Preventing Cervical Cancer

The American Cancer Society reports that women aged between 35 and 44 are more frequently diagnosed with cervical cancer, but 20% of cases are found in women over 65.

The good news is that occurrence and death rates from cervical cancer have dropped significantly due to a two-pronged preventive approach that includes screening for the disease and vaccination against the virus that causes it.

Much work remains to be done to defeat cervical cancer, and that battle starts with you and your well-woman exams. Here are the four facts you need to know about cervical cancer:

1. Cervical cancer has viral origins. Human papillomavirus (HPV) causes nearly all cases of cervical cancer. According to the National Cervical Cancer Coalition, close to 80 percent of women contract HPV by age 50, but most don't develop cervical cancer. Only a few of the many types of HPV lead to the disease. It's thought cervical cells mutate into cancerous cells due to HPV.
2. Cervical cancer can take years to develop and often doesn't cause symptoms until advanced. Signs of the disease include abnormal bleeding and spotting, unusual vaginal discharge, pelvic pain and discomfort during sex.
3. HPV vaccination and screening can prevent up to 93 percent of cervical cancers. This helps prevent both high-risk HPV that leads to cervical cancer and low-risk types that cause genital warts. The CDC recommends this in two doses for preteens starting at age 11 or 12 for the best immune response. If you are under 26 and still haven't received the vaccine, talk with your healthcare provider.
4. According to the Cleveland Clinic, you might still need Pap smears even if you've had a partial or complete hysterectomy. People with no uterus but still have a cervix are still at risk. Those who had a total hysterectomy due to cancer should continue screenings to check for reoccurrence.

Scheduling a pelvic exam that includes a cervical cancer screening is one of the most important steps you can take for your health. Follow this screening schedule recommended by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force:

• Age 21 to 30 – Schedule exams every three years.
• Age 30 to 65 – Continue following the every-three-years schedule for Pap tests or, if you prefer to go longer between screenings, have a combination Pap test and human papillomavirus test every five years.
• Age 65 and older – If at least three Pap tests in the past decade have shown no signs of cervical cancer, you can stop having the test at 65.

However, your doctor might suggest annual screening if you are immunocompromised or your mother took the miscarriage prevention drug diethylstilbestrol (DES) while she was pregnant with you. DES exposure increases cervical cancer risk.

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