The Global Fight Against Cancer

No woman should die from cervical cancer

 

Today, International Women's Day, guest blogger Genevieve Sambhi, former Miss Malaysia/Universe first runner-up shares her cervical cancer story. 

   

For me, this has been the hardest thing I've ever had to deal with. I am a mother of two young kids (Isabella was four and Alexander just 15 months at the time). The thought of not being there for them as they grew up, is what gave me the strength to go on and fight.

I can remember the day when my world came tumbling down. It was 6th of April 2009 and I’d been for my annual pap smear test three days earlier. I was at home feeding my kids their dinner, when a phone call from my father came through, (my father is a prominent gynecologist here), telling me that there were abnormalities' in my pap smear specimen.

The next day I was sent to a gynecologist who did more tests and told me I would be fine. However, two days later I was told I would need a cone biopsy. I felt ok and just wanted to get it over and done with. The surgery was minor and I was home the next day.

However 10 days later, I was then served the news that the cells were not pre-cancer and was more aggressive than first thought. I would need a hysterectomy. I was 35! This is when I sat down and properly cried. Who would look after my babies? I had cancer and surely that meant the end. This is when I believed that I would die.

I was given a month to come to terms with everything, before my surgery. I found it very difficult to accept that I was losing my uterus at 35. But finally it just dawned on me, I had 2 kids. I had a girl and a boy and a chance. That was all that mattered.

I went in for my surgery, and the next day back on my feet! I remember my dad saying that none of his patients were ever on their feet the day after a hysterectomy...... I answered... how many of your patients are 35? That was one thing I did have in my favor...age!

However, a week later, I was dealt, the worst blow. The cancer had spread and I would need radiation and chemotherapy. My world came tumbling back down. This was when I began to think and question, what had I done to deserve all this? I was a healthy, young, mother of two. I didn't smoke and drank in moderation. I exercised regularly and I have been with my husband since I was 20 years old. Why me? On top of this, I went annually for my pap smears, how had I gone from healthy to chemotherapy in one year?

The treatments were so hard and the only thing that kept me going were my kids, they needed me.

My family gave me the strength I needed to continue and when it was all over, I realized that maybe I could make a difference. I began to work with the National Cancer Society of Malaysia and we try to spread the word that cancer does not discriminate. If I could get it, then so could you. I believe No woman should have to go through what I did, and maybe I had to go through it, so there was someone who could spread the word that there is hope and you can get through it.

I am now three years clear and every three months when I go for my pap smear, I do wonder that if the cancer came back, could I go through it all again. The answer is yes! My kids need me!

 

Cancer Trends a Global Issue

By Maryanne Kocis MacLeod
[email protected]; @maryannemacleod

for The Macomb Daily Newspaper(www.macombdaily.com/contact/)

Mount Clemens, Missouri — Around the globe, chronic disease caused 63 percent of all deaths in 2008, claiming the lives of 36 million people. These illnesses, however, don't just kill people — they destroy local economies.

Cancer alone cost $895.2 billion worldwide, more than any other cause of death, according to an American Cancer Society/Livestrong Report. That's three times as much as tuberculosis, malaria, and HIV/AIDS combined.

A historic meeting of the United Nations last fall brought to light the health crisis — along with the urgent need for a coordinated response. Other non-communicable diseases contributing to the disease epidemic include: diabetes, heart disease and chronic respiratory illness. The only other previous such meeting of the UN tackled HIV/AIDS.

In commemoration of World Cancer Day, Feb. 4, the American Cancer Society is encouraging Americans to learn what they can do personally to address the global crisis by calling 800-227-2345 or visiting global.cancer.org.

In the Million Mom Challenge (www.millionmomchallenge), 50 women from around the country met in Washington to increase awareness and receive training on how they can address maternal health concerns world-wide.

"What we're trying to do is reduce cancer rates in developing countries, particularly those related to reproductive health," explained Ann McMikel, managing director of global health for the American Cancer Society. "Through screening and Pap smears, we have made great strides in decreasing cervical cancer deaths in the United States. But that is not the case in Africa and South America."

By joining the "conversation," McMikel said, the organization is optimistic women and moms will discover ways to connect with their counterparts in other countries, find camraderie and share support, particularly through social media.

The specific how's have not yet been fully defined, McMikel said, but the key message is this: "Get Involved!"

