The Society of Gynecologic Oncologists (SGO) has published the first in a series of four papers on a variety of cervical cancer issues and topics that were the focus of its Forum “The Future Strategies for Cervical Cancer Prevention: What Do We Need to Do Now to Prepare,” held last September in Chicago, Illinois. The paper, entitled “The Impact of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination on Cervical Cancer Prevention Efforts,” is featured in the August, 2009 issue of Gynecologic Oncology. It includes data relevant to HPV natural history as well as excerpts from Forum discussions regarding the limits of current screening, the impact that eliminating HPV 16/18 through vaccination may have on rates of cervical precancer and cervical cancer screening, strategies to measure vaccine uptake and obstacles surrounding separate screening for vaccinated women.

Read more about Society Of Gynecologic Oncologists Issues White Paper On HPV Vaccine’s Impact On Cervical Cancer Prevention

©2012 An Inconvenient Woman. All Rights Reserved.

Each year 13,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in the United States. In most cases cervical cancer can be prevented through early detection and treatment of abnormal cell changes that occur in the cervix years before cervical cancer develops. We now know that these cell changes are caused by human papillomavirus, commonly known as HPV.

The traditional test for early detection has been the Pap test. Now a test for HPV is being offered that can be used with the Pap test in women starting at 30 years of age and in women of any age when the Pap test alone has found slightly abnormal cell changes.

What is the Pap Test?!

The Pap test finds changes in the cells of the cervix (the mouth of the womb) that are not normal. The test involves taking a small sample of cells from the cervix, usually during a routine pelvic exam. The cells are sent to a laboratory where they are prepared and evaluated under a microscope.

What is the HPV test?

The HPV test can find any of the 13 types of HPV that are most commonly found in cervical cancer. The presence of any of these HPV types in a woman for many years can lead to cell changes that may need to be treated so that cervical cancer does not occur.

The HPV test is done at the same time as the Pap test by using a small soft brush to collect cervical cells that are sent to the laboratory, or the HPV testing sample may be taken directly from the Pap sample.!

What is HPV?

HPV is a virus that is very common. In fact, most men and women are infected with HPV at some time in their lives. There are approximately 100 types of HPV. Some HPV typesonly infect the genital area and may cause warts, some cause mild changes in cervical cells that do not turn into cancer, and some cause changes that may become cervical cancer if present for many years. The types of HPV that are found in the genital areas are usually passed on during sexual contact (sexually transmitted). HPV types that cause warts on the hands or feet do not cause genital warts or cervical cell changes, nor do genital HPV types generally spread outside the genital area.

How common is HPV?!

HPV is the most common sexually transmitted virus. The likelihood of getting an HPV infection sometime in a person’s life has been estimated to be 75% or more.! This means that anyone who has ever had sexual relations has a high chance of being exposed to this virus, but only a small number of women infected with HPV develop cell changes that need to be treated. In almost all cases, the immune system will keep the virus (including the cancer-related HPV types) under control or get rid of it completely. However, if HPV infection does not go away over many years, there is a greater chance of developing cell changes that may lead to cervical cancer. Only very rarely does the presence of HPV lead to cervical cancer.

Can HPV infections be treated?

There is currently no treatment available for the virus itself. However, good treatments do exist for the problems HPV can cause, such as cervical cell changes or genital warts. Your healthcare provider will discuss these treatment options with you, if you need them.

SHOULD I HAVE AN HPV TEST?

I am 30 or older — Should I get the HPV test in addition to my Pap test?

In women 30 and over, screening using both an HPV test and a Pap test is more likely to find abnormal cervical cell changes than either test alone. If both tests are negative (normal), a woman may safely have her next Pap and HPV test in three years depending on her past Pap test findings and other risk factors. For this reason, some women now may have an HPV test when they have their Pap test. It will still be important to continue having routine recommended preventative health exams.

I am under age 30 – Should I get the HPV test in addition to my Pap test?

No. HPV is very common in women under the age of 30 and cervical cancer is very rare in this age group. Most women under 30 with HPV will get rid of the virus without treatment. So including an HPV test along with your Pap isn’t helpful for younger women and might be harmful if it resulted in too many tests and unnecessary treatment. After age 30, HPV is much less common. If you are over the age of 30 and you test positive for HPV it is more likely that you may have gotten it many years before and your immune system hasn’t gotten rid of it. Because HPV must be present for many years to cause cell changes, testing for HPV after the age of 30 is much more helpful.

I am under 30 but my doctor suggested HPV testing after my Pap came back as ASC-US.

Why?

The most common abnormal Pap is called ASC-US, or atypical squamous cells. About half of the women with ASC-US have these cell changes because of the presence of HPV, while the other half do not. If you have a follow-up HPV test after an ASC-US Pap and the HPV test is negative, you probably need no additional follow-up other than to repeat your Pap in one year. Usually only women with ASC-US testing positive for HPV need further evaluation. HPV testing is helpful at any age for determining which women with ASC-US need follow-up. This is different from using the HPV test with the Pap as part of your normal health visit.

WHAT IF MY RESULTS ARE…

What if the HPV test and Pap test are both normal?

If both the HPV test and the Pap test are normal you have very little risk of any
worrisome changes occurring in your cervix over the next 3 years. You should discuss with your physician the optimal time for follow-up testing according to professional recommendations and the physician’s assessment of your clinical history.

If I tested positive for HPV, what does this mean for me?

Most HPV infections go away without treatment because the immune system finds the virus and either gets rid of it or suppresses it to the point that it never returns to cause problems. Cell changes that may eventually lead to cervical cancer only occur when this does not happen and HPV stays for many years. Even though HPV is found in cervical cancer, most people testing positive for HPV are not at risk for getting cervical cancer because they have the virus for only a short time (months rather than many years).

Therefore, women with a normal Pap who test positive for HPV will usually be tested for HPV again in 6-12 months. Testing positive a second time does not mean that there is great risk of cervical cancer, or even of cell changes that may lead to cervical cancer, but it does mean that further evaluation will likely be recommended.

If I test positive for HPV, how did I get it?

HPV is usually acquired by direct skin-to-skin contact during intimate sexual contact with someone who is infected. Most men and women are not aware that they have the virus. Condoms do not offer complete protection from HPV. Increasing numbers of partners increases the risk of getting HPV, but the virus is so common that having only a single lifetime partner does not assure protection. It is usually impossible to determine when, and from whom, HPV was caught. HPV may be detected fairly soon after exposure, or may not be found until many years later. For all these reasons, it is not helpful, nor fair to blame your partner.

