Chandigarh
21 January 2025
DIVYA AZAD
Fortis Hospital Mohali, today organised the grand finale of ‘Illustrate to Eliminate’, a cervical cancer awareness initiative at the Rose Garden Underpass, Sector 17. As part of this initiative, Fortis Hospital Mohali organised a poster-making and slogan-writing competition for students across the Tricity schools. The winning artworks have been exhibited at the Rose Garden Underpass in Chandigarh from January 21st to 26th, 2025.
The winners in different categories were; Mannan Kaur Cheema of Sacred Heart Senior Secondary School, Chandigarh in Poster Making (Class 9 and above); Nehmat of Shemrock Senior Secondary School, Mohali in Poster Making (Class 7 and 8); Nikita of DAV Mohali in Slogan Writing Competition.
As January is being observed as the Cervical Cancer Awareness month across the world, to mark the same, Fortis Hospital Mohali conducted the awareness drive to educate people about the importance of timely HPV Vaccination and regular screening to prevent Cervical Cancer in women.
An awareness session led by Dr Shweta Tahlan, Consultant, Gynae Onco-Surgery, Fortis Hospital Mohali, was also organized in the Amphitheatre during which all the winners and participants were felicitated.
Emphasizing on early detection of cervical cancer, Dr Tahlan, said, “Every woman should be careful enough to notice any unusual changes in her body and seek a consult immediately. Early stage of cervical cancer may not produce any symptoms. However, symptoms may include postcoital or intermenstrual vaginal bleeding, irregular periods, postmenopausal bleeding, persistent or foul-smelling vaginal discharge and pelvic pain. Early cervical cancer can be treated through surgery alone, and one may avoid undergoing chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Imaging such as CT scan, MRI or PET-CT as per requirement, besides tissue biopsy is done while managing a patient with cancer.
Dr Tahlan further highlighted the importance of HPV vaccination in beating cervical cancer. “The ideal age for vaccination of girls is 9-14 years of age, though the catch-up vaccination can be done till 26 years of age. Vaccination done in childhood or adolescence helps to prevent against cervical cancer in later years of life.” Cervical cancer is a preventable cancer. Doing both things together – HPV vaccination for young girls and cervical screening for every woman above 25-30 years – can prevent majority of cervical cancers. Together we should work on its elimination on goals given by WHO, she added.
