Câncer do colo uterino: a doença como como forma de violência

Abstract

Uterine cervix cancer is one of the most common tumors diagnosed in women worldwide and has one of the highest mortality rate among cancer types in underdeveloped and /or developing countries. The main risk factor for this disease is known (HPV infection) and there are well-established strategies for prevention, as vaccination and use of condoms, protocols for early diagnosis, as colpocytological examination, colposcopy, and if necessary biopsy, and finally, treatment technics according to the tumor staging at the diagnosis time. In view of all knowledge and information available about this disease and possibilities of its prevention, early identification and treatment, the diagnosis of invasive uterine cancer in a young patient should be considered a violence against this woman, since its consequences could be avoided, if the disease were properly treated. Hereby, we present a brief essay on cervical cancer in light of current knowledge available and a clinical case of a patient victim of such violence, accompanied at the oncoginecology and high risk prenatal service of the Hospital das Clínicas from Federal University of Minas Gerais. This paper stimulates a reflection on how we should proceed not only to avoid but also to protect women from serious consequences of this disease.