Promote awareness, action and empowerment during Cervical Cancer Awareness Month

Dr. Ritu Sarani discussed Cervical Cancer Awareness Month and highlighted what patients with this disease should be aware of.

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, and although the American Association for Cancer Research calls the disease “preventable,” the American Cancer Society estimates that by 2025, more than 13,000 women will have cervical cancer. Predicted to be diagnosed with cancer. Therefore, it is important to recognize the disease and continue to make advances in treatment.

After a diagnosis of cervical cancer, it's important for patients to ask their health care team what effective treatments are available based on clinical trials, new data, and science, says Dr. Ritu Sarani. Access to appropriate care is also important, he added.

“It's easy to notice when you or a family member has cervical cancer, but you may not tell your friends. Educate your friends and family about cervical cancer and the importance of these steps. “This is very important,” Sarani stressed.

In an interview with CURE®, Sarani spoke about Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, highlighting updates on patient care, ways to reduce side effects of cervical cancer treatment, and the importance of patient advocacy in the treatment setting.

Dr. Sarani is a board-certified gynecologic oncologist and director of gynecologic oncology at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), UCLA Health.

What is the importance of recognizing Cervical Cancer Awareness Month for CURE patients?

Sarani: We are thrilled to have a month dedicated to cervical cancer awareness. You can think about cervical cancer awareness in a few different ways. One is prevention, which is where the human papillomavirus is transmitted. [HPV] Vaccines play an important role. This actually targets young boys and girls and may have an impact on reducing HPV infections that can cause pre-cancerous or precancerous and cancerous changes. This is a very important advancement in the medical field.

Next is screening. This should remind all patients that there is a screening test for cervical cancer called a Pap test that looks for cervical cells and HPV. This is a more accurate way to detect whether the presence of the virus may cause future abnormal cells or cancerous changes. Both Pap and HPV can be used as testing tools to detect early signs of abnormalities and prevent cancer formation.

The last patient was diagnosed with cervical cancer. While it's exciting to know that there are effective treatments that are improving based on clinical trials and new data and science, proper care and access to care is critical. So it can also be helpful to educate yourself using the great platforms of patient advocacy groups. Prevention, screening and treatment [are all vital].

What impresses you about the ongoing research on cervical cancer?

There's a lot going on in the world of cervical cancer. The biggest emergence is the role of immunotherapy in helping treat cervical cancer. With clinical trials already completed, radiation therapy is now being used in combination with immunotherapy, or in combination with chemotherapy, in certain patients. Although the landscape has changed, clinical trials continue to have some impact.

There are some attempts that I think are interesting. Even before radiotherapy, to see if we can rekindle the immune system to attack cervical cancer and if it can be combined with other treatments to activate the immune system. Some people are considering immunotherapy in different capacities, such as combining immunotherapy with different drugs. .

The other is a new target. One of the exciting targets that I'm personally invested in is targeting TROP2, which can be expressed in cervical cancer cells. We have a target that allows us to directly irradiate these cancer cells with chemotherapy, and we hope that this will be effective in cancer treatment. [while being] Ideally it would have low toxicity, but that is not yet proven.

Clinical trials targeting TROP2 are underway. [evaluating an] Antibody-drug conjugates, this has game-changing potential and is really exciting.

What advice would you give to patients receiving advanced treatment options such as immunotherapy or other targeted therapies to manage potential side effects?

The best thing to do is to talk to your doctor or health care team about what side effects to expect and to monitor them. Knowing that your cancer treatment is working or doing its job can make the side effects a little easier to tolerate. However, it can also alleviate or reduce some of the side effects, such as diarrhea, nausea, and pain.

There is so much we can do, so having an open dialogue with your medical team is very important. For many patients, [the health care team may consist of] Gynecologic oncologists, allied health professionals such as physician assistants and nurses, nursing staff, radiation oncologists, and medical oncologists. Overall, it's a team of people who are there to work with you.

Something else to think about [is to not] Don't be embarrassed or embarrassed to report your symptoms. It's important to know this. [patients] Choosing an effective treatment is one of the most important things, and if side effects occur, treatment may need to be reduced or delayed, but treatment cannot be stopped. This is important. Because if we can help the treatment continue longer, even with slow and small delays or dose reductions, then the treatment is continuing, and that could be the key to cancer treatment. It's from.

How can cervical cancer patients advocate for their health and work with their medical team to ensure the best treatment?

The most important thing is to educate yourself as much as possible and join patient advocacy platforms. There are some great resources out there, such as Survivor. [groups]. There are also government and social organizations working on education, such as the Women's Cancer Foundation, the International Gynecological Cancer Society, and even the FDA.

These organizations all offer tools to help educate about advocacy, what the best treatments are, and ongoing clinical trials, and provide a community for support and connection. [you] With people who may be going through similar experiences. It's really powerful. What I want to emphasize is that you are never alone, and you shouldn't feel alone, and if you are feeling lonely, we need to do better.

Based on today's conversation, what is your key message to patients?

Cervical cancer is a largely preventable disease, so it's important to use tools early. [is important]. As health care providers, we have many responsibilities to increase access to care, facilitate care, and remove barriers to care.

That thing [you] Like HPV vaccinations and screening tests, anything we can do will help eliminate cervical cancer, which is our ultimate goal. Check with friends and providers for the latest information about testing yourself. Don't assume just because someone had a pelvic exam that they also had a Pap test or HPV test, ask and get the results. It is very important and may be the key to preventing cancer.

The transcript has been edited for clarity and brevity.

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