Cervical Cancer News Information Links

Dear Dr. Donahue: Pap smear results, simply translated

2008-05-09T14:36:00.002-06:00

Pap smear results, simply translated

DEAR DR. DONOHUE: Give me some information on HPV and ASCUS. I don't know if I have HPV, but my doctor told me to come back in six months for a repeat Pap smear.

Few medical tests have made such a profound impact on reducing cancer statistics than has the Pap smear. It detects abnormal cells early so that the appropriate treatment also can be started early. Since the introduction of the Pap smear, mortality from cervical cancer has been cut in half.

ASCUS means "atypical squamous cells of unknown significance." "Atypical" indicates that the cells aren't exactly normal but that they aren't cancer cells, either. Squamous (SKWAY-mus) cells are the cells that line the cervix, the ones that can become cancerous.

In translation, your report says you have some strange-looking cells that aren't cancer but aren't normal. The usual approach to this situation is to repeat the smear in three to six months. By that time, harmless changes should have cleared.

HPV — human papillomavirus — is the cause of cervical cancer. No cancer changes were seen. No evidence of HPV was noted. If you were infected, your doctor would not have hesitated to tell you so. All you have to do is make sure you have the repeat test so the issue can be cleared up once and for all.

Examining the reason behind frequent Pap-smear tests

2008-05-09T14:28:00.003-06:00

Examining the reason behind frequent Pap-smear tests

"Good luck, fellas," the attractive receptionist called out to us with a knowing grin as we filed into the office of Dr. Mons, the gynecologist who was to be the preceptor to four, third-year male medical students.

"Now, boys," Mons began, "it is important to understand that gynecology is a very . . . well . . . it's a sensitive area. It is vital that you appreciate how a woman feels under these circumstances."

He then proceeded to ask the studliest of this group to hop up onto the examining table. I explained my knee was sore and so Brad said he would do it. He jumped onto the table and, with a smirk, slipped his heels into the stirrups. "Sorry, Brad, but that's not terribly realistic. Remove your pants."

A little shaken, he tentatively removed his drawers. "Now assume the position," Mons ordered.

After a bit of coaxing, he finally reset himself in the stirrups and, as instructed, lay back on the table, no longer chuckling. Then, in a move I'll not soon forget, this wise/abusive specialist taught us a lesson for the ages.

"Cheryl!" he announced into the speaker. "You can come in now."

As the door opened and the receptionist appeared, Brad strained several muscles, a few organs and the richest part of the "Hallelujah" chorus as he scrambled to find some protective modesty-preserver in the room.

He succeeded in partially wrapping several torn pieces of paper off the exam table around his torso. To this day, I have nothing but the highest respect for the procedure a woman has to go through in order to have a Pap smear.

In 1935, George Papanicolaou of Cornell University discovered that by taking a wee scraping from the cervix (opening to the womb), he was able to determine if pre-cancerous cells were brewing. Before Dr. Papanicolaou's developing of de test that women detest, cervical cancer killed more women than breast or lung cancer. Before the Pap smear, cervical cancer was the leading cause of cancer death in women.

Consider these facts:

1. In 1999, 14 women died of cervical cancer each day in the U.S. and Canada.

2. 85 per cent of them had not had routine Pap smears.

3. Every 21/2 minutes, a woman on this planet dies of cervical cancer.

4. Because of a lack of screening facilities, cervical cancer is the leading cause of cancer death in women in Third World countries.

5. 15,000 women in Canada and the U.S. will be diagnosed with cervical cancer this year.
It is imperative that the Pap test, the most effective of all cancer screening tests, is not neglected.

Age 12 to 17 - There's no need to have the test before age 18 unless the girl is sexually active. If she's having sex, then her risk of contracting the HPV virus, that leads to cervical cancer, is high and she requires annual pap smears.

Age 18 to 50 - Annually. After three consecutive normal pap smears and assuming only one partner, the test can move to every two years.

Age 50 to 100 - Even though post-menopausal, the same criteria currently apply.

Cervical cancer screening needs improvement

2008-05-04T19:58:00.002-06:00

Ivanhoe, FL

Screening women for cervical cancer pays off with a reduced risk of developing the cancer, but room for improvement still exists in screening programs and methods.

