HPV & Cervical Cancer

April 13, 2007

HPV and Cervical Cancer:  What You Need to Know

There’s been a lot of talk lately about HPV and cervical cancer – proper screening, a new vaccine, andmandatory vaccination. early 10,000 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer this year and almost 4000 women will die from the disease.  Here’s the latest information that you should know:

Human Papillomavirus
We now know that cervical cancer is caused by an infection with a common virus - human papillomavirus, or HPV.  There are over 100 different types of the HPV virus.  “Low risk” HPV types cause common warts, plantar warts, and genital warts, while “high risk” types are associated with cervical cancer.  The HPV virus may be spread by skin-to-skin or sexual contact.   

If you get an HPV infection, you have a very low risk of developing cervical cancer, and you likely will not have any symptoms.  HPV infections are extremely common, but cervical cancer is very rare.  At any one time, an estimated 20-40 million Americans are infected with HPV. By age 50, over 80% of women will have been exposed to HPV.  Most of the time, a woman’s body will effectively fight the virus and eliminate it in 2-3 years.  If the body is unable to “clear” the virus, then there is a risk of developing cervical cancer. 

Fortunately, cervical cancer usually takes almost 10 years to develop and typically can be detected as pre-cancer and treated effectively.
      
Risk Factors
There are several risk factors that place a patient at increased risk of getting HPV and of developing cervical cancer.  These include:

• Sexual Behavior.  Unprotected sexual intercourse or intercourse with multiple partners will increase the risk of an HPV infection.  Condom use is always good practice to decrease the risk of sexually transmitted infections; however, even when used properly, condoms are not entirely effective at preventing HPV. 
• Smoking.  A smoker has at least double the risk of developing cervical cancer.  Talk to your doctor about effective ways to quit smoking and lower your risk.
• Oral Contraceptives.  Birth control pills used over a long period of time may slightly increase the risk of cervical cancer, and these risks should be considered when starting a new oral contraceptive plan.

Screening
Screening tests for cervical cancer involve the HPV test and the Pap test.  The American Cancer Society and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommend screening for the following women:       

• Within 3 years of initial sexual intercourse.
• By age 21, all women should start screening regardless of sexual behavior.

If you have had your cervix removed by a hysterectomy, you may not need annual screening.  If your tests have been normal, you will likely be able to stop screening tests around age 70.

Pap Test
Most women are familiar with the Pap test, but you may not know that the Pap test is used to detect early cervical cancer.    Depending on the results, repeat pap tests or other testing may be required.  Even though the Pap test has been an effective test to find cervical cancer early, HPV testing is also needed for some patients and may be able to prevent even more cases of cervical cancer.
   
HPV Test
The HPV test detects these types of “high risk” HPV that may trigger precancer or cervical cancer.  The HPV test also requires a sample from the cervix, and this sample may be collected at the same time as the Pap test.
 
Who needs to be tested for HPV?

• Women of any age who have an abnormal Pap test (ASC-US) in order to determine if additional testing is required.
• Women over 30 years old may have the HPV test and the Pap test done together for regular screening.  These women are at higher risk of developing cervical cancer than women less than 30 years.  If both tests are negative, another screening test is not necessary for 3 years.

Vaccine
A new vaccine has been developed that has been shown to be effective at preventing infection with some of the types of HPV that cause cervical cancer. The CDC recommends hat the vaccine be part of routine care for girls 11 and 12 and that girls as young as nine could be vaccinated, if parents and health-care providers agree. Also, women and girls between the ages of 13 and 26 should have access to the vaccine as “catch-up.”

At this time, vaccination does not take the place of routine screening and women who receive the vaccination should continue regular cervical cancer screening.

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Comments

[Cheap Air Jordans]

Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally.

[Coach Bags Sale]

Knowlegde can change your fate and English can accomplish your future.

[Lynne Eldridge M.D.]

Thanks so much for providing this clear information amidst the controversy and hype!

Unfortunately, the news is plastered with information about the immunization, but little information for those already infected with HPV. Smoking as you note, does raise the risk that HPV will hang around. An excellent study published in "Cancer" showed that a diet high in lutein, beta-cryptoxanthin, vitamin A, vitamin C, lycopene, and papaya resulted in more rapid clearance of the HPV virus. Good food choices to supply these include red peppers, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, spinach, kale, oranges, tomato sauces, and carrots. Another credible study linked tampon use with delayed clearance of the virus, and those with high-risk HPV may want to consider switching to sanitary napkins. Thanks!

Lynne Eldridge M.D.
Author, "Avoiding Cancer One Day At A Time"
http://www.avoidcancernow.com

[Kunuthur Srinivasa Reddy]

What is the extent to which mental health would determine physical health. My personal non-professional impression is physical parameters such as BMI, Cholesterol, Blood Pressure, Blood Sugar levels etc are the effects but not the cause(s). Educate me in this context.