AshleyMommyto2
04-28-2009, 09:41 AM
Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer is a disease in which cancer cells are found in the tissues of the cervix. The cervix, the lower part of the uterus, connects the body of the uterus to the vagina. Nearly all cases of cervical cancer can be linked to the human papillomavirus, or HPV, a sexually transmitted virus.
Cancer of the cervix is second only to breast cancer as the most common type of cancer found in women worldwide. It affects an estimated 500,000 women worldwide each year. In the United States and other developed countries, the rates of cervical cancer are much lower; in fact, 83 percent of all cases of cervical cancer occur in developing countries.
~Diagnosis~
In its earliest stages, cervical cancer usually causes no symptoms. Irregular bleeding, bleeding or pain during sex or vaginal discharge may be symptoms of more advanced disease. These symptoms don't necessarily mean you have cancer, but they should always be discussed with a health care professional.
Despite the Pap test's 50-year record as a safe and highly accurate screening tool for cervical cancer and precancerous abnormalities of the cervix, many women do not have regular Pap tests. In fact, an estimated 21 percent of women age 18 and over forgo this vital screening, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And between 60 and 80 percent of women with newly diagnosed cervical cancer haven't had a Pap test in five years; many of them have never had a Pap test.
New Technology for Cervical Cancer Screening and Diagnosis
Because the Pap test can be associated with sampling and interpretation errors, research and development strategies are focused, to a large degree, on fine-tuning Pap test interpretation, visualization and tissue retrieval. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a number of devices to enhance the Pap test. Here's an overview of the new technology designed to improve accuracy of the Pap smear.
• Liquid-based Pap tests; These tests, such as ThinPrep or AutoCyte, use a solution that helps preserve the cells scraped from the cervix (the Pap smear), as well as remove mucus, bacteria and other cells from the specimen that may interfere with examining the cervical cells. Test vials preserve specimens for up to three weeks from the date of collection, giving the physician an opportunity to request HPV testing on a patient if a borderline Pap test results. The tests improve the detection of many lesions and reduce the need for unnecessary repeat tests.
• AutoPap: a fully automated computerized quality control system that rescreens all Pap smear slides for fewer false-negative results—when tests fail to detect existing abnormalities.
• Cervicography: creates enlarged photographs of the cervix to be used along with Pap tests.
• papnet Testing System: a computer system that selects the 128 worst cells obtained by the Pap test for evaluation by a cytologist.
• PapSure: a cervical screening device with a tiny light attached to the speculum that enables a health care professional to directly visualize abnormalities at the time of the pelvic exam. The blue light on papSure is designed to cause abnormal tissue to appear bright white.
These tests were designed to more accurately interpret Pap smear slides and to reduce the incidence of false negative results.
Screening Guidelines for Cervical Cancer from American Cancer Society
•Screening should begin about three years after a woman begins having intercourse, but no later than age 21.
• Women should have a regular Pap test every year or a liquid-based Pap test every two years. At or after age 30, women who have had three normal test results in a row may be screened every two to three years with either the conventional or liquid-based Pap test. A health care professional may suggest more frequent testing if you have certain risk factors such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or a weakened immune system.
• Another option for women over 30 is to get tested every three years with either the conventional or liquid-based Pap test plus the HPV DNA test. When combined with a Pap test in women of this age group, the HPV test is better at identifying women at risk for developing cervical cancer than the Pap test alone.
• Women age 70 and older who have had three or more normal Pap test results and no abnormal results in the last 10 years may stop screening. Women with risk factors for cervical cancer should continue to be tested as long as they are in good health.
• Screening after a total hysterectomy (with removal of the cervix) is not necessary unless the surgery was performed as a treatment for cervical cancer or pre-cancer, or there was a prior history of abnormal Pap smears. Women who have had a hysterectomy without removal of the cervix need to continue screening and should follow the guidelines above.
~Treatment~
The best treatment plans for cervical cancer take into account several factors: the location of abnormal cells, the results of colposcopy, your age and whether you want to have children in the future. Basically, treatment involves destroying or removing the abnormal cells. Three basic approaches are used alone or in various combinations:
Surgery is used to remove the cancer. Various surgical techniques may be used
Radiation therapy (using high-dose x-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells) is used to treat both early and advanced-stage diseases.
