Almost 47,000 cancer patients are registered in the Mykolaiv region

Almost 47,000 cancer patients are registered in the Mykolaiv region. Photo: medbook.net.ua

There are 46,795 cancer patients registered in the Mykolaiv region. In particular, last year cervical cancer was diagnosed for the first time in 76 women. Doctors emphasise that free vaccinations against the human papillomavirus, which causes several types of cancer, are currently being offered to young women.

This was announced during a briefing on the prevention and early detection of gynaecological cancers in the Mykolaiv region, according to NikVesti.

Dmytro Makarov, Chief State Sanitary Doctor of the Mykolaiv region, noted that even before the war began, Ukraine ranked among the highest in Europe in terms of the rate of cancer incidence. Cancer is one of the top five causes of death. At the same time, the causes of cancer are complex: heredity, environmental factors – including air and water pollution, radiation and climate – as well as obesity and a sedentary lifestyle. Furthermore, the disease can go undetected for years.

Advertising

Maksym Beznosenko, Director of the Mykolaiv Regional Oncology Centre, reported that as of 1 July, 46,795 cancer patients had been registered in the Mykolaiv region. According to him, the incidence of cervical cancer in particular can be influenced, unlike that of uterine and ovarian cancer.

«In the Mykolaiv region, we identified 76 patients with cervical cancer for the first time in 2025. Why are we so interested in this condition? Because it is very difficult to treat. Every year, 470,000 women worldwide are diagnosed with cervical cancer. Unfortunately, 233,000 die from this disease,» said Maksym Beznosenko.

He emphasised that prevention is key to detecting cancer in its early stages. Maksym Beznosenko pointed out that it is important for women to undergo screening examinations, even when they have no symptoms: to have a cytology test or a Pap smear. These help to detect cancer at an early stage, making it possible to receive timely treatment and make a full recovery.

«When we detect cervical cancer at stage one, the survival rate after treatment is up to 95 per cent. Once it reaches stage two, it drops to 60–80 per cent. At stage three, it is 30–45 per cent. At stage four, it is 10–20 per cent. We are talking about five-year survival rates, because in oncology we consider this to be the key to success,» said Maksym Beznosenko.

According to him, surgery is only performed at stage one. At that stage, there is a chance of preserving the woman’s uterus and enabling her to have a child. Subsequently, other types of surgical procedures are carried out — hysterectomy and lymphadenectomy — as the metastases spread to the lymph nodes. If the metastases spread, Maxim Beznosenko noted, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are prescribed.

«By the second or third stage, surgery is no longer performed, because in the first stage the tumour is confined to the cervix, whilst in the second stage it has already spread beyond the cervix but has not yet invaded the pelvic wall. Stage three is when the tumour has spread to the pelvic wall or there is metastatic involvement of the lymph nodes. Radiotherapy is already used in stages two and three without surgical intervention,» noted the head of the cancer centre.

Patients who have been treated for cancer are monitored for the rest of their lives to detect any recurrence in good time.

Dmytro Makarov, Chief State Medical Officer of the Mykolaiv region, and Maksym Beznosenko, Director of the Mykolaiv Regional Oncology Centre. Screenshot from the briefing broadcast

As Dmytro Makarov, Chief Medical Officer of the Mykolaiv region, pointed out, prevention is always better and cheaper than treatment. Therefore, he, like Maksym Beznosenko, emphasised the importance of vaccination. In particular, against the human papillomavirus (HPV).

«Since the 1980s, it has been established that the human papillomavirus is responsible for 90–95 per cent of cases of malignant diseases. Vaccination against cervical cancer under state programmes has now been introduced in over 130 countries. And over the past 5–7 years, we have seen a decline in the incidence of cervical cancer in those countries where a state-funded vaccination programme has been implemented,» noted the head of the cancer centre.

Dmytro Makarov also pointed out that, from 1 January 2026, the HPV vaccine will be included in the compulsory vaccination schedule. The head of the cancer centre added that the vaccine protects against cervical, vaginal, anal, oropharyngeal and vulvar cancers, as well as several other types.

Currently, girls aged 12–13 are vaccinated against HPV free of charge in Ukraine, as the strongest immune response develops at this age. In other countries, boys of the same age are also vaccinated. However, as the region’s chief medical officer noted, recent studies show that the vaccine is effective even at a later age.

«We carry out vaccination using a nonavalent vaccine. It provides protection against the nine most aggressive strains of the human papillomavirus. A single dose is administered. More than 80 countries worldwide have already switched to this vaccination schedule,» said Dmytro Makarov.

He emphasised the importance of a healthy diet, avoiding smoking and alcohol, maintaining physical activity, and regular medical check-ups.

As a reminder, in September, the Mykolaiv Regional Centre for Disease Control and Prevention of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine received 1,030 doses of the «Gardasil 9» vaccine against human papillomavirus. The vaccine has already been delivered to healthcare facilities across the region.