I have been receiving treatment for a year. I have gone through all the stages - 5 sessions of chemotherapy, 25 sessions of radiotherapy, 4 sessions of brachytherapy, at the end of January I expect my doctor to diagnose me as one hundred percent recovered. I feel fine, I believe that I will completely defeat the disease,” says 42-year-old Tea Gogatishvili.
It all started a year ago, when she worked as a confectioner and had some heart problems from time to time. After having her heart examined, she went to a gynaecologist and was diagnosed with stage III cervical cancer.
I felt as everyone else would feel in this case, but I didn't show my reaction because my husband and my child were with me. Now, on the contrary, I feel strong and I believe everything will be fine,” says Tea, adding that before being diagnosed, she had no idea what she might have to deal with
“It is not Easy”
Being treated for cancer is not easy:
You can't explain to anyone what you feel or experience, it is a terrible feeling: nothing suits you, even water tastes not like it used to. Your self-confidence disappears, as if you are no longer pretty, your shapes change, your complexion changes, you become nervous and stressed. However, I would tell everyone that this is all temporary; what matters most is that you shouldn’t fall into despair or lose hope,” says Tea.
Now, when she has finally embarked on the way to recovery, she believes that early diagnosis is of crucial importance and advises everyone to take care of their health.
There were times when I would look in the mirror telling myself that I was really beautiful, I really liked myself the way I was – pale, etc., and that one day I would definitely get back into shape.”
Cervical cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death among women in Eastern Europe and Central Asia. It remains a major health issue in the country, where over 40% of women diagnosed are diagnosed in late (III and IV) stages. Most cervical cancer cases can be prevented by the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, and this disease is also curable if it is detected early and treated appropriately.
Lali Marekhashvili was 36 when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. She had never had any health conditions before. Now she is 69. She lives a healthy and active life, and believes that despite everything, she is a lucky person.
She was diagnosed with cervical cancer in 1991.
The situation was hopeless. I received chemotherapy every month for three years. I used to feel very sick during those sessions, thinking I would never get one, but that year my daughter was graduating from school, and I didn't give up because of her – I wanted to see her enrol in university,” Lali recalls.
“I wanted to live for my children and for myself”
From the very beginning, Lali proved to be brave enough to face the diagnosis, which was a new challenge for Georgia in the 90s.
At that time, I was one of the first ones [diagnosed with cervical cancer], and everyone around me was ready to make sure that there was nothing wrong with me and they made me embark on the path I took. It was not an easy path. Whenever someone tried to tell me something, I would calm them down, saying: it's okay, so what, I'll overcome it. For some reason, at that time, I did not consider my diagnose as a verdict and I survived. The treatment I received, my active lifestyle, positive thinking [have paid off] and I am alive today. I was not thinking about myself, I was thinking about my children, that I had to live, to help them find their place, and here I am now with my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren,” she says.
Lali still gets screened once a year and encourages other women to do the same. She thinks that if this service had been as widely available when she was young as it is today, she would not have to go through all this.
When I learn that someone has been diagnosed with cancer, I always bring my example and try to encourage them. I always say that cancer is not a verdict, because it really is not a verdict if you detect it early. In my case, it was almost too late, stage III. I'd been feeling pain, and it was my big mistake that I didn't visit a doctor earlier. You should visit a doctor before you feel any pain, and when you do, all the more so,” says Lali.
The cervical cancer screening programme was launched in Georgia in 2009, with the technical assistance of the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). In order to reduce the cancer death rate, at least 70% of the population should be screened.
Screening is a medical examination of healthy population to identify health issues that need to be addressed; screening is performed in two cases: when the patient does not have symptoms of a disease and undergoes a planned preventive examination, and in the presence of symptoms, when in-depth diagnostic tests are required.
It is important to remember that elimination of cervical cancer is feasible if we make steps forward in all of the directions defined by the Global Strategy. It is essential for all women in Georgia to be knowledgeable about their health, about prevention of cervical cancer, and about the importance of regular participation in the cancer screening programme for their health and well-being.” - says Ms Lela Bakradze, Head of the UNFPA Georgia Country Office.
In order to make screening programmes even more accessible to women living in rural and hard-to-reach areas, UNFPA, in cooperation with UN agencies and with the support of the European Union, is promoting the development of digital medicine in Georgia.
Telemedicine involves the use of modern digital communication technologies to provide quality medical services, which saves time and money spent on travel.
According to Lela Shengelia, UNFPA Program Officer, the electronic management of cervical cancer screening queues is an important step in order to “reach the target group and get them involved in the screening programme in time, detect the disease at an early stage and implement appropriate interventions.”
The material was prepared in cooperation with the National Screening Centre.
