Jose Rodriguez/THE RIDER
Two researchers at UTRGV are turning concern into action by leading a research network focused on cervical cancer awareness, one of the most prevalent but preventable cancers in the Rio Grande Valley.
The statistics for women in the Valley diagnosed with cervical cancer are 55% higher than the national average, according to an article in the National Institute of Health.
According to the World Health Organization, one in 78 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in their lifetime.
A year and a half ago, six researchers in collaboration with Good Days, a national nonprofit organization that facilitates access to lifesaving and life-extending treatments, started the Cervical Cancer Prevention Action Network.
Subhash Chauhan, director of the South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research at the UTRGV School of Medicine and an immunology and microbiology professor, said their research started in June 2019.
“Our group moved here from Tennessee because we realized there are a lot of cancer health disparities that exist here in the region,” Chauhan said.
He said the group wants to understand why cervical cancer is so prevalent in the Valley.
from gasses, vapors, fumes or chemical spills, Wednesday in the Biomedical Research Building in McAllen.
Jose Rodriguez/THE RIDER
According to WHO, the best ways to prevent cervical cancer are:
- HPV vaccinations for girls 9 to 14 years old to prevent infections and other HPV-related cancers.
- Cervical screenings from the age of 30 can help detect cervical precancer and paired with treatment it can prevent progression.
- At any age, detection of symptoms followed by prompt treatment.
The UT Health RGV Student Health provides pap smears for cervical cancer detection and HPV testing for students on both campuses.
Tusha Sharma, a member of the South Texas Center of Excellence in Cancer Research at the UTRGV School of Medicine and a postdoctoral fellow, said the research is focused on multiple cancers and is conducted with the community in mind.
“Our team is actually focusing on multiple aspects where this deprived population or the area of the country will get benefits and more awareness for the population,” Sharma said.
She added it is also a way of involving medical undergraduate and graduate students.
Aldo Gonzalez, a biochemistry and microbiology graduate student and member of the research team, said he joined because of the results it could bring to the community.
“Every lab is different but, for my lab, we do research that, hopefully, will help in the near future with cancer research,” Gonzalez said.
He added that after joining the research he saw how innovative the Valley is.
“I wasn’t expecting it,” Gonzalez said. “But after seeing how many people are doing research, it gave me a new way of seeing the research field here.”
Sharma said most students do not have misconceptions about cervical cancer, but there is a lack of awareness which makes the population at high risk.
“They are not aware; those who are not having access to the education or medical setup or health system, are getting more affected,” she said.
Chauhan added women should have regular screenings and HPV vaccination, commonly known as Gardasil.
“We are utilizing social-health workers, and we are creating an educational module to provide awareness to the society,” he said.
Chauhan encouraged students to take the HPV vaccination and tell others they know to do the same thing.
“It’s a good thing to do, and they need to just educate their family members to go for a regular pap smear and HPV testing,” he said. “We are trying to communicate this message through the students to their family, so that they will get more education and knowledge about this disease and its prevention measures.”
