Monday, November 2, 2009
A Vaccine, The Prevention of Cervical Cancer
Friday, September 11, 2009
Early Symptoms of Cervical Cancer
Cervical Cancer causes are commonly related to a sexually transmitted virus called the human papilloma virus or ‘HPV’. Most HPV infections will not lead to cervical cancer early symptoms and cancer. Certain changes called ‘high-grade lesions’ may progress to early symptoms of cervical cancer and cervical cancer if not treated.
Common cervical cancer early symptoms include these symptoms:
• Vaginal bleeding after sexual intercourse
• Pelvic pain
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Unusual vaginal discharge
• Abnormal bleeding between menstrual periods
• Heavy bleeding during your menstrual period
• Increased urinary frequency
When cervical cancer early symptoms are suspected, Pap smears are the best screening technique currently available to evaluate the cells on the face of the cervix. Most Pap smear test results are rated from Class I through Class V.
• Class I is normal,
• Class II means an irritation or inflammation,
• Class III means it is a true cervical dysplasia that can range from mild to serious,
• Class IV may be one of a variety of pre-cancers or cancers,
• Class V is one of the serious invasive cervical cancer signs.
Pap smear tests are necessary, but they are not always accurate. And their results sometimes appear normal even when a woman has the abnormal cells of cancer. If cervical cancer early symptoms are suspected and the Pap smear test comes back either as normal or as positive, consider getting another Pap smear from a different laboratory and a second opinion from another doctor. If your Pap smear shows dysplasia, a biopsy can rule out cervical cancer.
Another testing method being developed uses a small fiber optic probe that may replace pap smears. This method is still being tested. Hopefully, it should give women more accurate screenings, eliminate unnecessary biopsies and help diagnose cervical cancer early symptoms and early cancer stages.
Early symptoms of cervical cancer often go on without the woman suspecting that a problem exists! Cervical cancer is usually a slow-growing cancer. As a result, cervical cancer is often diagnosed and treated in an advanced stage when the success rate is much lower. Most women with invasive cervical cancer will be treated with surgery, chemotherapy and radiation or some combination of these. And a hysterectomy may be recommended as a consequence of cervical cancer that has spread within the cervix.
With the ovaries being an important source of hormone production, a hysterectomy with removal of the ovaries is a major event with health consequences for a woman. Even if the ovaries are not removed, their function will become impaired within 1-2 years after a partial hysterectomy, again with related health consequences. Understand what the cervical cancer early symptoms are so that proper medical help can be obtained when needed. And learn more about the early menopause symptoms and side effects of hysterectomy, two important related womens health concerns.
Friday, August 14, 2009
Vaccine For Cervical Cancer
A women's medical group is fighting Cervical Cancer by issuing guidelines that call for inoculating all girls ages 11 and 12. More than 10,000 new cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the
"The guidelines state that routine vaccination with Gardasil is recommended for 11- and 12-year-old females and for females ages 13 to 26 who have not previously been vaccinated or who have not completed the full series, and that vaccination with Gardasil can be started at nine years of age," Merck said in a news release.
The American Medical Women's Association recommends that doctors check all women 30 years and older for the human papillomavirus, or HPV, that may cause the cancer. The 14,000-member group is also lobbying insurance companies to pay for the vaccine.
The group is planning on re-directing attention to the benefits of new tools to fight cervical cancer, which has a kill rate of 230,000 women annually. The association is taking a stand in favor of the vaccine. A politically volatile topic -- HPV can be transmitted through sexual contact.
"We wanted to reaffirm that girls really do need access to this vaccine," said Dr. Susan Ivey,the association's president and an adjunct associate professor at UC Berkeley's
The vaccine targets four strains of human papillomavirus. Many women carry HPV through their entire lifetimes, but most women are able to fight off an infections before they ever realize they have the virus.
Beyond the vaccine, the American Women's Medical Association is advocating wider use of a relatively new test that goes beyond the standard Pap smear that typically is used to check women for cervical cancer.
Christine Baze 38, underwent surgery and radiation and chemotherapy to treat an advanced case of cervical cancer. She hope the vaccine and HPV test will help a hundreds of women avoid her suffering.
"It's incredible the tools that are available to prevent cancer now," she said. "I just don't want anybody to have to go through what I went through ... and the good news is, they don't have to. We have an amazing opportunity to eliminate this cancer."
While the idea of a mandatory vaccine for a sexually transmitted disease has ignited a worldwide moral debate, the release of the drug was approved in the
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Saturday, August 1, 2009
What is Cervical Cancer?
Cervical cancer is a disease in which the cells of the cervix become abnormal and start to grow uncontrollably, forming tumors.The cervix is the lower part of the uterus. It is sometimes called the uterine cervix. The body of the uterus, is where a fetus grows. The cervix connects the body of the uterus to the vagina (birth canal). The part of the cervix closest to the body of the uterus is called the endocervix. The part next to the vagina is the exocervix (or ectocervix). The place where these 2 parts meet is called the transformation zone. Most cervical cancers start in the transformation zone.
Cancer begins in cells, the building blocks that make up tissues. Tissues make up the organs of the body.Normally, cells grow and divide to form new cells as the body needs them. When cells grow old, they die, and new cells take their place.
Sometimes, this orderly process goes wrong. New cells form when the body does not need them, and old cells do not die when they should. These extra cells can form a mass of tissue called a growth or tumor.
Benign tumors are not cancer:
Benign tumors are rarely life-threatening.
