of uterine disease, having genetic factors from their family or family members like siblings who have the disease are at a very high risk of cervical cancer, so get tested for screening soon.
In addition, when there are unusual signs such as frequent abdominal pain, the menstrual cycle always feeling throbbing pain, nausea or bleeding between the cycle should also go to the hospital to check out the cause and have appropriate treatment to ensure safety.
Cancer Reference Costs
Recognizing the importance of early detection of uterine cancer, but there is still a problem that women are particularly interested in is the cost of cervical testing, how much? Because not everyone can afford it regardless of price. Knowing the cost will help you to be more prepared and proactive to conduct early cancer screening.
Actually, the cost of screening for cancer does not have a specific price because depending on many factors, the facilities of the hospitals are different. But look at the prices for the types of costs that people can refer to as follows:
• Clinical examination of obstetrics and gynecology
• Pap Smear Test for HPV virus in one of two ways: HPV Rapid Test or HPV Genotype Real-time PCR test
• Colposcopy (performed when prescribed by a doctor): Vaginal fresh examination, ultrasound of the uterus through the vagina
• General abdominal ultrasound
• Cervical biopsy (done when directed by a doctor)
Depending on the time and the hospital, this price will have different but not significantly. So, if you do all the tests on the cervical test, the cost is about 2-3 million VND. (Price information is for reference only).
Cervical Examination Process
Step 1: Clinical examination: This is the first step in the cervical screening process. Doctors will ask for basic information, medical history, and related signs … Next is an external examination of the uterus to get the most preliminary diagnosis. From these results, doctors will prescribe what tests the patient needs to get the most accurate results.
Step 2: Depending on the indications, the screening method will be carried out Pap Smear: This is a fairly common test today, with a simple and time-saving procedure, the most important thing is that the patient does not feel pain when doing Pap Smear test.
This method works by collecting a number of cells from the cervix, above the vagina, to check for early detection of diseases. This procedure only takes a few minutes but can give certain rates of false negatives.
HPV testing helps doctors to see if a patient has a high-risk HPV infection that leads to cervical cancer. There are two types of tests prescribed:
HPV test: The purpose of assessing the risk of cervical cancer by looking for the presence of the HPV virus in the uterus of a patient.
Colposcopy: This method requires the help of a colposcope, through magnified images on the screen, doctors will easily observe close-up and detect abnormal signs in the cervix.
Biopsy: Through taking a small sample of tissue from the uterus, the doctor will test it, look under a microscope to find abnormal signs, determine whether it is malignant or not.
Step 3: Get results: After the tests have been done, depending on the doctor’s orders, the patient can go home and wait for the test results to return from 1-3 weeks depending on the testing kinds.
If cervical cancer screening results are abnormal, doctors will advise and recommend treatment regimens suitable for each patient’s condition.
What To Look Out For Before Cervical Examination
To have the most accurate results to help doctors find the cause and diagnose the disease requires the coordination of the patient, especially the notes before the cervical examination are as follows:
• The best time to be tested for cervical cancer is 10 – 14 days after the start of your period. If you cannot carry out the test during this time, you should also pay attention not to test the cervix on menstruation day.
• Within 2 days before cervical testing, avoid sexual intercourse. Do not worry too much and douche can cause inflammation. In addition, do not use drugs, lubricants, spermicides, so avoid applying perfumes in the genital area.
• Need to clearly state the signs of the condition during a clinical examination. If you are undergoing treatment for gynecological infections, you should also notify your doctor. It is extremely important to work with your doctor to help diagnose the disease quickly and save time when doing tests.
With shared information about cervical testing fees as well as the importance of early cervical testing and how to go through the test process, surely makes you somewhat understand the information and peace of mind before deciding to have a cervical test. Early detection and treatment are very important to help cure disease and quickly restore health. Therefore, you should not be subjective, you must take preventive measures and “listen” to your body more.
The site cannot and does not contain medical advice. The medical information is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Accordingly, before taking any actions based upon such information, we encourage you to consult with the appropriate professionals.