In a study based on data from Swedish registries, researchers found women who failed to have a Pap smear within the recommended three year time frame were 2.5 times more likely to be diagnosed with the disease and five times more likely to have advanced cancer than women who were screened on time. A Pap smear can identify pre-cancerous cells, leading to early treatment and prevention of cervical cancer.

Still, women found to have abnormal Pap results remained at increased risk for developing cervical cancer. Overall, about 11 percent of all the cases identified in the study occurred in women who had abnormal Pap smears, and these women were more than seven times more likely to be diagnosed with the disease than those with normal results. Improper follow up -- such as not ordering a biopsy for women with abnormal results -- figured into the risk.

The authors say they believe the study points out the need to step-up efforts to ensure all women are screened for cervical cancer and ensure women with abnormal results receive the proper follow up care.

ThinPrep Pap Test and imaging system, cervical cancer screening

2008-04-27T17:06:00.006-06:00

Chillicothe, Ohio

New equipment to provide earlier, more accurate cervical cancer diagnosis

Adena Health System Wednesday began use of a new, advanced cervical cancer screening system that is designed to improve efficiency and performance of the screening process.

The new ThinPrep Imaging System is the first fully integrated, interactive computer system to assist lab professionals in the primary screening of ThinPrep Pap Test slides. The system combines revolutionary imaging technology with medical experts' ability to interpret the results to improve cervical cancer screening efficiency and performance.

"Adena Regional Medical Center is committed to providing our patients with the most advanced technology to detect disease early, and the ThinPrep System enables us to do that," said Dr. Byron Smith, pathologist at Adena. "Using this system offers significant improvements over previous screening technologies. Making this technology the standard in our practice was simply the right thing to do."
The ThinPrep Pap Test is a liquid-based test that uses a fluid medium to collect and preserve cervical cells. Specimens are first collected by the clinician with a cervical sampling device in the same way as is done now. Instead of smearing the cells on a slide, however, the device is rinsed into a ThinPrep vial containing a fluid that captures virtually all of the cells. The specimen is then sent to the laboratory where a ThinPrep Processor eliminates debris and distributes a uniform, representative thin-layer of cells on a microscope slide. The ThinPrep System improves the quality of the specimen, which can result in more accurate diagnoses and fewer unnecessary repeat tests.

According to the National Cancer Institute, about 15,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year and about 5,000 die of the disease. Cervical cancer is almost completely curable if detected early.

More than 30 published studies with more than 500,000 patients have demonstrated the improved performance of the ThinPrep system when compared to the conventional Pap smear. A study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecologyconcluded that the ThinPrep improves diagnosis of low-grade and high-grade precancerous cell abnormalities compared to the conventional Pap smear. The article also demonstrated improved sample adequacy. Currently, about 70 percent of all Pap tests in the U.S. utilize the ThinPrep Pap Test.

Cancer prevention advocates fight New Hamopshire budget cuts

2008-04-20T18:40:00.003-06:00

Concord, NH

The American Cancer Society and other groups are asking Gov. John Lynch to preserve funding for smoking cessation and cancer screening programs.

The state had planned to spend $2 million on the programs, but that total was trimmed to $250,000 as part of the governor's broad budget cuts. The cancer society is fighting back with ads arguing that this is no time to retreat in the fight against cancer.

The bulk of the money was supposed to be used for tobacco prevention and cessation programs. The plan also called for establishing a free colorectal cancer screening program for people with little or no health insurance coverage and expanding a similar screening program for breast and cervical cancers.

Lynch has made $50 million in cuts across the state budget after determining that state revenue would not meet his original budget predictions. Though the cuts affect programs in the 2008 fiscal year, estimates suggest the shortfall for the next fiscal year may be more significant. Advocates are concerned that $4 million funding slated for next year may suffer a similar fate.

"It was a little disheartening to see that what can be given can be taken away really suddenly," said Peter Davies, a spokesman for the cancer society.

A spokesman for Lynch says the governor supports the cancer programs but faced tough choices in trying to balance the books.

