The national health emphasis for January is cervical cancer. Thankfully, this cancer is becoming less and less common due to improvements in prevention as well as treatment. This article addresses some information you need to know about cervical cancer, screening procedures and a new vaccine which may help to lower the risk of cervical cancer even further.

The cervix is the opening to the uterus, or womb. Cancer does not occur overnight—the cells go through gradual changes from normal to cancerous. Half of women diagnosed with cervical cancer are in mid-life (35 to 55 years of age), and it is rare under the age of 20. About 20% of cervical cancers occur in women 65 or older. It occurs most often in Hispanic women, with the fewest cases in Caucasians. When detected at its earliest stage and treated, over 90% of women with cervical survive at least five years.

The risk factors for cancer of the cervix are mainly related to sexual practices (onset of sexual activity before 20 years of age, having many sexual partners, having a sexually transmitted disease), but smoking is also an important risk factor.

About 4,000 women died of cervical cancer in the United States in 2006, which is only one-quarter of deaths from this same illness 50 years ago. Most of the credit goes to improved screening using the Papanicolou, or “pap” test. In this simple test, a few cells are scrapped off the cervix and examined under the microscope by a specially trained technologist. The frequency of the pap test is every 1 to 3 years depends upon a variety of factors that you should discuss with your doctor. A pap test is a screening test, which means that if cancer is suspected, other confirmatory tests must be done. One common test is a colposcopy. You can think of this as an examination of the entire cervix with a microscope, with the opportunity to closely examine any suspicious area.

An important discovery in the past few years is the associate of the human papilloma virus (HPV) with cervical cancer. This sexually transmitted infection is responsible for a large number of the new cervical cancer cases. For example, many of the women in that 35-55 year old age group with cervical cancer were likely exposed to HPV while they were teenagers. Avoidance of sexual activity with individuals known to be infected with HPV is an obvious preventive step. The only certain way is to avoid HPV is to have only one partner for life who does not have other partners. Use of condoms may decrease the risk of transmission, but it does not eliminate the risk.

A vaccine against some of the types of HPV most likely to cause cancer was recently released. I strongly recommend you discuss the vaccine with your doctor, if you or family members may be at risk for cervical cancer. This may not be a comfortable conversation with your teenager, but it is a very necessary one.

Free Cervical Cancer Screening Available

To reach low-income and under-insured women who may postpone these important screenings, Lancaster General has received a grant to provide free cervical cancer screening and treatment services.

The grant enables Lancaster General to provide pap tests and follow-up treatment to women between the ages of 18 and 64 from now until June 30. Lancaster General is committed to health and wellness in our community.

To schedule a cervical cancer screening as part of the “Women: Take Action Against Cervical Cancer!” initiative, call Lancaster General at (800) 341-2121. If you know someone who may be postponing this important exam due to financial concerns, please let them know that now is the perfect time to set up an appointment.