What does my positive HPV test mean for my partner?

Most sexually active couples share the HPV until the immune response eliminates the infection. Partners who are sexually intimate only with each other do not pass the same virus back and forth. In other words, when the virus is shared, being exposed to more of the same virus by one’s partner does not make it more difficult to eliminate the infection. When HPV infection goes away the immune system will remember that HPV type and keep a new infection of the same HPV type from ever occurring again. However, because there are many different types of HPV, becoming immune to one HPV type may not protect you from getting HPV again if exposed to another HPV type.

If I have HPV or a cell abnormality, is there anything I can do?

Don’t smoke. Smoking has been shown to increase the chance that cell abnormalities might progress to more severe changes. Be sure to keep your follow-up doctor appointments.

Will I have the HPV virus forever?

Probably not. HPV infection is very common, but it usually goes away within 1-2 years.

I am shocked to have a virus that is usually sexually transmitted! How should I respond?

Just remember that almost everyone gets HPV at some time. HPV is not likely to change your life. If you have tested positive for HPV there may be a short period of time during which follow-up may seem to be a bother, but little more. Cervical cancer, the most serious problem associated with HPV, is rare and almost always prevented through regular testing for cervical cell changes that could lead to cancer.

Key Points to Remember:

• Cervical cancer is preventable. Early detection of abnormal cell
• changes is important.
• Almost all women will have HPV at some point, but very few will develop cervical cancer. The immune system of most women will usually suppress or eliminate HPV. Only HPV infection that does not go away over many years can lead to cervical cancer.
• It can be helpful to know your HPV status. This can help determine how often your clinician will recommend that you be tested.
• Don’t blame. Your HPV status is not a reliable indicator of your sexual behavior nor that of your partner.

Resources on HPV and Cervical Cancer

National HPV & Cervical Cancer Resource Center
www.ashastd.org
Women’s Cancer Network
www.wcn.org
American Cancer Society
www.cancer.org
1-800-ACS-2345
The American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology
www.asccp.org
National Cervical Cancer Coalition
www.nccc-online.org
National HPV & Cervical Cancer Public Education Campaign
www.cervicalcancercampaign.org
National Women’s Health Resource Center
www.healthywomen.org
The HPV Test
www.thehpvtest.com
Eyes on the Prize: Support and Information for Gynecologic Cancers
www.EyesOnThePrize.org
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
www.CDC.gov

Copyright © 2003, 2008 ASCCP. All Rights Reserved.
These materials were developed by the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology (ASCCP) Patient Education Committees and approved by the Board of Directors for use by patients.

This material is provided for informational purposes only. It does not constitute medical advice and is not intended to replace professional care. Please consult your health care provider with any questions or concerns you may have regarding your condition. The ASCCP National Office does not provide individual consultation on cases or diagnoses.

While you may download, print and distribute these materials freely, they are copyrighted materials and all rights are owned by ASCCP. Therefore, they may not be changed, edited or altered in any way.

©2012 An Inconvenient Woman. All Rights Reserved.

Good. We want reader engagement, even reader ‘enragement’.

Most of all we want you burning up the resource documents provided, building your personal knowledge base, the private touch stone you consult before you agree to a new medicine, procedure or operation.

Based on recent comments to my Blog, I counted the number of entries I had posted concerning cervical cancer; thus far, 97 Inconvenient Woman Blogs have dealt with some aspect of this disease.

The sources for these articles are varied. I have taken information concerning cervical cancer from the Centers for Disease Control, Cancer Prevention and Control (CDC), the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Women’s Health (http://www.womenshealth.gov), the American Cancer Society, Cancer Research Foundation of America, American Society of Clinical Oncology, National Cancer Institute, WebMD, WrongDiagnosis.com, New England Journal Of Medicine, JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, transcripts from the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) including articles and OPED pieces written by  health care professionals, medical journalists, Pharma Industry pundits, critics and true believers.

I have always considered IconicWoman.com and my Blog, An Inconvenient Woman as an aggregator of women’s health information and issues. The Iconic Woman Project was initiated to disseminate health-related information that effects women and girls not regularly reported or analyzed by the mainstream press. My goal is to identify information of interest, poses questions and provide source documentation for my readers to pursue your own research and the resources to help you take action.

The Inconvenient Woman article archive offers transformative, educational information to improve your relationship with your body and yourself; and provides articles that will help readers expand your current perspective, and encourage you to take a more proactive stance concerning your health. The purpose of Iconic Woman is to Activate more Inconvenient Women. Women who ask questions, demand answers, verify answers with an independent source, make informed decisions and pro-actively participate in their personal health and well-being. Education and the willingness to ask questions and demand answers is a start. It is imperative that women be proactive in all aspects of our wellness.

The following description  of  “What Causes Cervical Cancer” is reprinted with permission from Health Information Publications.

What Causes Cervical Cancer?

We don’t know exactly what causes cervical cancer, but certain risk factors are believed to have an effect. Medical history and lifestyle – especially sexual habits – play a role in a woman’s chances of developing cervical cancer.

The most significant risk factors are:

• Human papillomavirus (HPV)
• Sexual history

Various other risk factors have also been identified.

Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a virus that can infect:

• The genital tract
• The external genitals
• The area around the anus

HPV has nothing to do with HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. There are 46 genetic types of HPV, but not all are dangerous. Only certain types of HPV, which can be transmitted from one person to another during sexual contact, increase the risk of cell dysplasia (abnormal cell growth) and/or progression to cervical cancer.

The HPV types that produce genital warts (lesions that are raised and bumpy, or flat and almost impossible to see) are different from those that cause cervical cancer. However, women who have a history of genital warts have almost twice the risk of an abnormal Pap smear as other women.