"This meeting has given us the potential to set the global health community on a path toward real change, measured in saved lives and diminished suffering," said John R. Seffrin, CEO of the American Cancer Society. "Our work is really just beginning."

Here are some highlights from the American Cancer Society's annual U.S. report, Cancer Statistics 2012:

 

Between 2004-2008, overall cancer incidence declined 0.6 percent per year in men and remained stable in women, while cancer death rates decreased by 1.8 percent per year in men and by 1.6 percent per year in women.

Cancer death rates declined in men and women of every racial/ethnic group with the exception of American Indians/Alaska Natives, among whom rates have remained stable. The reduction in overall cancer death rates since 1990 in men and 1991 in women translates to avoiding more than a million total deaths during that time period.

A total of 1,638,910 new cancer cases and 577,190 deaths from cancer are projected to occur in the United States in 2012.

The most rapid decline in death rates occurred among African American and Hispanic men (2.4 percent and 2.3 percent per year, respectively).

Death rates continue to decline for all four major cancer sites (lung, colorectum, breast, and prostate), with lung cancer accounting for almost 40 percent of the total decline in men and breast cancer accounting for 34 percent of the total decline in women.

Cancer incidence and death rates vary considerably among racial and ethnic groups. For all cancer sites combined, African American men have a 15 percent higher incidence rate and a 33 percent higher death rate than white men, whereas African American women have a 6 percent lower incidence rate but a 16 percent higher death rate than white women.

Compared with whites, African American men and women have poorer survival rates once cancer is diagnosed. The 5-year relative survival is lower in African Americans than in whites for every stage of diagnosis for nearly every type of cancer.

Despite declines in incidence rates for the most common cancers, the incidence of several cancers has increased in the past decade, including cancers of the pancreas, liver, thyroid and kidney, and melanoma of the skin, as well as esophageal adenocarcinoma and certain sub sites of oropharyngeal cancer associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.

The reasons for these increasing trends are not entirely known. Part of the increase (for esophageal adenocarcinoma and cancers of the pancreas, liver, and kidney) may be linked to the increasing prevalence of obesity as well as increases in early detection practices for some cancers.

Cancer Statistics 2012 can be viewed at cacancerjournal.com; Cancer Facts & Figures 2012 is available at cancer.org/statistics.

 

 

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The American Cancer Society Collaborates with Key U.N. Agencies and Global Health Leaders to Advance Women's Health Worldwide

New York City — The American Cancer Society Global Health Programs led the first-ever side event at the United Nations (U.N.) on April 13 to address women’s cancers and NCDs (non-communicable diseases). Participants encouraged U.N. policy makers to prioritize women's cancers at the High-level U.N. Meeting on NCDs in September 2011. NCDs – cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic respiratory disease - represent a global health, economic, and development issue. Their impact on women deepens health and gender inequities between and within countries and have a profound effect on individuals, households, and communities. Women worldwide are affected by, and at risk for, mortality from cancers that are largely preventable and treatable, including cervical and breast cancer.

 Madam Callista Mutharika, First Lady of the Republic of Malawi, Incoming Vice Chairperson, Forum of African First Ladies against Breast and Cervical Cancer 

 Dr. Karen Sealey, PAHO/WHO Special Advisor served as moderator. (center)

 Ms. Clover Allen Wilson, Breast Cancer Survivor received a standing ovation.

More than 200 people attended, including civil society, healthcare professionals, academics and representatives from more than 30 U.N. Missions. 

The meeting marked the release of "Progress in Cervical Cancer Prevention: The CCA Report Card. Cervical Cancer Action." This new report by Cervical Cancer Action, assesses global readiness to fight cervical cancer using new approaches and new technologies, especially in regions where the disease is a common killer. It underscores the urgent need for the global community to prioritize cervical cancer prevention and control on global health and development agendas.

The American Cancer Society collaborated with the Permanent Mission of the Member States of the Caribbean Community, the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Malawi, the U.N. Population Fund, PATH and the African Forum of First Ladies against Breast and Cervical Cancer.

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CERVICAL CANCER: GLOBAL FACTS TO FILE

• Cervical cancer is central to the emerging cancer pandemic in low- and middle-income countries. 

• The number of lives lost to this preventable disease is a global failure of the largest scale given all we know about preventing, detecting, and treating cervical cancer. 

