The project is supported by Fok Ying Tung Foundation. Cervical cancer is a common cancer among Chinese women and most cases are incurable. However, it is not difficult to detect at a very early stage so that preventive treatment can be done.
Pap test is a simple and most effective method.
It is painless and involves introducing a warmed speculum into the vagina and scraping some cells from the cervix, which are then placed on a slide, immersed in alcohol to preserve the cells and sent to the laboratory for staining and examination with the microscope. Cells from early lesions, which can go on to cancer, are easily spotted under the microscope. The early lesions produce no symptoms and are invisible to the naked eye. Then, appropriate treatment can be applied to prevent the cancer from developing. Cervical cancer is the 4th ranking cancer among women in Hong Kong, about 150 deaths and 450-500 new cases per annum.