Sexual History

A woman has a higher-than-average risk of developing cervical if she:

• Has had multiple sexual partners
• Began having sexual relations before the age of 18
• Has a partner who has had sexual contact with a woman with cervical cancer

Other Risk Factors

It is probable that other factors contribute to cervical cancer, such as:

• Poverty. Women who are poor may not have access to medical services that detect and treat precancerous cervical conditions. When such women develop cervical cancer, the disease usually remains undiagnosed and untreated until it has spread to other parts of the body. Women who are poor are often undernourished, and poor nutrition can also increase cervical cancer risk.
• Pap test history. Not having regular Pap tests increases the chance of unrecognized cervical cancer. Between 60% and 80% of women with newly diagnosed cervical cancer have not had a Pap test in at least five years.
• Tobacco use. Women who smoke are about twice as likely to develop cervical cancer as women who do not. The more a woman smokes – and the longer she has been smoking – the greater the risk.
• Eating habits. A diet that doesn’t include ample amounts of fruits and vegetables can increase a woman’s risk of developing cervical cancer.
• Weakened immune system. A woman whose immune system is weakened has a higher-than-average risk of developing cervical lesions that can become cancerous. This includes women who are HIV-positive (infected with the virus that causes AIDS). It also includes women who have received organ transplants and must take drugs to suppress the immune system so that the body won’t reject the new organ.For more detailed information about AIDS, go to AIDS And Women.

• Hormonal medications. Some experts suggest that hormones in oral contraceptives (birth control pills) can make women more susceptible to Human papillomavirus (HPV). At least one study has indicated that taking birth control pills significantly increases a woman’s risk of developing HPV-related genital warts. Other research suggests that using oral contraceptives for five years or longer slightly elevates a woman’s risk of developing cervical cancer, especially if she began taking the Pill before the age of 25.
• Diethylstilberstrol (DES). A rare type of cervical cancer has been diagnosed in a small number of women whose mothers took diethylstilbestrol (DES), a medicine that was once used to prevent miscarriage.
• Douching. Because douching may destroy natural antiviral agents normally present in the vagina, women who douche every week are more apt to develop cervical cancer than women who do not.
• Chemical exposure. Women who work on farms or in the manufacturing industry may be exposed to chemicals that can increase their risk of cervical cancer.

Women with a weakened immune system due to the virus that causes AIDS are more likely to develop cervical cancer:

• Cervical cancer is very common in women who are positive for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
• Cervical cancer is sometimes the disease that first suggests a diagnosis of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS)
• HIV can compound the effects of Human papillomavirus (HPV), causing cervical changes to progress more rapidly into cervical cancer than they otherwise might.

Reprinted with permission from Health Information Publication. All Text and images in this post are protected by Copyright © 2002-2005 Health Information Publications. The information provided on this Web site has been developed exclusively by and for Health Information Publications and ehealthMD and may not be copied without written permission. The information provided is for general information only and is not intended to replace the advice of your health-care provider. This is original material developed by Health Information Publications, Copyright © 1990-2005

©2012 An Inconvenient Woman. All Rights Reserved.

Cancer begins in cells, the building blocks of tissue which make up the organs.  Normally, cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old, they die and are replaced with new cells.   The problem comes in when abnormal cells “appear” and start multiplying.   The abnormal multiplications form masses resulting in growth or tumors.

In the case of cervical cancer, abnormal cells found in pap smear screenings do not necessarily mean “cancer”.    Abnormal cells can lead to cancer.  However they do not define cancer of the cervix.

The National Cancer Institute estimates that  Cervical cancer, in the lining of the cervix, will affect about 11,270 women in the U.S. each year. Cervical cancer occurs at an average age of 54. About 4,000 die. Worldwide, a half million get the disease and 225,000 die.

In the 1970s, herpes simplex virus (HSV) was touted as the cause of cervical cancer.  This based on population studies that showed a correlation of the disease with HSV dna.

The blame shifted to human papillomavirus (HPV) in the 1980′s.

The HPV is a group of more than 100 viruses.  About 30-40 of which are supposedly linked to cervical cancer.
Of these 30 or so, HPV-16 is said to be found in 50% of cervical cancers. HPV-18 supposedly accounts for 20%.

In 1992 molecular biologists of the University of California at Berkely, Peter Duesberg and Jody Schwartz, questioned the theory that HPV causes cervical cancer. They were concerned about the lack of consistent HPV DNA sequences and consistent HPV gene expression in tumors that were HPV-positive. They said quite possibly “carcinogens  may be primary inducers of abnormal cell proliferation rather than HPV or HSV.” And here’s the key point: “Since proliferating cells [cancer cells dividing wildly] would be more susceptible to infection than resting cells, the viruses would just be indicators rather than causes of abnormal proliferation.”

Even though the National Cancer Institute (NCI) admits that the “direct” cause of cervical cancer has not been demonstrated, they work with the theory that it has been.

Since 2003 even the FDA has been well aware that the human papillomavirus (HPV) does NOT cause cervical cancer. They acknowledged this fact in their statement March 31st 2003, “most infections by HPV are shortlived and not associated with cervical cancer. Most women who become infected with HPV are able to eradicate the virus and suffer no apparent long term consequences to their health.” Repeated transient HPV infections even when caused by high risk types of HPVs are characteristically not associated with an increased risk of developing squamous intraepithelial lesions, the precursor lesion of cervical cancer.

According to the New England Journal of Medicine, women face an increased risk of cervical cancer if their mothers took the world’s first synthetic female hormone during pregnancy. These women were known as ‘DES daughters’ because their mothers took diethylstilbestrol (DES) and labeled to have higher rates of infertility and miscarriages. DES has also been linked to a higher risk of developing a relatively uncommon type of cancer at an early age, known as clear-cell adenocarcinoma of the vagina and cervix.

Current guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists suggest that most women should have annual Pap tests. The American Cancer Society guidelines suggest that screening less frequently than every year might be adequate for women who have had three negative annual tests.  CDC backs this up by warning in a 2000 weekly report (MMWR), that women who get annual pap smears may receive no benefit over women who are tested less frequently.  They even say it may in fact be causing harm since frequently tested women may also be at increased risk of unnecessary treatment and anxiety.

“Many times, especially for low-grade abnormalities, there’s a lot of false positives (results which appear positive, but are in fact negative), and women may be biopsied and receive other treatment because of the Pap test result,” Dr. Mona Saraiya from the CDC told Reuters Health. “These symptoms might have gone away if we’d left (the women) alone,” she added. “”There needs to be more research to show what actual harmful morbidity is associated with an abnormal Pap.”

The [CDC] researchers concluded that “Women who were screened annually rather than less frequently might have worse health outcomes if low-grade results of undetermined clinical importance lead to further testing and unnecessary patient morbidity and anxiety”.  Thus the reason for recommending pap screenings once every three years only.

