In a proactive move to prevent cancer, CMRI Kolkata opened a free cervical cancer screening clinic for young women and girls between the ages of 9 and 26. Weekly hours for the clinic will be Wednesday and Thursday from 1 to 4 p.m.

To increase access to HPV vaccination, increase awareness, and promote early protection against cervical cancer—one of the most preventable but also one of the deadliest cancers affecting women—the clinic was established to provide free HPV vaccination and gynecological consultation.

After breast cancer, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among Indian women. According to hospital-based studies and data from local cancer registries, West Bengal, and especially Kolkata, have contributed significantly to this disease burden, with a consistent rise of 15–20% over the previous five years. Due to low vaccination coverage, delayed screening, and low patient awareness, the majority of these cases are reported in their later stages.

The largest risk factor for cervical cancer is ongoing infection with high-risk strains of the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Intimate skin-to-skin contact is how this common virus spreads. The virus can stay in some people and eventually cause precancer or cancer, even though many infections go away on their own. Most people agree that the HPV vaccine is the best way to prevent cervical cancer, and it works best when administered before sexual activity.

Both the Quadrivalent and Nine-Valent HPV vaccines, which guard against four to nine of the cancer-causing HPV strains, are available at CMRI’s clinic. According to CDC and WHO guidelines, anyone aged 15 and up should receive three doses, while girls and boys aged 9 to 14 should receive two doses spaced six months apart. Since the virus can be spread by a single sexual partner and through non-penetrative contact, this timing is intended to guarantee immunization before exposure.

In order to detect precancerous changes earlier, CMRI is also recommending that women aged 25 to 64 undergo Pap smear tests every three to five years, ideally in conjunction with high-risk HPV DNA testing.

If detected early, cervical cancer can be effectively treated with surgery and radiation therapy.

Priyanka Dutta