10 things to know about cervical cancer

10 things to know about cervical cancer
January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month. Years ago, cervical cancer was the number one cause of cancer-related death for women in the United States. Fortunately, early detection and treatment has improved dramatically over the last 40 years, reducing the mortality rate. Cervical cancer is preventable — a Pap smear can find precancerous changes in the cervix and an HPV test can determine if you carry the virus.
“If caught early, cervical cancer has a high survival rate,” says Jennifer Williams, M.D., an obstetrician and gynecologist at Piedmont. “Abnormal cells seen on Pap tests are precancerous [rather than cancerous] the vast majority of the time.”
Here are 10 more important facts about the prevention, detection and treatment of cervical cancer:
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Approximately 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year.
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Most cases are caused by certain strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually-transmitted virus.
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Cervical cancer typically has no symptoms in early stages.
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It is often detected early thanks to routine annual pelvic exams and Pap tests, so schedule a yearly exam with your gynecologist.
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When found in the precancerous stage, cervical cancer is 100 percent curable with proper treatment and follow-up.
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It occurs most often in women who are over the age of 40.
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Risk factors include: HPV, HIV, age, smoking, having sexual intercourse before age 18 and having many sexual partners.
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Symptoms in later stages include abnormal bleeding or discharge, as well as pain during intercourse.
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Because strains of HPV can cause cervical cancer, two HPV vaccines were developed to protect females against strains that lead to vulvar, vaginal and cervical cancer.
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Treatment for cervical cancer includes surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, biological therapy or interferon.
Learn more about cancer screening and prevention.