Dr. Nancy Lee is the Associate Director for Science, within the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control of the National Centers for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta, Georgia.  She testified before the House Committee March 16, 1999 that the incidence rate for all U.S. women is about 8 per 100,000 and that cervical cancer rates have [already] been dropping for several years. The cervical cancer death rate declined 45 percent between the periods 1972-74 and 1992-94 and the overall incidence of the disease has decreased steadily from 14.2 per 100,000 in 1973 to 7.4 per 100,000 in 1995.  According to the American Cancer Society, “Between 1955 and 1992 the number of cervical cancer death in the united states dropped by 74%”

Most young adults who have been sexually involved and exposed to HPV naturally clear the virus from their body, thus going on to live normal healthy lives.  Deaths associated with cervical cancer are very low on the totem pole of leading cancer killers for women with lung cancer at 68,000 deaths annually, breast cancer at 42,000 deaths, colorectal cancer at 29,000 deaths, ovarian cancer at 14,000 deaths, skin cancer at 9,600 deaths, and uterine cancer at 6,500 cancer deaths.  Pap smears potentially prevent nearly 100% deaths caused by cervical cancer.

One can only ask why Merck and CDC are pushing for a vaccine when the war against cervical canc already a success story.

Source:

The New England Journal of Medicine – June 22, 2000 – Vol. 342, No. 25
Testimony on Cervical Cancer by Nancy C. Lee, M.D.  http://www.hhs.gov/asl/testify/t990316b.html
CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report 2000;49:1001-1003
http://vaers.hhs.gov VAERS (vaccine adverse events reporting system) 2006 database
Daily Press.com, Kimball Payne, Feb.11, 2007
JAMA Vol. 297 No. 8 February 28, 2007

International statistics for cervical cancer: World Health Organization

Anti-Cervical Cancer Vaccine — A Medical Break Through?
National Cancer Institute

©2012 An Inconvenient Woman. All Rights Reserved.

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is part of the World Health Organization.
IARC’s mission is to coordinate and conduct research on the causes of human cancer, the mechanisms of carcinogenesis, and to develop scientific strategies for cancer prevention and control. The Agency is involved in both epidemiological and laboratory research and disseminates scientific information through publications, meetings, courses, and fellowships.
Cervical cancer is a major global public health problem affecting socioeconomically deprived populations. It is the most
common cancer among women in low-resource countries where 85% of the global cervical cancer burden of
approximately 493 000 cases and 273 000 deaths are found annually. While HPV vaccines have been launched
recently to prevent infection by the two major types of HPV causing cervical cancer, cervical cancer prevention will still
need to rely on early detection of cervical cancer precursors by screening for several years before the full impact from
affordable and efficient immunization programmes can be felt. “Cervical cancer deaths need to be prevented urgently in
the developing world to reduce disparities and improve women’s health” said Dr Christopher Wild, IARC Director. For
several decades now, it has been known that the wide-spread use of Pap smear test for screening has successfully and
substantially reduced cervical cancer deaths in developed countries. “However, Pap smear screening has not been
uniformly successful in preventing cervical cancer deaths in many parts of the world, particularly in low- and medium-
resource countries, due to several challenges in providing good quality testing and following up women testing positive”,
Dr Wild added.

Recognising the need for a more practical and effective approach to screening and early detection of cervical cancer in
developing countries, Dr Rengaswamy Sankaranarayanan, Head of the Screening Group at IARC, with Dr Bhagwan
Nene and colleagues from the Nargis Dutt Memorial Cancer Hospital (NDMCH), Barshi, India and Dr Surendra Shastri
and colleagues from the Tata Memorial Centre (TMC), Mumbai, India undertook a large randomised controlled trial in
the remote district of Osmanabad in Maharashtra State, India. 131 806 healthy women aged 30-59 were invited to take
part in the study and 32,000 – 34,000 women were randomly allotted to receive either a single round of screening by
HPV testing or visual inspection with 4% acetic acid (VIA) or Pap smear and compared cervical cancer cases and
deaths with those of the 31,500 women allotted to the usual care and health education. Women found positive on any of
the screening tests were investigated with colposcopy and biopsies and those with cervical pre-cancer and cancer
received appropriate treatment.

In this perspective, “the joint effort by the IARC, NDMCH and TMC scientists assumes enormous public health
importance in demonstrating the objectivity, utility and the comparative effectiveness of different screening approaches
in cervical cancer prevention in low- and medium-resource countries” said Dr Rajan Badwe, Director of the TMC.

This is the largest randomised controlled trial of the three screening methods for cervical cancer in a low-resource
setting, carried out in rural India from 2000 to the present. Dr Sankaranarayanan and colleagues found that HPV testing
was more objective and prevented more advanced cervical cancers and cancer deaths, compared with an unscreened
group of women, than the Pap test or visual screening. Fewer subsequent cancers were diagnosed among the HPV test
negative women than among Pap or visual screen negative women. “The significant reduction in advanced cancers and
cervical cancer deaths following a single HPV testing is due to the possibility that HPV screening detected more
precancerous lesions with a high potential of becoming cancer than those detected by visual screening or Pap smear”
said Dr Sankaranarayanan.

“These results emanate from a rigorous study, designed to provide strong scientific evidence, and have benefitted from
substantial community level cooperation, ethical committees inputs and a systematic registration of cervical cancer
cases in the Osmanabad district” said Dr B. Nene, Director of the NDMCH.

Complete data were available for 131,746 women for whom cervical cancer incidence and mortality were analysed. The
results showed 127 cervical cancers cases, 39 advanced cancers and 34 cervical cancer deaths in the HPV screened
group; 152 cervical cancer cases, 58 advanced cancers, and 54 deaths in the Pap smear group; 157 cervical cancer
cases, 86 advanced cancers and 56 deaths in the visual screening group compared with 118 cervical cancers, 82
advanced cancers and 64 deaths in the unscreened control group of women. These results show no significant
reduction in advanced cancers or cervical cancer deaths following VIA or cytology screening, while a significant
reduction in advanced cervical cancers and deaths followed a single round of HPV testing in this low-resource setting.
“The study shows a number of important findings with wide-ranging implications for all countries in the world, including
developed countries” said Dr Wild.