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be taken by pill or infused into the body with a needle inserted into a vein.
~Prevention~
Detecting precancerous changes in their earliest stages through regular Pap tests is the best way to prevent cervical cancer. Most women who develop invasive cervical cancer have not had regular Pap tests.
HPV screening is also an important part of preventing potential complications of the disease. The easiest way to screen for HPV is with a Pap test, which was designed to identify cervical cancer in its earliest stage but can also find abnormal and HPV cells.
In conjunction with the Pap test, the HPV test can be used in women over age 30 to help detect HPV infection. When combined with a Pap test in women of this age group, the HPV test is better at identifying women at risk for developing cervical cancer than the Pap test alone.
~Face your fertility issues after Cervical Cancer~
If you're concerned about your ability to have children, make this clear to your cancer care team. Ask how the medical and surgical procedures necessary for your care will affect your fertility. If you have early cervical cancer, it may be possible for you to be treated with a cone biopsy, a surgical procedure that allows some women to remain fertile. If your fertility can't be spared, you're entitled to your feelings and consideration from others. A good counselor or support group may help. You can also consider looking into emerging reproductive technologies, such as ovarian tissue banking.
~Questions to Ask~
1. What is my risk for developing cervical cancer? How can I limit my risks?
2. What should I do before getting a Pap smear to make sure the test is as accurate as possible?
3. Are you sending my Pap test to a board-certified lab? Does a board-certified pathologist oversee this lab?
4. How will I be informed of the results?
5. If I have cervical cancer, what treatment options are available?
6. I was diagnosed with human papillomavirus (HPV). How often do I need pelvic exams and Pap smears?
7. I am so afraid of cancer that I'm afraid to come in for a Pap smear or pelvic exam. What should I do?
8. What is a colposcopy and why do you recommend it? Will it hurt?
9. Can cervical cancer be cured? Can it come back after it's been treated?
10. What kind of experience do you have in treating cervical cancer? Have you had specialty training in gynecological oncology?
11. Will I have to be "checked for cancer" for the rest of my life?
12. What are the risks that my daughter will have cervical cancer too?
Information was taken from: http://www.healthywomen.org
Cervical cancer is a disease in which cancer cells are found in the tissues of the cervix. The cervix, the lower part of the uterus, connects the body of the uterus to the vagina. Nearly all cases of cervical cancer can be linked to the human papillomavirus, or HPV, a sexually transmitted virus.
Cancer of the cervix is second only to breast cancer as the most common type of cancer found in women worldwide. It affects an estimated 500,000 women worldwide each year. In the United States and other developed countries, the rates of cervical cancer are much lower; in fact, 83 percent of all cases of cervical cancer occur in developing countries.
~Diagnosis~
In its earliest stages, cervical cancer usually causes no symptoms. Irregular bleeding, bleeding or pain during sex or vaginal discharge may be symptoms of more advanced disease. These symptoms don't necessarily mean you have cancer, but they should always be discussed with a health care professional.
Despite the Pap test's 50-year record as a safe and highly accurate screening tool for cervical cancer and precancerous abnormalities of the cervix, many women do not have regular Pap tests. In fact, an estimated 21 percent of women age 18 and over forgo this vital screening, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). And between 60 and 80 percent of women with newly diagnosed cervical cancer haven't had a Pap test in five years; many of them have never had a Pap test.
New Technology for Cervical Cancer Screening and Diagnosis
Because the Pap test can be associated with sampling and interpretation errors, research and development strategies are focused, to a large degree, on fine-tuning Pap test interpretation, visualization and tissue retrieval. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved a number of devices to enhance the Pap test. Here's an overview of the new technology designed to improve accuracy of the Pap smear.
• Liquid-based Pap tests; These tests, such as ThinPrep or AutoCyte, use a solution that helps preserve the cells scraped from the cervix (the Pap smear), as well as remove mucus, bacteria and other cells from the specimen that may interfere with examining the cervical cells. Test vials preserve specimens for up to three weeks from the date of collection, giving the physician an opportunity to request HPV testing on a patient if a borderline Pap test results. The tests improve the detection of many lesions and reduce the need for unnecessary repeat tests.
• AutoPap: a fully automated computerized quality control system that rescreens all Pap smear slides for fewer false-negative results—when tests fail to detect existing abnormalities.