• Cervical cancer was the fourth leading cause of cancer death in women worldwide, and the leading cause of cancer death in Africa and Southeast Asia in 2008. That year, cervical cancer caused an estimated 275,100 deaths.

• Ninety percent of these deaths occurred in developing parts of the world, where access to screening and treatment are often non-existent and adolescent girls are not receiving vaccination for the human papilloma virus (HPV), the primary risk factor for cervical cancer. 

• The HPV vaccine can prevent up to 70 percent of cervical cancer cases, and cost-effective procedures are available to detect and treat cervical pre-cancer.

To redress the rise in cervical cancer, the Society has spearheaded programs in India, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and sub-Saharan Africa. The ACS aims to promote public awareness about cervical cancer, educate health professionals, and improve access to screening. Throughout the year, the Society collaborates with PATH and the Cervical Cancer Action Coalition with a shared goal of preventing cancer globally.

BREAST CANCER: GLOBAL FACTS TO FILE

• Breast cancer was the leading cause of cancer death for women worldwide in 2008. That year, 458,400 breast cancer deaths were recorded despite the disease being largely treatable through early detection. 

• There were an estimated 1.4 million new breast cancer cases in 2008. 

• Breast cancer mortality over the past 25 years has decreased in some North American and European countries due to early detection through mammography and improved treatment; in contrast, mortality rates are climbing in many developing countries given a lack of access to affordable treatment and early detection. Source: Global Cancer Facts & Figures, 2nd edition

One of the ways the American Cancer Society supports women is by developing advocacy and capacity-building in low- and middle-income countries. Latin America is a case in point. Across the region, the Society has partnered with 70 organizations working in breast cancer control. Additionally, the Society launched a Pan-American cancer network and co- founded a regional breast cancer advocacy coalition. In Brazil and Mexico, ACS pioneered a patient navigator program offering valuable information about breast care and treatment.

 

The American Cancer Society Supports Women's Health Worldwide

New York City —  The American Cancer Society invites you to support women’s health and learn about non-communicable diseases (NCDs) during an event today at the United Nations (UN).  No woman left behind in the fight against NCDs: Towards health services that address breast and cervical cancer encourages UN policy makers to prioritize women's cancers at a HIgh-level UN Meeting on NCDs in September.   

OBJECTIVES

• Launch the Cervical Cancer Action Report on Progress in Cervical Cancer Prevention

• Review the burden of these diseases in Africa and present the initiative of the First Ladies Forum

• Highlight available cost-effective interventions and demonstrate the feasibility of strengthened health systems

• Highlight the impact on individuals and households

Non-communicable diseases (NCDs) – cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and chronic respiratory disease - represent a global health, economic, and development issue. Their impact on women deepens health and gender inequities between and within countries, and has a profound effect on individuals, households, and communities. Women worldwide are affected by, and at risk for, mortality from cancers that are largely preventable and treatable, including cervical and breast cancer. Cervical cancer is central to the emerging cancer pandemic in low and middle income countries. The number of lives lost to this preventable disease is a global failure of the largest scale given all we know about preventing, detecting, and treating cervical cancer. At the same time, the evidence for preventing breast cancer mortality makes this a similar avoidable catastrophe, and innovative approaches exist for screening and treatment in low-resource settings. Prevention, early detection, treatment, and palliative care can be integrated into existing health services to relieve the strain in lower- and middle-income countries and to make sure that all women and girls have a fair chance at full and healthy lives.

Addressing women’s cancers is relevant to the Commission on Population and Development’s 44th Session, focused on “Fertility, reproductive health and development.” This side event will shine a light on global best practices in breast and cervical cancer control and help build momentum for the September 2011 United Nations High Level Meeting on Non-communicable diseases.