The parallel development of fast, accurate and affordable HPV tests, suitable for use in developing countries, makes
HPV testing a feasible screening approach in low-resource settings and should go hand in hand with further
developments in affordable and effective vaccines to prevent infection by the two major types of HPV responsible for
cervical cancer development. “Although HPV testing will avoid the variation and subjectivity in test interpretation and
minimize efforts required in quality assurance, high participation for screening and treatment of precancers and cancers
are critical to successful screening programmes leading to reduce disease burden in all settings” added Dr Surendra
Shastri, head of preventive oncology at the TMC.

Recommendations
It is of the utmost importance to set up organized screening programs in low-resource populations to reduce the current
high burden of cervical cancer in the near future, parallel to immunization programs when affordable HPV vaccination is
available. For HPV screening to be feasible, low cost, HPV testing should be made available as rapidly as possible.*

Acknowledgements
This study was conducted with active collaboration from the Nargis Dutt Memorial Cancer Hospital (NDMCH), Barshi
and Tata Memorial Centre, Mumbai. The study was supported by a generous grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation through the Alliance for Cervical Cancer Prevention (ACCP), a group of five international organizations with
a shared goal of working to prevent cervical cancer in developing countries.

*See: Affordable Solutions to Cervical Cancer Threat

Article reference: N Engl J Med 2009;360:1385-94

For more information, please contact
Dr Sankaranarayanan, Head, IARC Screening Group, at sankar@iarc.fr
Nicolas Gaudin, IARC Communications at com@iarc.fr
The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is part of the World Health Organization. Its mission is to
coordinate and conduct research on the causes of human cancer, the mechanisms of carcinogenesis, and to develop
scientific strategies for cancer control. The Agency is involved in both epidemiological and laboratory research and
disseminates scientific information through publications, meetings, courses, and fellowships.
If you wish your name to be removed from our press release e-mailing list, please write to com@iarc.fr.

World Health Organization
International Agency for Research on Cancer Organisation mondiale de la Santé Centre international de Recherche sur le Cancer
150, cours Albert-Thomas 69372 Lyon Cedex 08 (France)
Telephone: 33 472 738 485     Facsimile: 33 472 738 311     http://www.iarc.fr

©2012 An Inconvenient Woman. All Rights Reserved.

I have taken this definition and discussion of the Coloscopy proceedure from one of my favorite online resources, W i k i p e d i a. The copy contains text links to other definitions within Wikipedia.

Colposcopy is a medical diagnostic procedure to examine an illuminated, magnified view of the cervix and the tissues of the vagina and vulva. Many premalignant lesions and malignant lesions in these areas have discernible characteristics which can be detected through the examination. It is done using a colposcope, which provides an enlarged view of the areas, allowing the colposcopist to visually distinguish normal from abnormal appearing tissue and take directed biopsies for further pathological examination. The main goal of colposcopy is to prevent cervical cancer by detecting precancerous lesions early and treating them. The procedure was developed in 1925 by the German physician Hans Hinselmann.

Indications for colposcopy

Most women undergo a colposcopic examination to further investigate a cytological abnormality on their pap smears. Other indications for a woman to have a colposcopy include:

• assessment of diethylstilbestrol (DES) exposure in utero,
• immunosuppression such as HIV infection, or an organ transplant patient
• an abnormal appearance of the cervix as noted by a physician.

Many physicians base their current evaluation and treatment decisions on the report “Guidelines for the Management of Cytological Abnormalities and Cervical Cancer Precursors”, created by the American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, during a September 2001 conference.^[1]

The procedure

During the initial evaluation, a medical history is obtained, including gravidity (number of prior pregnancies), parity (number of prior deliveries), last menstrual period, contraception use, prior abnormal pap smear results, allergies, significant past medical history, other medications, prior cervical procedures, and smoking history. In some cases, a pregnancy test may be performed before the procedure. The procedure is fully described to the patient, questions are asked and answered, and she then signs a consent form.

A colposcope is used to identify visible clues suggestive of abnormal tissue. It functions as a lighted binocular microscope to magnify the view of the cervix, vagina, and vulvar surface. Low power (2× to 6×) may be used to obtain a general impression of the surface architecture. Medium (8× to 15×) and high (15× to 25×) powers are utilized to evaluate the vagina and cervix. The higher powers are often necessary to identify certain vascular patterns that may indicate the presence of more advanced precancerous or cancerous lesions. Various light filters are available to highlight different aspects of the surface of the cervix. Acetic acid solution and iodine solution (Lugol’s or Schiller’s) are applied to the surface to improve visualization of abnormal areas.

Colposcopy is performed with the woman lying on her back, legs in stirrups, and buttocks at the lower edge of the table (a position known as the dorsal lithotomy position). A speculum is placed in the vagina after the vulva is examined for any suspicious lesions.

Three percent acetic acid is applied to the cervix using cotton swabs. The transformation zone is a critical area on the cervix where many precancerous and cancerous lesions most often arise. The ability to see the transformation zone and the entire extent of any lesion visualized determines whether an adequate colposcopic examination is attainable.

Areas of the cervix which turn white after the application of acetic acid or have an abnormal vascular pattern are often considered for biopsy. If no lesions are visible, an iodine solution may be applied to the cervix to help highlight areas of abnormality.

After a complete examination, the colposcopist determines the areas with the highest degree of visible abnormality and may obtain biopsies from these areas using a long biopsy instrument. Some doctors consider anesthesia unnecessary, however, many colposcopists now recommend and use a topical anesthetic such as lidocaine or a cervical block to diminish patient discomfort, particularly if many biopsy samples are taken.

Following any biopsies, an endocervical curettage (ECC) is often done. The ECC utilizes a long straight curette to scrape the inside of the cervical canal. The ECC should never be done on a pregnant woman. Monsel’s solution is applied with large cotton swabs to the surface of the cervix to control bleeding. This solution looks like mustard and becomes black in color when exposed to blood. After the procedure this material will be expelled naturally: women can expect to have a thin coffee-ground like discharge for up to several days after the procedure.

Complications

Significant complications from a colposcopy are not common, but may include bleeding, infection at the biopsy site or endometrium, and failure to identify the lesion. Monsel’s solution and silver nitrate interfere with interpretation of biopsy specimen, so these substances should not be applied until all biopsies have been taken. Most patients experience some degree of pain during the curettage, and almost all experience pain during the biopsy.