"It's a good plan, a good program," said Colin Manning. "It was new money included in the budget, and unfortunately, we're faced with this economic downturn that's impacting revenues."

But Peter Ames, the cancer society's director of government relations, said New Hampshire is going to have to deal with cancer a lot longer than it will deal with a short-term budget shortfall.

"This was really a long-term investment in the state," he said.

Gardasil: Dealing cervical cancer a knockout blow

2008-04-18T20:36:00.002-06:00

Washington, DC

For the first time, a doctor's arsenal now includes a vaccine that can actually prevent cancer.

Gardasil targets human papillomavirus, or HPV, which causes virtually all cases of cervical cancer and is present in one in four American women.

And health-care providers are beginning to integrate that vaccine into the schedule of other immunizations that children receive during childhood and adolescence.

About 13 million doses of the vaccine have been distributed globally since its approval in June 2006, said Kelley Dougherty, director of public affairs for Merck & Co., the company that created Gardasil. Of those, 10.5 million doses have been distributed in the United States.

"We estimate between 3 to 5 million girls have been vaccinated with Gardasil, but that is a very rough estimate," Dougherty said.

The American Cancer Society estimates that 11,150 new cases of invasive cervical cancer were diagnosed in the United States in 2007, and 3,670 women died from the disease.

Cervical cancer used to be one of the most common causes of cancer death for U.S. women, but the death rate declined by 74 percent between 1955 and 1992. That was largely due to increased use of the Pap test, which can detect cellular changes in the cervix before cancer develops, the cancer society says.

"Women for so many years have heard the message that they need Pap tests, it's almost equivalent to seeing a gynecologist," said Debbie Saslow, director of breast and gynecologic cancers for the American Cancer Society. "I think for breast exams, many women wait for their doctor to recommend it, whereas for the Pap test, they're more likely to go get one."

The death rate from cervical cancer continues to decline by almost 4 percent a year, thanks to the Pap test.

But doctors now believe they are poised to deal cervical cancer a knockout blow, thanks to the HPV vaccine. More >>

Harvard Medical School cervical cancer/pap smear Q&A

2008-04-14T18:43:00.003-06:00

More On Cervical Cancer/Pap Tests

Answered by Dr. Chris Awtrey, Division of Gynecologic Oncology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and Dr. Hope Ricciotti, Obstetrician/Gynecologist, The Dimock Center.

Q: What is cervical cancer?

The cervix is the lowest part of the uterus (womb) and connects it to the upper vaginal canal. Cancers of the cervix generally develop from the lowest portion where the uterus and the vaginal canal meet. Cancers are either described as squamous, which are similar to skin cells or glandular (adenocarcinoma) which are similar to mucus secreting cells of the gastrointestinal tract. In the United States there are estimated to be over 11,000 cases diagnosed in 2007 and 3,670 women will die of the disease. Cervical cancers do not develop quickly from normal cervical cells but gradually go through a progression from a precancerous state to cancer, a process which occurs as a result of exposure to the human papillomavirus (HPV). Thankfully, only a fraction of patients with precancers of the cervix, a condition known as cervical dysplasia, develop cancer.

Q: Can cervical cancer be prevented? How?

There are two ways to prevent cervical cancer. The first is to avoid exposure to the human papillomavirus (HPV) either by not engaging in intercourse or limiting the number of partners. Condom use also reduces the risk of getting HPV. Another good way of preventing the disease is to be vaccinated to the subtypes of HPV known to cause 70% of the precancerous condition (dysplasia) and the cancer. The HPV vaccine Guardasil is now available for women 26 and under. Because cancer of the cervix generally develops slowly and progresses through a precancerous state known as dysplasia, identifying and treating precancerous changes through the use of pap testing cervical is the other way to prevent cervical cancer. Cells from the cervix can be sampled at time of pelvic exam using a pap test, which can identify precancerous cells of the cervix.

Q: How do you screen for cervical cancer?

