Rotary International is known for its decades-long, worldwide campaign to eliminate polio.
With RI getting close to victory through vaccinations across the globe, the question Rotarians ask is: “What’s next?”
Here in Oregon–elsewhere, too, including Alabama–the effort is underway to reduce, and like with polio, eliminate cervical cancer.
“Operation Oregon-ize,” it’s called, Rotarian Alan Bacharach said (Aug. 4th meeting). “This can save the lives of thousands of people in Oregon.”
A three-step program includes HPV vaccines (for young adults ages 9-26); regular HPV/Pap test screening (starting at 21); and follow-up treatment.
Alan was joined at the PPRC podium by Beth Dougherty (pictured), Community Cancer Control Specialist, OHSU Knight Cancer Institute. A statewide effort that includes Rotary Clubs is foreseen.
“We can eliminate this and protect from five other cancers,” Alan said. (Among those: oropharyngeal cancer [cancers of the throat, base of tongue, and tonsils], anal cancer and vaginal cancer.)
HPV has plagued Oregon with “an incredibly prolific illness,” Beth added. For young people, it can be “like flipping a coin with a 50-50 chance” of contact during intercourse. HPV vaccines prevent the cancer possibility; screening later provides detection.
Taking the effort statewide is a goal of Operation Oregon-ize, the speakers suggested. Beth summarized: “We have strategies on what we can do about this. People are fighting for their lives and winning the battle.”
