High mortality rate caused by cervical and breast cancer in Indonesia remains a substantial problem. It was stated in the meeting between Dean of FMUI, Prof. Dr. dr. Ari Fahrial Syam, SpPD-KGEH, MMB and Female Cancer Foundation delegates, lead by Dr. dr. Laila Nuranna, SpOG(K), held on Tuesday February 2nd 2019 in the FKUI Dean’s office, Salemba.
That meeting also discussed the implementation of “See and Treat” program in Indonesia. The program is a form of collaboration between FMUI and Female Cancer Program, supported by Leiden’s Female Cancer Foundation.
The program, which was started in 2004, is intended to increase awareness and knowledge regarding to cervical and breast cancer’s early detection amongst Indonesian females, increase the coverage of cervical and breast cancer screening, and increase the number of treatable pre-cancer lesion finding.
The principle of “See and Treat” Program is undergoing early detection of cervical and breast cancer with visual inspection using acetic acid, and breast clinical examination among females in the reproductive age. If the patient shows positive result in visual inspection using acetic acid, cryotherapy will be conducted afterwards.
The 5 pillars of “See and Treat” Program include preparation of fostered district, training of health workers, education to community, conducting visual inspection with acetic acid, cryotherapy and HPV vaccination, and referral to health facilities.
In 2018, the “See and Treat” Program conducted in Jakarta, successfully established collaboration with 137 primary health facilities, 46 stakeholders, educated 5336 people and conducted early detection in 2958 females, and found 76 cases of positive results of visual inspection using acetic acid. They also successfully did 52 cryotherapies and found 1 case of suspected cancer, and did training for 130 doctors, 273 midwives and nurses, and 65 cadres.
Now “See and Treat” program reaches 5 regions around Indonesia including Ambon, Aceh, Batam, Ende, and Sorong. Activities in those region is in collaboration with local public health office. Overall in those regions this program educated more than 17.000 people, did early detection of more than 11.000 females, found 252 positive result, did 170 cryotherapies, found 67 cases of suspected cancer, trained 271 doctors and midwives, and 211 in 2018.
Datas and findings obtained from this program will be developed into research, under Cervical Cancer Center of Excellence (CCCOE) focusing in data management, research, publication, and innovation. With “See and Treat” program, the decrease of incidence of mortality rate caused by cervical and breast cancer is expected in the future.
(Public Relations FMUI)