Screening for cervical cancer is performed at the time of annual pelvic exam by using a pap test. We can sample some of the cells of the ectocervix, where these cancers generally develop and identify precancerous microscopically. This is how we identify a change before a real cancer develops. The biology of cervical cancer is that it happens to have a long (many years) precancerous phase, and that is why cervical cancer screening has been so successful

Q: What exactly is a Pap test?

A Pap test is a sampling of the cells of the cervix using a brush or small, narrow scraping paddle. It is the most effective cancer screening tool that physicians have to prevent cancer. Sampling does not harm the cervix and for women having a pelvic exam the sampling is generally not a painful process and is well tolerated. Since we have been using Pap tests, the incidence of cervical cancer has dropped dramatically. Now, with the HPV vaccine, it should go even lower.

Q: Who should get a Pap test and how often?

The general rule is that women who are sexually active or have been in the past should be screened for cervical cancer starting three years after the onset of sexually activity, or by age 21, on a yearly basis. Once a woman has a series of normal pap tests for three straight years, this testing interval can be increased. However, this should only be done after consulting with your health care provider.

Q: What is the liquid-based Pap test?

Pap tests originally were performed by smearing the cells removed from the ectocervix on a glass slide. Recent innovations have revolutionized the old pap smear and now practitioners in the U.S. generally use the new liquid-based test. This essentially replaces the glass slide. Now, the cells are taken from the brush and floated into a liquid preservative. This allows for less clumping of the cells on a slide and removes debris and mucus from the sample, which made the old pap smears harder to read. Data on this new liquid-based technology shows that it reduces the number of tests needed to be repeated due to unclear sampling and may even increase the pick-up rate of cancers and precancers. HPV testing is also done as part of the liquid pap test, which adds to our ability to decide which pap test results need treatment.

Q: Are cervical cancer vaccines approved by the FDA?

Cervical cancer vaccines are vaccines against the HPV virus sub-types that are associated with development of cervical dysplasia and cancers. The vaccine Guardasil is FDA-approved and is given as a series of three injections over six months, and ideally should be given to women prior to potential exposure to HPV, for example, before starting to have sexual intercourse. So it is currently recommended for young girls ages 9-11. However, it is FDA approved through age 26, and we are therefore doing “catch up” vaccines for young women to get them vaccinated.

Q: Who should receive the vaccine?

At this point the American Cancer Society recommends that the vaccine be given to girls age 11-12 and as early as age 9, at the discretion of a pediatrician. Older women up to age 26 should be counseled on receiving vaccination and are eligible to have catch-up vaccination. It is unclear if women older than 26 benefit from the vaccine. There is another vaccine awaiting FDA approval that will have a higher age cut-off.

Q: What is the age cut-off for receiving the vaccine?

At this point, the cut-off for receiving the vaccine is 26. Insurance will not cover the cost of the vaccine if you are older than 26.

Free cervical cancer screening to be offered at Southwest Virginia Cancer Center on April 19

2008-04-13T21:34:00.002-06:00

Cedar Bluff, VA

An estimated 15 thousand new cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the United States this year.

Regular testing is very important because there are no symptoms in the early stages of cervical cancer.

By undergoing an annual pelvic exam, a woman can help ensure any abnormalities are detected early.

The Southwest Virginia Cancer Center will offer free cervical screenings to area women Saturday, April 19th from 9AM - Noon.

Participants must pre-register to receive the free screening. For more information or to register, call The Wellmont Nurse Connection at 1-877-230-NURSE.

QIAGEN focuses new HPV test ad campaign on real-life story of woman's escape from cervical cancer

2008-04-11T20:09:00.003-06:00

Germantown, MD

Jodi McKinney, mother of five and wife of nearly 20 years, was recently diagnosed with cervical disease. Fortunately, she was able to be treated before it became cervical cancer -- thanks in part to her physician's decision to order an HPV test along with her Pap. Despite her initially normal Pap smear, the HPV test found that Jodi had a high-risk type of the human papillomavirus -- the primary cause of cervical cancer. Now, Jodi, her entire family and her physician are the focus of a new television campaign launched by QIAGEN to share what Jodi learned about cervical cancer prevention with other women across America. QIAGEN is the developer of the digene HPV Test, the only FDA-approved test for HPV.

