HPV vaccination, early detection key to preventing cervical cancer: Expert

Radiation oncologist Dr. Sandeep Kumar Tula stressed the importance of early detection and HPV vaccination at a cancer awareness session in Hyderabad, stating that widespread immunisation can prevent up to 90 per cent of HPV-related cancers, including cervical cancer.

Hyderabad: Early detection and vaccination against cancer are not options; they are lifelines. HPV-related cancers are among the most preventable cancers that people face today, said Dr. Sandeep Kumar Tula, a prominent Radiation Oncologist and founder of SKT Foundation.

Speaking at a cancer awareness session recently organised at the Osmania Arts College here, Dr. Sandeep said Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is a group of over 100 virus strains, of which high-risk types, particularly HPV 16 and 18 are responsible for nearly 70 percent of cervical cancers worldwide.

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What makes HPV especially dangerous, Dr. Tula explained, is its ability to remain asymptomatic for years, silently triggering cellular changes before cancer is detected. “Survival rates can exceed 90 percent when cancer is caught early,” he noted, adding that late-stage diagnosis drastically reduces outcomes.
“HPV vaccination can prevent up to 90 percent of related cancers if adopted widely,” he said, urging parents, educators and policymakers to treat it as a public health priority.