Kumasi, March 22, GNA - Dr Baffour Awuah, Head of the Directorate of Oncology of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), has expressed concern about the increasing incidence of cervical cancer among women despite the availability of inexpensive screening tests that could stem preventable deaths and sufferings.

He said if women did periodic cervical screening tests some of which cost as low as 10,000 cedis, fatalities caused by the disease could be brought down through early detection and treatment. Dr Awuah was interacting with the media in Kumasi on ways cervical cancer could be reduced on Monday.

He described as unfortunate the current situation where most victims of the disease reported to the hospital when the ailment was at an advance or terminal stage.

"In such situations, it is either took expensive to treat the disease or too late to save the victim from death which could have been avoided with early detection", he added.

Dr Awuah called on sexually active women to undergo regular screening. Two of the screening tests commonly available in the country are the PAP test and Visual screening with acetic acid test.

He said the PAP test was normally performed once a year while the Visual test was done once every two years.

The Oncologist advised women against smoking and fatty foods and urged them to exercise regularly to reduce their vulnerability to the disease.