Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in Nigerian women — and one of the most preventable with regular screening. VIA and Pap smear testing at Mascot Healthcare, Akoka detects abnormal cells before they become cancer. Every woman aged 25–65 should be screened. By appointment.
| Feature | VIA (Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid) | Pap Smear (Cervical Cytology) |
|---|---|---|
| How it works | Acetic acid applied to cervix — abnormal cells turn white (acetowhite) | Cells scraped from cervix, sent to lab for microscopy |
| Results timing | Immediate — results in the room | 1–2 weeks — lab processing required |
| Sensitivity | 70–80% — good for resource-accessible settings | 70–80% — similar sensitivity to VIA |
| Can treat same day | Yes — cryotherapy / thermal ablation if eligible | No — results needed first |
| WHO recommendation | Recommended as first-line in Nigeria | Recommended every 3 years (age 21–65) |
| Available at Mascot Healthcare | ✓ Yes | ✓ Yes |
Cervical cancer kills approximately 26,000 Nigerian women every year — making Nigeria one of the countries with the highest cervical cancer mortality in the world. The tragedy is that this is almost entirely preventable with screening and early treatment.
The vast majority of cervical cancers are caused by persistent infection with high-risk strains of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) — a common virus transmitted through sexual contact. HPV infection itself is extremely common and usually clears on its own. In a small proportion of women, persistent infection causes pre-cancerous changes to the cervix (CIN — cervical intraepithelial neoplasia) that, if untreated, can progress to invasive cancer over 10–15 years.
The pre-cancerous stage is the critical window. Changes caught at CIN 1 or CIN 2 can be treated in minutes in-clinic with cryotherapy — destroying the abnormal cells without surgery. Treatment at CIN 3 (the stage just before cancer) still has near-100% success. Once invasive cancer develops, treatment requires surgery, radiotherapy, and/or chemotherapy — with much lower survival rates.
Every sexually active woman between 25 and 65 should be screened. Those who need it most urgently are: women who have never been screened; women living with HIV (who are at significantly higher risk); women with multiple sexual partners or a history of STIs; women over 40 who have never been screened; and women with unusual cervical symptoms (irregular bleeding, post-coital bleeding, unusual discharge).
Cervical cancer is preventable. VIA and Pap smear screening at Mascot Healthcare, Akoka. Consultations and scans by appointment; lab tests walk-in.