An international expert in cervical cancer is urging women to undergo screening to minimise their chances of falling victim to the disease which claims thousands of lives around the world every year.

Dr. Sarah Feldman, from a leading cancer institute in Boston, also encouraged parents to consider putting their daughters forward for a new vaccine against the condition.

The Harvard-trained specialist was in Bermuda to give a talk on the subject organised by the Bermuda TB, Cancer and Health Association.

She described cervical cancer as a "terrible death" and said it was vital women took a few simple steps to protect themselves.

These include undergoing screening through a Pap test, which can detect abnormalities that may lead to cancer of the cervix and allow them to be tackled early.

Meanwhile, the new human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which can protect women against the viruses which cause cancer before they become infected, is being targeted at girls aged nine and older, before they begin having sex.

Dr. Feldman told The Royal Gazette: "It's a terrible death, cervical cancer.

"The HPV vaccine is a very exciting discovery and it seems to have great promise. If all girls worldwide could get the vaccine it would be amazing — it would change cancer mortality rates internationally.

"In the US, screening has helped the cervical cancer mortality rate decrease by 70 percent since the 1930s.

"In the US, England and Bermuda, they have Pap screening. The message is that people should take advantage of both screening and the vaccine.

"People should consult with their physician and obtain appropriate Pap testing, make sure they follow up as recommended by their physician and consider the HPP vaccine for young girls before or as soon after any sexual activity as possible."

Dr. Feldman is director of the Pap Smear Evaluation Centre at Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

She has given talks on cervical cancer all over the world, including China and India, where public knowledge of the disease is relatively low.

Her latest talk was in front of dozens of people at the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute.

"My background is in public health and when the opportunity came up to study something that affects so many people, I took it," she said.

"Cervical cancer is one of the few cancers we understand what it's caused by — a sexually transmitted virus. My job is to encourage patients how to think about what they can do to help themselves."

It is estimated 11,000 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in the US this year, while 3,600 are expected to die from the illness.