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January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, and if nothing else, Dr. Ware, a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist at the Meharry Clinic in Nashville, Tenn., and associate professor in the Meharry School of Medicine.
She wants women to remember that, unlike many other cancers, cervical cancer can be prevented.
“There is a screening test to detect cervical cancer, and with regular screening at the proper intervals, we can take measures to diagnose and treat the dysplastic cells before they become cancerous,” said Ware.
The pre-cancer stage of cervical cancer makes it somewhat unique. By the time other cancers are diagnosed, the cancerous cells have developed into full-blown cancer. With cervical cancer, there is dysplasia, or abnormal cells which have not yet progressed to cancer, and they can be treated.
Most adult women at some time in their lives have had conversations about the dreaded annual pelvic exam, commonly known as the PAP smear. Dreaded, though it may be, it is one of the easiest and quickest methods of preventive screening for women to endure. Dysplasia can be detected with a PAP smear.
Although all women are at risk, but data shows it occurs most often in women over the age of 30. Human papillomavirus (HPV) is an extremely common family of sexually transmitted viruses that causes almost all cervical cancers.
Most individuals under the age of 30 can clear the virus on their own, but some infections last longer, and in addition to cervical cancer, it can cause cancer of the vagina, vulva, penis, anus, or the back of the throat, called oropharyngeal cancer. Oropharyngeal cancer includes the base of the tongue and tonsils.
In addition to proper screenings, cervical cancer can be prevented with the HPV vaccine. Vaccination can begin at nine years of age, but the CDC recommends two doses of HPV vaccine between the ages of 11 and 12. The vaccine is most effective when it is given prior to exposure to the virus and before becoming sexually active but is still recommended if a person has already been exposed. The HPV vaccine is approved by the Food and Drug Administration to be given up to the age of 45, and the CDC recommendation is that everyone through age 26 gets the HPV vaccine if not already fully vaccinated.
Ware cannot emphasize enough the importance of preventive care when it comes to cervical cancer.
“The current recommendations for cervical cancer screenings, or PAP smears, are every three years beginning at age 21 for a woman of average risk.
What are the signs/symptoms of cervical cancer?
· Bleeding during or after sexual intercourse.
· Abnormal bleeding.
· Changes in menstrual cycle, including prolonged bleeding, heavy bleeding, and more than one menstrual cycle per month.
If a woman experiences any of these symptoms, she should immediately see her doctor.
Ware encourages women to have honest and forthright conversations with their providers about cervical cancer and their general reproductive health.
Photo courtesy of Meharry Medical Group