Follow up

Adequate follow-up is critical to the success of this procedure. Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) is a common infection and the underlying cause for most cervical dysplasia. Women should be counseled on the benefits of safe sex for reducing their risks of contracting and spreading the HPV virus.^[2] One study suggests that prostaglandin in semen may fuel the growth of cervical and uterine tumours and that affected women may benefit from the use of condoms.^[3][4]

Smoking predisposes women to developing cervical abnormalities. A smoking cessation program should be part of the treatment plan for women who smoke.

Without proper treatment, minor abnormalities may develop into cancerous lesions. Various treatments exist for significant lesions, most commonly cryotherapy, loop electrical excision procedure (LEEP), and laser ablation.

References

1. ^ JAMA 2001 Consensus Guidelines for the Management of Women With Cervical Cytological Abnormalities
2. ^ New England Journal of Medicine Condom Use and the Risk of Genital Human Papillomavirus Infection in Young Women
3. ^ “Semen ‘may fuel cervical cancer’”. BBC. 2006-08-31. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/5303054.stm. Retrieved on 2007-12-02.
4. ^ “Semen can worsen cervical cancer”. Medical Research Council (UK). http://www.mrc.ac.uk/NewsViewsAndEvents/News/MRC002621. Retrieved on 2007-12-02.

©2012 An Inconvenient Woman. All Rights Reserved.

ImaGyn

The goal of ImaGyn is to equip clinicians in the developing world with an affordable and effective technology in the fight against cervical cancer.

To achieve this goal, ImaGyn has partnered with Family Health Ministries (FHM) to develop the cerviScope. The cerviScope is a portable colposcope that can be used for timely screening and prevention of cervical cancer. With this product, ImaGyn and FHM hope to contribute to the prevention of over 260,000 deaths a year worldwide due to cervical cancer.

Technology

The cerviScope is a portable colposcope which has been designed for use in low-resource settings based on requirements taken from gynecologists in the US and in the developing world. Its rugged and portable form, combined with a rechargeable power source, will enable practitioners to take the device into the field, and perform the examination in remote areas. With optics offering magnification of up to 8X, the prime design consideration for the cerviScope has been to improve the standard of care for women in the poorest countries in the world.

Procedure

The cerviScope is a diagnostic medical device that supports the cervical cancer detection procedure called colposcopy. This examination involves visual inspection of the cervix with magnification to identify precancerous lesions. Acetic acid is applied to the cervix to highlight the lesions which become white. White and green light are used to illuminate the area and provide enhanced visual contrast.

If precancerous tissue is identified, the clinician can remove the tissue by one of several procedures, including cryosurgery (freeze), diathermy (heat), laser removal or LEEP (radio).

The colposcopy examination can be completed in a matter of minutes, which differentiates it from other cervical cancer screening techniques which require additional laboratory evaluation. The availability of same-day-treatment is essential in the developing world, where patients do not and cannot consistently return to the clinic for follow-up.

History

Dr. David Walmer, Chief of Reproductive Endocrinology at Duke University Medical Center and Founder and Chairman of Family Health Ministries (FHM), invented the portable colposcope ten years ago during his research in Haiti. He has since collaborated with students and faculty at Duke University in the development of this device.

Through the support of Engineering World Health, Theo Tam and his team, ImaGyn, selected and entered the portable colposcope technology into the CUREs Business Plan Competition in 2006-2007. ImaGyn partnered with Dr. Walmer and FHM to continue development on the device and throughout the year garnered tremendous support from the larger academic and business community as well. With this support, ImaGyn was able to engineer a functional prototype called the cerviScope and develop a business model called ImaGynet to enable the sales and distribution of the medical devices to places in need.

The CUREs Business Plan Competition awarded ImaGyn the top prize of $100,000 in cash and in-kind resources with one year of incubation at Duke University in 2007. ImaGyn is now in the process of launching as a non-profit company.

Team ImaGyn, Theo Tam, Wynn Wu, Adnan Haider, Gaurav Singh and Ram Balasubramanian, would like to offer our deepest appreciation to the many individuals who have generously shared their time and efforts with us. Thank you. Your insights have served to shape our thinking as the leaders of tomorrow and your guidance has enabled us to begin making the world a better place today.

Inconvenient Women Don’t Get Angry, We Take Action!

Please contact: sponsor@imagynation.org

For general inquiries:

Please contact: imagyn@imagynation.org

For media inquiries:

Please contact press@imagynation.org

©2012 An Inconvenient Woman. All Rights Reserved.

Long time Inconvenient Woman readers know my feelings about Merck’s HPV-Vaccine Gardasil.

Even if I believed the vaccine 100% effective and completely safe, I simply do not understand how any public or private health organization can justify the cost of the drug verses the alleged benefit. It is my opinion that the Merck vaccine solution is too costly and it is sucking up women’s heathcare funds that would be better allocated for more sustainable approaches to controlling cervical caner in both the developing world and here at home.

The following story by Sarah Avery, Staff Writer for The News & Observer Online Edition features just one of the solutions innovative health care professionals are developing to protect women from cervical cancer. Please contact The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and ask them to reconsider their support for the use of Gardasil in the developing countries their organization serves and invest in sustainable solutions like the CerviScope instead.

Cheap scope can spot cancer

By Sarah Avery, Staff Writer
The News & Observer Online Edition

Practicing medicine in a developing country is often an exercise in the art of jerry-rigging, but Dr. David Walmer is taking the challenge to a new level.

Walmer, a reproductive endocrinologist at Duke University who has done extensive work in Haiti, is leading development of a new diagnostic tool that is the ultimate in MacGyver-esque resourcefulness.

Using parts poached from common, inexpensive items — cheap binoculars, dime-store reading glasses, the plastic innards of a hard hat — Warner and a team of engineers are building a scope that doctors in low-income countries can use to detect cervical cancer.

“One in 20 women in Haiti has untreated advanced cervical cancer,” Walmer said. “It’s uncommon in the U.S., but screening is why. It is one of the cancers that screening effectively prevents.”

The colposcope, an optical tool, enables doctors to view the cervix and detect pre-cancerous tissue that can be easily and inexpensively treated before it grows into invasive tumors. The device — basically binoculars and a light mounted on a stand — is not widely available in low-income countries, because it costs thousands of dollars and is not portable.

