Cervical cancer spike spurs HPV vaccine appeal

Ayra Wang

The HPV Prevention Alliance is urgently urging women to receive HPV vaccinations as early as possible and to regularly undergo screening tests to prevent cervical cancer.

This appeal comes in light of a troubling 30 percent surge in cervical cancer cases in Hong Kong over the past decade, with annual diagnoses jumping from 457 in 2012 to a record 596 in 2021, it said, citing data.

Alliance convener Hextan Ngan Yuen-sheung said nearly 40 percent of the cervical cancer diagnoses were only made at advanced stages.

Alarmingly, young women are experiencing a sharp increase in incidence rates.

"Many younger patients are pillars of their families, and a sudden diagnosis disrupts lives and risks leaving children motherless," Ngan said yesterday.

Ngan reiterated that cervical cancer can be largely prevented through HPV vaccination and early screening, calling for cross-sector collaboration to combat the disease.

Family Planning Association senior doctor Grace Wong Ching-yin said there has been a decline in vaccination uptake and screening participation in recent years.

"Women aged 25 to 64 who are sexually active should undergo regular screenings to detect abnormalities before symptoms arise," Wong said.