• Moderator: Dr Karen Sealey, PAHO/WHO Special Advisor

• Opening remarks H.E. Ms Paulette Bethel, Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Commonwealth of The Bahamas to the United Nations, Chair of CARICOM

• Global situation of women's cancers: Challenges of prevention and control

*     Ms Purnima Mane, Deputy Executive Director, UNFPA

• Forum of African First Ladies against Breast and Cervical Cancer

*      Madam Callista Mutharika, First Lady of the Republic of Malawi, Incoming Vice Chairperson, Forum of African First Ladies against Breast and Cervical Cancer

• The importance of the cancer survivor Ms Clover Allen Wilson, Breast Cancer Survivor

• Launch of the Cervical Cancer Action report card Mr. Scott Wittet, PATH

• Q&A interactive discussion

*       Closure H.E. Mr. Brian Bowler, Ambassador and Permanent Representative, Permanent Mission of the Republic of Malawi to the United Nations

Co-Sponsored by: Permanent Mission of the Member States of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), Permanent Mission of the Republic of Malawi, PAHO and UNFPA

In collaboration with: American Cancer Society, PATH, Forum of African First Ladies  

 

Brazil Launches National Plan to Control Cervical and Breast Cancer

Manaus, Brazil  — Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff announced this week the launch of a nationwide program for breast and cervical cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment.  

"I know from experience that cancer is curable when it is treated early," the president said. “I had cancer, it was detected early, and was cured.  I want women to have access to the same things I did.”

In 2009, while working as chief of staff for President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Rousseff was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin lymphoma. The early detection of the cancer during a routine mammogram was key to her rapid recovery. Rousseff remained in her position while she underwent a four-month course of chemotherapy.

The government will invest 2.8 billion U.S. dollars (4.5 billion reais) for the new prevention and treatment program, designed to span a four-year period. Resources will strengthen primary care as well as the outpatient and hospital network of the Brazilian Public Health System. According to President Rousseff, the federal government will provide free mammograms in public hospitals as well as free cervical smear exams for all women aged 25 to 59.  

Brazil has some 4,000 mammography facilities, with half located in public hospitals. Under the new program, 20 new centers specializing in breast and cervical cancer will open in Brazil's northern and northeastern regions, which are the country's poorest. In addition, all public hospitals will increase investment in cancer treatments. These plans support the Oncology Care National Policy created in 2005 and aim to promote information and awareness while improving the accessibility and quality of breast and cervical cancer screening and treatment.

The Brazilian Ministry of Health and the Brazilian National Cancer Institute (INCA) aim to monitor mammography quality and efficiency using a special task force comprised of INCA, the Brazilian College of Radiology, and federal, state, and municipal health surveillance agencies.  

The national program sets out to:

• Roll out 50 specialized centers in underserved areas of Brazil, which will ensure timely treatment following presentation
• Create 32 new specialized treatment centers in hospitals 
• Improve treatment infrastructure in 48 hospitals 

Technical support, resources, and the development of specialized training centers for health professionals will all aid in the control of cervical cancer. Additionally, the new national program will promote cervical cancer screening practices, ensure the quality of examinations, and guarantee timely treatment under guidelines and recommendations of the World Health Organization and the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). 

INCA has been a key collaborator of the American Cancer Society (ACS), and ACS has worked closely with INCA to encourage improvement in access to and quality of cancer care in Brazil, with a special emphasis on women’s cancers. ACS commends President Dilma Rousseff and the Ministry of Health for their commitment to breast and cervical cancer control. 

For more information, click on the link bellow (in Portuguese):   http://tinyurl.com/435cfm5

American Cancer Society Meets with Leaders in Public Health at 3rd Stop Cervical Cancer in Africa Conference

From left to right:  Her Excellency Mrs. Tobeka Madiba-Zuma, First Lady of the Republic of South Africa; Her Excellency Princess Nchegechege of Swaziland, Princess Nikky Onyeri of Nigeria (founder and executive director of the Princess Nikky Breast Cancer Foundation, and the conference host), and Her Excellency Hon. Janet Museveni of Uganda

The American Cancer Society joined with other public health organizations at the 3rd Stop Cervical Cancer in Africa Conference, which was held July 19-21 in Cape Town, South Africa. Loyce Pace Bass, director, Regional Programs, American Cancer Society, met with public health leaders from Burkina Faso, Kenya, Malawi, Seychelles, South Africa, Uganda, Zimbabwe, and other nations to discuss their challenges and best practices. Information was provided to participants on the millions of women in Africa living with cervical cancer and the challenge to improve access to lifesaving prevention, diagnostic, and treatment resources. There was a call for civil society, clinical, and government stakeholders present to advocate for the HPV vaccine and low-resource screening programs (i.e. VIA), as well as patient care and support. Goodwill messages were presented from a number of distinguished guests, including Tobeka Madiba-Zuma, first lady of the Republic of South Africa. During the closing ceremonies for the conference, Madiba-Zuma and other first ladies of Africa launched the new Forum of African First Ladies Against Breast & Cervical Cancer. In addition, parliamentary and ministry commitments by several African governments to national planning and civil society engagement on cervical cancer were announced.