View the entire TV ad featuring Jodi McKinney and her family sharing the message about the importance of HPV testing at http://tinyurl.com/4owquc

The ad tells of the scare first experienced by Jodi, her husband Patrick and her five children, and of the happy ending that has allowed Jodi to tell her story today. It is now being broadcast in selected cities across the country. The TV ad can be viewed online as well.

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Results of pap smear and human papillomavirus tests during cervical cancer screening

2008-04-07T21:00:00.005-06:00

Annals of Internal Medicine | Volume 148 Issue 7 | Page I-32

The summary below is from the full report titled "Human Papillomavirus Infection and Cervical Cytology in Women Screened for Cervical Cancer in the United States, 2003–2005." It is in the 1 April issue of Annals of Internal Medicine (volume 148, pages 493-500). The authors are S.D. Datta, L.A. Koutsky, S. Ratelle, E.R. Unger, J. Shlay, T. McClain, B. Weaver, P. Kerndt, J. Zenilman, M. Hagensee, C.J. Suhr, and H. Weinstock.

What is the problem and what is known about it so far?

Cervical cancer is cancer of the cervix (the lower part of the uterus or womb). Infection with human papillomavirus (HPV) increases a woman's chances of getting cervical cancer. People get the virus from having unprotected sexual intercourse with a person infected with HPV.

Papanicolaou (Pap) smears are used to screen for cervical cancer. "Screening for cancer" means looking for cancer before a person has symptoms. To perform a Pap smear, doctors use a swab during an internal examination of the vagina to take a sample of cells from the cervix to look at under a microscope. If abnormal cells are found, the woman is sent for a special test called colposcopy. Colposcopy lets doctors look at the cervix with magnification and take larger samples of abnormal areas to look for cancer.

Having a Pap smear every 1 to 3 years prevents cervical cancer by finding it at early, treatable stages. It is also possible to test for HPV, but we do not yet know the best way to combine HPV and Pap tests in cervical cancer screening. Some doctors test women for HPV only if the Pap smear shows abnormal cells that are not clearly cancerous. Other programs use both tests together for all women over age 30 years. More information about the frequency of positive HPV test results in women during cervical cancer screening would help us to learn the pros and cons of different screening strategies.

Why did the researchers do this particular study?

To learn about the frequency of HPV infection in women being screened for cervical cancer.

Who was studied?

9657 women 14 to 65 years of age who had cervical cancer screening in 1 of 26 clinics in 6 U.S. cities from 2003 to 2005.

How was the study done?

All women had both Pap smears and HPV tests. The researchers then looked at how often HPV tests were positive in women with different Pap test results. They also considered other patient factors, such as age.

What did the researchers find?

Twenty-three percent of the women tested positive for HPV. Younger women were more likely than older women to be positive for HPV. Over half of women younger than 30 years with abnormal cells on their Pap smear that were not clearly cancerous had HPV infection. About 9% of women 30 years and older had HPV infection despite having normal Pap smears.

More >>

Pap smears can catch cervical cancer early

2008-04-07T20:54:00.002-06:00

Contra Costa, CA

Dr. Paul G. Donahue Q&A

Q: Give me some information on HPV and ASCUS. I don't know if I have HPV, but my doctor told me to come back in six months for a repeat Pap smear.

A: Few medical tests have made such a profound impact on reducing cancer statistics than has the Pap smear. It detects abnormal cells early so that the appropriate treatment also can be started early. Since the introduction of the Pap smear, mortality from cervical cancer has been cut in half.

ASCUS means "atypical squamous cells of unknown significance." "Atypical" indicates that the cells aren't exactly normal, but that they aren't cancer cells, either. Squamous cells are the cells that line the cervix, the ones that can become cancerous. In translation, your report says you have some strange-looking cells that aren't cancer, but aren't normal. The usual approach to this situation is to repeat the smear in three to six months. By that time, harmless changes should have cleared.

HPV — human papillomavirus — is the cause of cervical cancer. No cancer changes were seen. No evidence of HPV was noted. If you were infected, your doctor would not have hesitated to tell you so. All you have to do is make sure you have the repeat test so the issue can be cleared up once and for all.

