NO woman would want to have their womb removed, especially those of the child bearing age.
But over the years, cervical cancer has forced millions to undergo surgeries where they have their wombs removed after being diagnosed with the disease.
Busisiwe Moyo (50), a cervical cancer survivor, narrated her journey that saw her having her womb removed after she was diagnosed with the disease in 2017.
“I got sick in 2016, but it was not intense. I had severe lower back pain and pain in my pelvis and I was always tired. I could not explain why I was always tired,” Moyo said.
“In December 2016, that’s when I really felt that I was not feeling well and I decided to go to see my gynaecologist and have a check-up.”
- Econet InfraCo says developing masterplan for industrial park
- CBZ taps Davos to deepen global investor engagement
- Afreximbank cuts ties with Fitch in rating row
- ZICT chair urges board training on cyber and AI risks
- Mixed-use REIT model best suited for Zimbabwe: FBC Securities
Moyo says initial scans did not reveal that she had cancer.
“The visual inspection showed lesions that they suspected could be cancer. I had a biopsy and I received the results in January 2017 and they confirmed that there were cells that were abnormal and I went for hysterectomy towards the end of January,” she explained.
“The results said the lesions were not yet cancerous, but could turn into cancer anytime.”
The mother of four boys said she went for review after six weeks, where it was confirmed that she had cervical cancer.
“I didn’t want to dwell on that, but it was a big blow to me. I didn’t want to remain in the denial stage because it just prolonged things,” she said.
The team of doctors decided that the best thing for me was to undergo chemotherapy and radiotherapy, but she did not have any money for the procedure.
Moyo said she only started her chemotherapy in June 2017, including three sessions of brachytheraphy.
“My life is back to normal and I thank my husband who stood by my side, my doctors for the good work and for the encouragement because it is not an easy journey without support,” she said.
Moyo said she made friends with a number of cervical cancer patients, with whom she established a support group to also spread awareness on the killer disease.
“I realised that general knowledge about cancer is little ... you encounter so many technical terms that make it difficult for people to understand,” she said.
Speaking at Hatcliffe Poly Clinic, Cancer Care Network general manager Loretta Maunganidze said cervical cancer was the number one killer cancer among women, but ignorance about it was rife, with many only seeking health services late.
“What Cancer Care Network wants to do is to make sure that everyone knows the symptoms, signs, where they can have testing and treatment because people have a perception that everything is unaffordable,” Maunganidze said.
“If people come early the treatment is easier and more affordable as we know that any cancer affects not only the individual but the whole community so we want to empower with knowledge,” she said.
Zimbabwe Women’s Doctors Association executive member Angeline Mapanga said early cancer screening was important to prevent the disease from spreading.
“Screening is part of a lot of things that can be done in prevention of cervical cancer as we are looking for cervical cancer without being invasive like we are still looking for eggs/ cells that cause the cervical cancer before hatching and for that stage it is treated,” she said.
She said that delaying engaging in sexual activities can help people against exposure to the human papiloma virus that causes cervical cancer.
Mic Radiology Group managing radiologist Maitazvenyu Mvere said cervical cancer was common in Zimbabwe and a major cause of cancer death.
“Cervical cancer is the most common cancer in Zimbabwe and a number one cancer in the whole country. Approximately 30% of cancers in Zimbabwe are caused by cervical cancer,” she said.
“It is a number one cause of cancer death that is why we are raising awareness about its signs and symptoms encouraging women to go for tests so that it is detected as early as possible.”
Cervical cancer cases are on the rise worldwide, particularly in the developing world, where the disease is the leading cause of cancer deaths.
In Zimbabwe, an estimated 1 500 women died from the disease annually and at least
3 000 are diagnosed over the same period.