As a founder of Family Health Ministries, a Christian organization that works to improve women’s and children’s health in Haiti, Walmer found that the desperately poor residents of the island country had limited access to medical care. Women die of cervical cancer because they so seldom get to a doctor’s office where the early lesions could easily be detected.

More than 10 years ago, he decided to come up with an inexpensive scope that doctors could use anywhere — in clinics or remote villages. He felt that if doctors could afford the tools and carry them to patients, more women could be diagnosed and treated.

So in 1997, he built his first portable colposcope — a battery-powered, head-mounted binocular fashioned from surgical glasses, a bicycle halogen head light and a green camera filter.

A second generation improved the lighting but wasn’t well received by doctors in the field.

“It was heavy on the nose and uncomfortable,” Walmer said.

So, he tried again.

This time, he had help from Duke engineering students who took up the project as part of the CURES design contest. Their version was lighter, more durable and the lenses had greater magnification.

The students won the competition and the $100,000 prize, which enabled them to hire a design firm to build prototypes and start a business plan to sell the CerviScopes around the world for less than $300.

Now, Walmer is working with engineers at Applied Technologies Inc., a small firm in Cary that has designed a variety of industrial and medical products. Richard Daniels, the project engineer, has been tinkering with the basic model and is now assembling 10 prototype scopes with items the team has gathered from ordinary sources.

To keep costs low, they use $10 binoculars mounted onto the plastic headgear stripped from $16 hard hats. The optics are altered with lenses cut from $2 reading glasses. Daniels and students at N.C. State University, working for community service credit, solder the wiring to a battery pack that is mounted on the side of the head gear.

Walmer hopes the prototypes will spur enough interest so he can gear up production to make hundreds, perhaps thousands that could be shipped to doctors in Haiti and other low-income countries.

In addition, Family Health Ministries is working to raise money for a medical center in Haiti where women will be able to get regular cervical cancer screenings. A fundraising event will be held tonight at 6 at the Fuqua School of Business on the Duke University campus.

Please send Ms Avery’s a thank you email if you appreciated her reporting on this important Women’s Health initiative.
sarah.avery@newsobserver.com or call 919-829-4882

The Mission of Family Health Ministries (FHM) is supporting international communities in their efforts to build and sustain healthy families

Family Health Ministries (FHM) is a multi-ethnic, Christian nonprofit organization dedicated to developing long-term relationships with underserved individuals, families and communities to help themselves in culturally-relevant ways.

Currently FHM supports programs in maternal and child health, nutrition, education and church development in Haiti and other underserved communities.

FHM’s vision is create a better tomorrow by building healthy families and healthy communities.
If you would like to support FHM’s work in Haiti, click here: http://familyhm.org/

To read full story and other related topics please go to The News & Observer Online Edition

©2012 An Inconvenient Woman. All Rights Reserved.

Merck’s award winning marketing campaign for their HPV-vaccine, Gardasil, was designed to instill a sense of urgency, the need to protect girls from the clear and imminent danger of cervical cancer. Cancer, like FIRE, is one of those words that never should be yelled in a crowd, because panic ensues. The word cancer has a whole slide tray of images that involve pain, medical processes, and lingering death. A “good” parent would protect their child from cancer.  A concerned parent would immediately call their family doctor and get their daughter the Gardasil, HPV-vaccine to protect her from the scourge  of cervical cancer. This marketing campaign, combined with a Blitzkrieg political lobbing effort managed to get Gardasil approved, mandated by several States and in the bodies of young women everywhere, before a lot of questions were asked, let alone answered.

Is Gardasil really the right answer?

The first question  a parent should ask,  “Is this shot necessary?” Do your own research an come to an informed decision, not one based on an impression formed by a slick marketing campaign.

“Is this shot safe?” My personal opinion is no; but that is a question for each parent to conduct his or her own risk/benefit analysis. All I know for sure, and I get my statistical information from the CDC, the same agency that promotes the use of the HPV vaccine,  Gardasil, that it is not the only way to protect our daughters. According to CDC literature, the PAP test is still the best way to detect Cervical cancer early and cervical cancer is the easiest cancer to cure non-invasively. Based on the FDA recalls of the past decade, a reasonable ‘lesson-learned’ is that any time foreign substance are introduced to the immune system and opportunity for failure exists.

Why take the risk is there is a proven, safe alternative?

These Cervical cancer statistics are from the Center for Disease Control, taken from their website with no additions or editing. Please note that these statistics were extrapolated in 2005, that is before the HPV vaccine Garadasil was approved by the FDA.  (2005 is the latest available don’t ask me why, that is another Blog.)

CDC Cervical Cancer Statistics

Related Information: Compare by Race and Ethnicity, Compare by State, HPV-Associated Cervical Cancer Statistics

Cervical cancer used to be the leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States. However, in the past 40 years, the number of cases of cervical cancer and the number of deaths from cervical cancer have decreased significantly. This decline largely is the result of many women getting regular Pap tests, which can find cervical precancer before it turns into cancer.¹ According to the U.S. Cancer Statistics: 2005 Incidence and Mortality Web site, 11,999 women in the U.S. were told that they had cervical cancer in 2005,* and 3,924 women died from the disease.² It is estimated that more than $2 billion^† is spent on the treatment of cervical cancer per year in the U.S.³ The number of women in the U.S. who develop or die from cervical cancer each year varies by state. Find more information about cervical cancer rates by state.

Statistical Trends

The rates for new cervical cancer cases (incidence) have decreased steadily across multiple racial and ethnic groups, as follows:⁴

• 3.6% decrease per year from 1996 to 2005 among all women.
• 3.5% decrease per year from 1996 to 2005 among white women.
• 5.0% decrease per year from 1996 to 2005 among African-American women.
• 5.3% decrease per year from 1996 to 2005 among Asian/Pacific Islander women.
• 4.2% decrease per year from 1996 to 2005 among Hispanic women.

In most racial and ethnic groups in the U.S., the rates for cervical cancer deaths (mortality) also have been decreasing as follows:⁴

• 3.4% decrease per year from 1995 to 2005 among all women.
• 3.2% decrease per year from 1996 to 2005 among white women.
• 4.3% decrease per year from 1996 to 2005 among African-American women.
• 5.2% decrease per year among Asian/Pacific Islander women.
• 3.1% decrease per year from 1996 to 2005 among Hispanic women.
• No change from 1996 to 2005 among American Indian/Alaska Native women.^‡

Even though these trends suggest that cervical cancer incidence and mortality continue to decrease significantly overall, and for women in some racial and ethnic populations, the rates are considerably higher among Hispanic and African-American women. Find more information about cervical cancer rates by race and ethnicity.