American Cancer Society Delivers Presentation at Global Cervical Cancer Prevention and Early Detection Meeting

Many of the world’s leading stakeholders in cervical cancer prevention and detection met in New York City on June 2 to look at ways to coordinate efforts and resources to bring new prevention and detection tools to low- and middle-income countries, where cervical cancer kills more than 200,000 women each year. Johanna Ralston, vice president of Global Strategies for the American Cancer Society, delivered a presentation on how to ensure that cervical cancer is on the global agenda, building on the Society’s work in regions and as host of Cervical Cancer Action, a multi-stakeholder consortium of health nongovernmental organizations working in cervical cancer globally. Other speakers, including Dr. Jan Agosti of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Dr.  Anna Nyakabau of the Ministry of Health of Zimbabwe, discussed new research around effectiveness and acceptability of screening in low-resource settings, as well as social, financial, and health systems challenges to rolling out the new technologies. 

American Cancer Society Partners with the Lance Armstrong Foundation to Show Support of HPV Vaccine Commitment

On October 30, The Washington Post highlighted a collaborative effort between the American Cancer Society and the Lance Armstrong Foundation in an opinion piece co-authored by John Seffrin, PhD, chief executive officer of the American Cancer Society, and Lance Armstrong, cancer survivor and chairman of the Lance Armstrong Foundation. In the piece, Dr. Seffrin and Mr. Armstrong urged delegates of the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) to vote “yes” at a recent meeting to making HPV vaccines available to girls in the 72 poorest developing countries. The piece stressed the need for vaccines and appropriate screening technologies in these developing countries, where cervical cancer remains the number one cause of cancer deaths among women, and asserted that data is available to prove that providing HPV vaccines to these countries is affordable, feasible, and necessary. Due to resource mobilization issues encountered during the meeting, the vote was postponed until the next meeting, which will take place in early spring; however, proponents of this commitment remain hopeful that the strong arguments made in this opinion piece, among others, will persuade GAVI members to commit to the vaccine. The opinion piece can be found on the Washington Post Web Site, click here Opinion piece to navigate directly to it.

American Cancer Society Joins with Global Alliance to Support Cervical Cancer Vaccine for Developing Countries

The American Cancer Society provided resources and support for a recent commitment by the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations (GAVI) to include the HPV vaccine among those it will consider for future support in developing countries. This decision by the GAVI Board is an important first step in making lifesaving HPV vaccine available in developing countries, where cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer death among women. Support from GAVI, a global public-private partnership of major stakeholders in immunization, has the potential to dramatically increase HPV immunization in the developing world while simultaneously stimulating country investment in the health systems necessary to deliver the vaccine and other essential health services. As a member of Cervical Cancer Action, an organization dedicated to preventing cervical cancer that includes more than 1,200 members representing 80 countries, the American Cancer Society will continue to support this lifesaving initiative.

Electronic Dossier Demonstrates Global Support for Improved Cervical Cancer Prevention

As part of a global effort to accelerate access to cervical cancer screening, prevention, and treatment, Cervical Cancer Action (CCA) has prepared an electronic dossier demonstrating civil society support for access issues surrounding this disease. CCA is a coalition which includes PATH (an international nonprofit health organization), the Pan American Health Organization, the International AIDS Vaccine Initiative, and the American Cancer Society. This dossier will be presented to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisations and the World Health Organization at upcoming meetings where HPV vaccine issues will be considered. The dossier also serves more broadly to raise awareness of the enormous opportunities and gaps in addressing cervical cancer, and the richness and diversity of stakeholders committed to reducing the burden of this disease, including governments, cancer organizations, hospitals, reproductive health groups, women's organizations, vaccine advocates, and others. More than 1,200 people representing about 700 organizations have signed the electronic dossier so far, expressing support for better cervical cancer screening and vaccination opportunities for women in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. This is a dynamic dossier, with new letters arriving weekly. For more information on CCA and the electronic dossier, please visit www.cervicalcanceraction.org