Generally, benign tumors can be removed, and they usually do not grow back.
Cells from benign tumors do not invade the tissues around them.
Cells from benign tumors do not spread to other parts of the body.
Polyps, cysts, and genital warts are types of benign growths on the cervix.
Older women are at the highest risk for Cervical cancer. Although girls under the age of 15 rarely develop this cancer, the risk factor begins to increase in the late teens. Rates for carcinoma in situ peak between the ages of 20 and 30. In the
The incidence of Cervical cancer is highest among poor women and among women in developing countries. In the
Saturday, July 25, 2009
About Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer is the second most common type of cancer in women worldwide. It is also one of the most preventable types of cancer.
Cervical cell changes are often caused by a sexually transmitted virus called the human papilloma virus or ‘HPV’. Most HPV infections will clear on their own once the immune system has dealt with it,and not lead to cervical cancer. Often, a woman infected with HPV will never know that she has been infected.
When a woman goes for her annual Pap test, the changes in the cervix are detected. A doctor is not usually alarmed by slight changes, as this can be caused by irritation or inflammation of the cervix, and will recommend retesting in 6 months. If, however, the changes do not revert back to normal, further testing is required to deal with possible precancerous tissue.
As long as regular testing is done, precancerous cells can be removed usually with no long term problems for the patient. Thankfully, truly invasive cervical cancer takes years to develop, but it is best to have it treated as soon as possible for peace of mind, and to avoid complications down the road. Call your doctor if you have any of the following symptoms, as they may be a symptom of cervical changes or cancer:
• Vaginal bleeding after sexual intercourse
• Pelvic pain
• Pain during sexual intercourse
• Unusual vaginal discharge
• Abnormal bleeding between menstrual periods
• Heavy bleeding during your menstrual period
• Increased urinary frequency
Friday, June 12, 2009
Cervical Cancer
Cervical Cancer occurs when abnormal cells on the cervix grow out of control. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that opens into the vagina. Cervical cancer can often be cured when it’s found early. It is usually found at a very early stage through pap test. Cancer is a disease that happens when body cells don't work right. The cells divide really fast and grow out of control. These extra cells form a tumor. Cervical Cancer is cancer in the cervix, the lower, narrow part of the uterus (womb). The uterus is the hollow, pear-shaped organ where a baby grows during a woman's pregnancy. The cervix forms a canal that opens into the vagina (birth canal), which leads to the outside of the body.
What causes Cervical Cancer?
Most cases of Cervical Cancer are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a virus that is passed from person to person through genital contact, most often during vaginal and anal sex. You are more likely to get HPV if you have multiple partners. However, any woman who has ever had genital contact with another person can get HPV. Most women infected with HPV will not get Cervical Cancer. But, you are more likely to develop Cervical Cancer if you smoke, have HIV or reduced immunity, or don’t get regular Pap tests. Pap tests look for changes in the cervical cells that could become cancerous if not treated.
Most Cervical Cancer is caused by a virus called human papillomavirus, or HPV. You can get HPV by having sexual contact with someone who has it. There are many types of the HPV virus. Not all types of HPV cause Cervical Cancer. Some of them cause genital warts, but other types may not cause any symptoms.
What are the symptoms Cervical Cancer?
Cervical Cancer is a disease that can be very serious. However, it is a disease that you can help prevent. Cervical cancer happens when normal cells in the cervix change into cancer cells. This normally takes several years to happen, but it can also happen in a very short period of time.
Abnormal cervical cell changes rarely cause symptoms. But you may have symptoms if those cell changes grow into Cervical Cancer. Symptoms of Cervical Cancer may include:
• Bleeding from the vagina that is not normal, or a change in your menstrual cycle that you can't explain.
• Bleeding when something comes in contact with your cervix, such as during sex or when you put in a diaphragm.
• Pain during sex.
• Vaginal discharge that is tinged with blood.
How is Cervical Cancer diagnosed?
As part of your regular pelvic exam, you should have a Pap test. During a Pap test the doctor scrapes a small sample of cells from the surface of the cervix to look for cell changes. If a Pap test shows abnormal cell changes, your doctor may do other tests to look for precancerous or cancer cells on your cervix.
Your doctor may also do a Pap test and take a sample of tissue if you have symptoms of Cervical Cancer, such as bleeding after sex.
How is Cervical Cancer treated?
Cervical Cancer that is caught early can usually be cured. If the cancer is caught very early, you still may be able to have children after treatment.
Scientists have developed a vaccine that helps prevent certain types of HPV. The vaccine helps protect against the types of HPV that most often cause cancer. Right now, the HPV vaccine (called Gardasil®) is only given to females ages 9 to 26. The vaccine is given in three doses (shots) over a six-month period. Women who are pregnant should not get the HPV vaccine until after the baby is born.
The HPV vaccine works best in females who haven’t been exposed to the virus. It protects against four types of HPV. Studies show the vaccine prevents about 70 percent of Cervical Cancer if it is given to women and girls before they have sex for the first time. It also protects against about 90 percent of genital warts. The shot works for at least five years, maybe longer. It is still under study.
About 30 percent of Cervical Cancer will not be prevented by the vaccine. But there are other ways to help prevent Cervical Cancer. By getting regular Pap tests and pelvic exams, your doctor can find and treat the changing cells before they turn into cancer. Practicing safer sex is also very important. Below are things you can do to help protect yourself against HPV and Cervical Cancer.
The treatment for most stages of Cervical Cancer removes the cancer and makes you unable to have children. These treatments include:

