Cure Cervical Cancer
Cure Cervical Cancer has a clear and tightly focused purpose of using sustainable and effective methods to detect and treat cervical cancer in women in developing countries. This humanitarian medical initiative is led by its founder, Dr. Patricia Gordon, a Harvard/UCLA trained radiation oncologist who has been in practice for 26 years. Working closely with her are Dr. Paul Pagnini, a radiation oncologist who is the former interim chair of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the University of Southern California and Dr. Jennifer Lang, board certified gynecological oncologist (GYNONC). Assisting this core group with expert instruction for local health care workers is Jade Singer, a physician’s assistant with thirty years of experience in women’s health care issues.
See and Treat is a widely accepted, approved and welcomed method for screening and TREATING early cervical pre-cancerous lesions in women in developing countries. In many developing countries, the concept of a simple PAP smear is largely unheard of and unavailable. There are only 6 working radiation machines in the continent of Africa and surgery for cervical cancer is fraught with great difficulty and nearly impossible to access. Hence, very very few women are being treated for cervical cancer. To learn more about cervical cancer worldwide, click this link. http://globocan.iarc.fr/
The only realistic way to treat women in developing countries is with the tried and true, old fashion method called See and Treat. A minimally trained health care provider applies acetic acid, (which is also known as white vinegar) to the woman’s cervix. After waiting 1 minute the trained health care provider is able to visualize pre-cancerous lesions. In approximately 10-15% of all women screened in Sub Sahara Africa and in certain areas of Central America, the visual inspection with acetic acid, otherwise known as VIA, are positive for pre-cancerous lesions. This is largly because HIV and HPV is epedemic and immune systems are depressed.
When a woman is VIA positive, at that very moment she can be counseled and offered
cryotherapy. Cryotherapy is a technique of freezing the abnormal area of the woman’s cervix which is VIA positive. Cryotherapy takes only a few minutes. Side effects are minimal to none and there is no pain involved . Approximately 80% of all women treated with cryotherapy for early pre-cancerous lesions are cured. This simple technique prevents a certain, painful, slow and bloody death from locally advanced and metastatic cervical cancer. For the untreated woman, sadly, there is no dignity in this death.
The mission of Cure Cervical Cancer is to train healthcare professionals, and local doctors, in this simple method. On this upcoming trip to Ethiopia, they will not only teach the See and Treat method, but will leave them with many many thousands of dollars worth of cryotherapy sets and other necessary materials to continue this important work on their own. Plans are to return several times to keep this region of Ethiopia focused and involved in the detection and treatment of cervical cancer. Cure Cervical Cancer has plans also to expand their focused medical aid into other areas of Africa as well as into Central America.
Your donations towards this mission will bring health and quality of life to many many families.
