Stop Cervical Cancer Before It Starts
Stop Cervical Cancer Before it Starts
Stop Cervical Cancer Before it StartsEvery day, 30 women in the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer. The number of cervical cancer cases has decreased significantly as routine cervical cancer screenings, or Pap tests, have been broadly adopted. Even so, nearly 4,000 women in the U.S. are expected to die of the disease this year.
The most common cause
The primary cause of cervical cancer is infection with certain types of human papillomavirus (HPV), a common sexually transmitted disease. There are many types of HPV infections, and not all types cause cervical cancer. Only your physician can tell if you are at risk.
Elusive symptoms
Some people with HPV will have genital warts, but many show no symptoms at all and do not even know they have it. Once the disease has developed into cancer, a woman is most likely to experience abnormal bleeding but not always. That is why screening is essential in detecting and treating the condition early before it develops into cervical cancer.
An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure
Since the most common form of cervical cancer starts with pre-cancerous changes, the disease can be prevented either by finding and treating pre-cancers before they spread, or by avoiding infection by cancer-causing viruses altogether.
Early detection
To check for abnormal cell growth, a physician will perform a Pap test (Pap smear). A Pap test is a simple procedure in which cells are collected from the cervix and tested for abnormalities. If pre-cancerous cells are detected and treated early, cervical cancer can be stopped before it starts. Thats why regular Pap tests are so important the doctor can find abnormal cells before they become cancerous and spread to other tissue.
Vaccination
Even better than early detection is prevention of HPV in the first place. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved a vaccine that helps protect against several types of HPV that cause cervical cancer and genital warts. Keep in mind that the vaccine does not protect against all cancer-causing types of HPV, so routine Pap tests are still necessary.
Talk to your doctor
Ask your physician about how you can help protect yourself - or your daughter - from cervical cancer. If you need a physician in the Seattle area, check out our Find a Physician link on our home page or call The Polyclinics new patient representatives at (206) 329-1777.
Sources: American Cancer Society, Cancer Facts & Figures, 2008; National Cancer Institute
by: Tommy Smyth