• Cervicography: creates enlarged photographs of the cervix to be used along with Pap tests.
• papnet Testing System: a computer system that selects the 128 worst cells obtained by the Pap test for evaluation by a cytologist.
• PapSure: a cervical screening device with a tiny light attached to the speculum that enables a health care professional to directly visualize abnormalities at the time of the pelvic exam. The blue light on papSure is designed to cause abnormal tissue to appear bright white.
These tests were designed to more accurately interpret Pap smear slides and to reduce the incidence of false negative results.
Screening Guidelines for Cervical Cancer from American Cancer Society
•Screening should begin about three years after a woman begins having intercourse, but no later than age 21.
• Women should have a regular Pap test every year or a liquid-based Pap test every two years. At or after age 30, women who have had three normal test results in a row may be screened every two to three years with either the conventional or liquid-based Pap test. A health care professional may suggest more frequent testing if you have certain risk factors such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection or a weakened immune system.
• Another option for women over 30 is to get tested every three years with either the conventional or liquid-based Pap test plus the HPV DNA test. When combined with a Pap test in women of this age group, the HPV test is better at identifying women at risk for developing cervical cancer than the Pap test alone.
• Women age 70 and older who have had three or more normal Pap test results and no abnormal results in the last 10 years may stop screening. Women with risk factors for cervical cancer should continue to be tested as long as they are in good health.
• Screening after a total hysterectomy (with removal of the cervix) is not necessary unless the surgery was performed as a treatment for cervical cancer or pre-cancer, or there was a prior history of abnormal Pap smears. Women who have had a hysterectomy without removal of the cervix need to continue screening and should follow the guidelines above.
~Treatment~
The best treatment plans for cervical cancer take into account several factors: the location of abnormal cells, the results of colposcopy, your age and whether you want to have children in the future. Basically, treatment involves destroying or removing the abnormal cells. Three basic approaches are used alone or in various combinations:
Surgery is used to remove the cancer. Various surgical techniques may be used
Radiation therapy (using high-dose x-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells) is used to treat both early and advanced-stage diseases.
Chemotherapy is the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemotherapy may be taken by pill or infused into the body with a needle inserted into a vein.
~Prevention~
Detecting precancerous changes in their earliest stages through regular Pap tests is the best way to prevent cervical cancer. Most women who develop invasive cervical cancer have not had regular Pap tests.
HPV screening is also an important part of preventing potential complications of the disease. The easiest way to screen for HPV is with a Pap test, which was designed to identify cervical cancer in its earliest stage but can also find abnormal and HPV cells.
In conjunction with the Pap test, the HPV test can be used in women over age 30 to help detect HPV infection. When combined with a Pap test in women of this age group, the HPV test is better at identifying women at risk for developing cervical cancer than the Pap test alone.
~Face your fertility issues after Cervical Cancer~
If you're concerned about your ability to have children, make this clear to your cancer care team. Ask how the medical and surgical procedures necessary for your care will affect your fertility. If you have early cervical cancer, it may be possible for you to be treated with a cone biopsy, a surgical procedure that allows some women to remain fertile. If your fertility can't be spared, you're entitled to your feelings and consideration from others. A good counselor or support group may help. You can also consider looking into emerging reproductive technologies, such as ovarian tissue banking.
~Questions to Ask~
1. What is my risk for developing cervical cancer? How can I limit my risks?
2. What should I do before getting a Pap smear to make sure the test is as accurate as possible?
3. Are you sending my Pap test to a board-certified lab? Does a board-certified pathologist oversee this lab?
4. How will I be informed of the results?
5. If I have cervical cancer, what treatment options are available?
6. I was diagnosed with human papillomavirus (HPV). How often do I need pelvic exams and Pap smears?
7. I am so afraid of cancer that I'm afraid to come in for a Pap smear or pelvic exam. What should I do?
8. What is a colposcopy and why do you recommend it? Will it hurt?
9. Can cervical cancer be cured? Can it come back after it's been treated?
10. What kind of experience do you have in treating cervical cancer? Have you had specialty training in gynecological oncology?
11. Will I have to be "checked for cancer" for the rest of my life?
12. What are the risks that my daughter will have cervical cancer too?
Information was taken from: http://www.healthywomen.org