Bandar Seri Begawan - Cervical cancer cases, the second most common cancer type among women in Brunei, are increasing as statistics showed a rise of 71 per cent of confirmed cases of the disease in 2006 compared to 2002.

Despite this increase, only about 30 per cent of the Brunei's female population undergo pap smear exams while a coverage of 80 per cent is required to reduce "significant" incidences and deaths resulting from cervical cancer, said the Minister of Health yesterday.

Pehin Orang Kaya Indera Pahlawan Dato Seri Setia Hj Suyoi Hj Osman said that just 12,000 of Brunei's women take pap smear exams every year and most of these were done in Maternal Healthcare Services.

"This percentage is very worrying because cervical cancer can be prevented through screening," he said during yesterday's launching of the Ministry of Health's Cervical Cancer 2009 Awareness Campaign at the Health Promotion Centre in Berakas.

The minister attributed the low percentage to a number of reasons, including inaccurate beliefs on pap smear exam, practical issues such as when and how regularly should the exam be carried out, in addition to daily hassles such as coping with work while still shouldering their roles as a wife and mother.

Meanwhile, as many as 24 cases of cervical cancer were reported in the country in 2006, compared to 14 in 2002. Most of the cervical cancer patients in Brunei were aged "between" 25 to 86.

Pehin Dato Hj Suyoi informed the participants of yesterday's event, comprising staff and personnel from various departments under the ministry, on the importance of raising awareness among females on cervical cancer, particularly its symptoms and the need for early treatment.

He said that early detection and treatment during the early or pre-cancerous stages can prevent the cancer from spreading to a dangerous level.

"The World Health Organisation has determined that cervical cancer screening is one of the main factors in handling the cancer," he said.

"Cervical cancer screening has been proven to be a programme that is successful and less cost-effective," said the minister, adding that developed countries that have carried out such screening programmes for a while have had positive results in reducing cervical cancer cases and deaths from the disease.

Apart from trying to increase awareness and quality of cervical cancer screening procedures, the ministry is also looking into the possibility of introducing a human papillomavirus (HPV) injection programme as a preventative measure for the disease.

HPV is a family of virus that can affect skin and moist membranes lining one's body and is transmitted through sexual contact.-- Courtesy of The Brunei Times

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