Q: I am an 80-year-old woman, and I'll never be able to wear a bikini again because my body is covered with ugly red spots. The doctor calls them cherry angiomas. They are beginning
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to appear on my trunk and over my thighs and upper arms. I'd like to know how much longer I can expect to play host to them.

A: Cherry angiomas are tiny, round, firm, smooth, red skin projections that are growths of small blood vessels. People can have a few or hundreds. Mostly they spring up on the trunk and upper arms. They have no impact on health.

You can expect to be host to them forever. If they bother you, there are a number of ways to get rid of them. A doctor can dry them up with an electric current or with a laser.

I don't know why they happen. They just do. And they occur mostly in senior years.

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Free Gardasil HPV vaccine to Missouri girls, women

2008-04-06T19:12:00.004-06:00

Missouri

The Missouri Foundation for Health is offering free vaccines to protect Missouri women against cancer causing strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV).

The vaccine is offered in various counties in the Heartland.

The vaccine is available to uninsured and underinsured Missouri girls and women.

The series of three vaccinations takes six month to complete. It prevents strains that cause 70-percent of cervical cancer.

Gardasil is recommended for females ages 9-26.

Call 800-427-4636 for a list of participating health centers and clinics.

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Free cervical cancer screening set April 10 in Hunington, WV

2008-04-06T18:52:00.002-06:00

Huntington, WV

St. Mary's Regional Cancer Center will sponsor a free cervical cancer screening from 9 a.m. until noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, April 10, at St. Mary's Breast Center, located on the first floor of the Outpatient Center.

The screening includes a free pap smear. Appointments are required and space is limited. To make an appointment, please call (304) 526-1492.

Mandatory HPV / cervical cancer vaccine moves forward in Iowa

2008-03-28T10:47:00.002-06:00

Only two steps remain in Iowa's legislative quest to require insurance companies to provide coverage of vaccinations for the human papillomavirus, the major cause of cervical cancer.

The proposed bill was passed by an 81-16 vote of the Iowa House last week and referred to the Senate Human Resources Committee. All 16 House members opposing the measure were Republicans, six of them women.

Tuesday morning, the Senate committee, chaired by Assistant Majority Leader Joe Bolkcom, D-Iowa City, approved the measure and sent it on to the full Senate floor. The bill will need to pass through the Senate -- something that is considered likely -- and will need to be signed by Gov. Chet Culver. The law would take affect for third-party payment provider contracts, policies or plans delivered, continued or renewed in the state after Jan. 1, 2009.

"Cervical cancer is preventable," Bolkcom said. "The HPV vaccine is the best defense. This bill will ensure that health insurers make the HPV vaccine available and affordable to Iowa women. I expect the Senate to approve this bill soon." More >>

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Cervical cancer vaccine put on fast track for review by FDA

2008-03-19T21:22:00.004-06:00

Elkhorn, CO

Merck & Co on Wednesday said U.S. regulators have granted a priority review for the company's application to expand marketing of its Gardasil cervical cancer vaccine to women aged 27 through 45.

The designation means that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is expected to make its decision on the marketing application within 6 months, rather than within the agency's typical 10-month review period.

Gardasil, one of Merck's fastest-growing products, is currently approved for girls and women nine through 26 years of age. It works by preventing infection with four sexually transmitted strains of the Human Papillomavirus that cause most cases of cervical cancer. More >>

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GSK Cervical Cancer HPV Vaccine Cervarix Reported Effective for More Than Six Years

2008-03-11T22:20:00.003-06:00

Falls Church, VA

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) has new data that it says shows that its experimental cervical vaccine Cervarix protects women against the four most common types of the human papillomavirus known to cause cervical cancer for nearly six and a half years.

Over this period, which is the longest for protection reported to date, Cervarix “showed 100 percent efficacy in preventing precancerous lesions due to cancer-causing virus Types 16 and 18 and also provided substantial protection against infection caused by virus Types 31 and 45,” the company said.

The data came from an extended follow-up analysis of 776 women ages 15–25 in the U.S., Canada and Brazil who had participated in an initial efficacy study of the vaccine. Nearly 100 percent of the women in the study maintained high levels of antibodies against virus Types 16 and 18 at all times for close to six and half years, GSK said.