*The most recent year for which statistics are available. ^†The cost estimates were originally presented in 1996 U.S. dollars, which were updated to 2000 U.S. dollars using the Medical Care Component of the Consumer Price Index [MCPI]. ^‡Any change in the rate recorded for this group was not statistically significant.

References

1. Cervical Cancer. NIH Consensus Statement. April 1–3 1996;14(1):1–38.
2. U.S. Cancer Statistics Working Group. United States Cancer Statistics: 1999–2005 Incidence and Mortality Web-based Report. Atlanta (GA): Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and National Cancer Institute; 2009. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/uscs.
3. Brown ML, Lipscomb J, Snyder C. The burden of illness of cancer: economic cost and quality of life. Annual Review of Public Health 2001;22:91–113.
4. Ries LAG, Melbert D, Krapcho M, Mariotto A, Miller BA, Feuer EJ, Clegg L, Horner MJ, Howlader N, Eisner MP, Reichman M, Edwards BK (eds). SEER Cancer Statistics Review, 1975–2005, National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, based on November 2007 SEER data submission, posted to the SEER Web site, 2008.

©2012 An Inconvenient Woman. All Rights Reserved.

Earlier this week I read a report concerning the public’s general confusion about cervical cancer — its causes, detection and treatment. The sentence that I just can’t get out of my mind is a question asked by a teenage boy. “Can I get Cervical Cancer?”

The kid was serious and his attitude respectful, and his question, and perhaps the unspoken questions of his peers, needs to be addressed with respect. The obvious answer is, “No, only women have cervixes as therefore only women can get cervical cancer, however males can contract several other types of HPV-related cancers, so lets talk about those.”

To me his question, is indicative of several very important issues:

• Has high school heath education curriculum been so dumbed-down that we no longer teach basic male and female anatomy?
• Has Merck’s award-winning, hypnotic marketing campaign, with its catchy jingle and wholesome images been so successful it has expanded its field of influence from the targeted moms and daughters to young men?
• What does the average person, adult or teen, actually know about HPV-Associated Cancers?
• What does the average person, adult or teen, actually know about HPV-related conditions?

Here is what I think about what our kids are learning, where and Merck’s rapacious march to profit.

Our children are coming to age in a strangely schizophrenic society. Mass media exposes and exploits the female body. Girls and boys are pressured into situations and experience they are not prepared to handle, while school boards dither as to whether or not to teach basic human anatomy and sexual function.  This is confusing to kids and leaves them open to a plethora of poor choices. I can sense some of my readers bowing–up as I type. OK, if it is a parent’s job to handle sexual education, why haven’t more of you pulled out the operating manual and explained the basic pieces, parts, and functions to your kids.  If you don’t, MTV will. Get on it, or let the schools handle it.

As to Merck’s highly successful, marketing Blitzkrieg promoting the use of Gardasil: it is a for-profit corporation that answers to stockholders who expect ever-increasing dividends. Merck has a history of “rushing to profit” and paying ‘back-end collateral damage’ fines as a cost of business. Have they engaged in predatory marketing? “Well yeah.”

Here is what I know about HPV-Associated Cervical Cancer

1. Cancer is a disease in which cells in the body grow out of control. Cancer is always named for the part of the body where it starts, even if it spreads to other body parts later.
2. Genital human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. HPV types are often referred to as “low-risk” (wart-causing) or “high-risk” (cancer-causing), based on whether they put a person at risk for cancer. More than 40 HPV types can infect the genital areas of men and women, including the skin of the penis, vulva (area outside the vagina), and anus, and the linings of the vagina, cervix, and rectum. These types can also infect the lining of the mouth and throat. (Transmission and treatment of other HPV-related cancers will be discussed in future post)
   
3. The International Agency for Research on Cancer*  found that 13 HPV types can cause cancer of the cervix; one of these types can cause cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and certain head and neck cancers. The types of HPV that can cause genital warts are not the same as the types that can cause cancer.
4. Most HPV infections are not fatal. Most people who become infected with HPV do not know they have it. Usually, the body’s immune system gets rid of the HPV infection naturally within two years. This is true of both high-risk and low-risk types. By age 50, at least 4 out of every 5 women will have been infected with HPV at one point in their lives. HPV is also very common in men, and often has no symptoms.
5. When the body’s immune system can’t get rid of a high-risk HPV infection, it can linger over time and turn normal cells into abnormal cells and then cancer. About 10% of women with high-risk HPV on their cervix will develop long-lasting HPV infections that put them at risk for cervical cancer. Similarly, when high-risk HPV lingers and infects the cells of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, or certain areas in the mouth and throat, it can cause cell changes called precancers. These may eventually develop into cancer if they’re not found and removed in time. These cancers are much less common than cervical cancer. Much less is known about how many people with HPV will develop cancer in these areas.
6. Cervical cancer is the most common HPV-associated cancer. Almost all cervical cancer is caused by HPV. Some cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus, and some cancers in areas of the head and neck (oral cavity and oropharynx) are also HPV-associated. Research is still being done to understand how and to what extent HPV causes these cancers.

HPV-Related Cancer Factoids

According to a comprehensive IARC study—

* About 90% of anal cancers are caused by HPV.
* About 40% of vulvar, vaginal, and penile cancers are linked to HPV.

Cancers of the head and neck are mostly caused by tobacco and alcohol, but recent IARC-sponsored studies* show that about 25% of mouth and 35% of throat cancers may be linked to HPV.

Most of the time, HPV goes away by itself within two years and does not cause health problems. It is thought that the immune system fights off HPV naturally. It is only when HPV stays in the body for many years that it can cause these cancers. It is not known why HPV goes away in most, but not all cases.

Cervical cancer can and prevented or found early through regular screening (with the Pap test) and follow-up treatment. The Pap test (or Pap smear) looks for precancers (cell changes on the cervix that might become cervical cancer if they are not treated appropriately). The HPV DNA test may also be used with the Pap test for women aged 30 years and older. It looks for the virus that can cause these cell changes.

The next Inconvenient Woman post will look at your odds for contracting HPV-Related Cervical Cancer.

Content source: Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

©2012 An Inconvenient Woman. All Rights Reserved.