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HPV Vaccine Reduces Abnormal Pap Test Results

2008-03-10T21:26:00.001-06:00

Birmingham, AL

A significant drop in abnormal Pap test results was seen after girls and women were given a human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to prevent cervical cancer, according to a researcher at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), Birmingham, Alabama.

These findings, presented on March 10 at the annual meeting of the Society of Gynecological Oncologists in Tampa, Florida, show the HPV vaccine (trade name Gardasil) appears to prevent the development of cell changes that lead to cervical disease. In testing, the vaccine reduced abnormal Pap test results by 43% compared with women not given the vaccine. The 43% reduction was for tests that found precancerous changes called high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) more than 3 years after women were given the vaccine.

The HPV vaccine also reduced other abnormal Pap results, including milder premalignant cell changes, by 16% to 35% compared with women not given the vaccine. These findings are not definitive that the HPV vaccine prevents cancer; however, they do signal that the vaccine will spare thousands of women a diagnosis of cell abnormality or malignant changes that may lead to more tests and possibly surgery.

"Clearly the vaccine's benefits include something that can be appreciated by women and daughters fairly quickly," said Warner Huh, MD, Associate Professor, UAB Division of Gynecologic Oncology, and the physician chosen to present the data. "This is a positive first sign, and it will take many more years to know definitively if the vaccine prevents cancer."

The results are a compilation of 3 separate trials involving more than 18,000 women aged 16 to 26 years in the United States, Europe, and Asia. All test subjects had normal Pap smear readings at the start of the trial.

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Study: HPV DNA Test better than Pap Smear for cervical cancer screening

2008-03-03T22:11:00.004-06:00

Denver, CO

It's a relatively new test with new research backing up its benefits and if you fit the right profile you may be able to only have a Pap smear once every three years.
It's the HPV DNA test used to detect cervical cancer-- a cancer that is diagnosed in about 10,000 women in the U.S. each year.
A Canadian study found out of 10,000 women the HPV test correctly found 95 percent of the lesions that could develop into cervical cancer while the Pap test found 55 percent

But that doesn't mean women can say so long to the swabbing of the cervix, you still have the Pap test. The HPV is just another test using the same sample from the Pap.

Dr. Chris Carey at Denver Health Medical Center said the HPV test can also provide women peace of mind. "If Pap smear is mildly abnormal and HPV is negative, then a woman doesn't have to have a coloposy or biopsy." More >>

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Gardasil vaccine now offered for boys, young men

2008-03-03T22:01:00.003-06:00

Normal, IL

Approximately 3,700 women die from cervical cancer every year, making it the second leading cause of cancer deaths among women around the world.

To prevent the risk of cervical cancer, which is caused by the Human Papillomavirus, millions of girls and young women in the United States get vaccinated with Gardasil before becoming sexually active. Gardasil is recommended for girls before sexual intercourse.

By 2009, Gardasil could be approved for use by boys and young men as well.

"A lot of folks would say, 'Let's not force everybody to take [vaccinations] because not everybody is sexually active, and we don't want to send the message that everybody is,'" ISU health educator James Almeda said. "I think what I would explain to folks is, 'Maybe your son or daughter isn't [sexually active], but there could be some point in time where they choose to be, and we're not going to always be able to protect them.'"

"Because we know that HPV is so prevalent, we know there is a good chance that they could be exposed to it at some point in their life, and so why not use [vaccinations] as a safety precaution," Almeda said. More >>

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Cervical cancer vaccine plan wins preliminary approval in Missouri Senate

2008-03-02T15:20:00.004-06:00

Kansas City, MO

Thousands of parents would receive information about the availability of a cervical cancer vaccine under a plan that received preliminary approval Tuesday in the Senate.

The proposal, sponsored by Democratic Sen. Jolie Justus of Kansas City, would require state health officials to distribute the information to the parents of all girls entering the sixth grade in Missouri public schools.

The plan represents a major compromise between health advocates seeking to reduce the incidence of cervical cancer and religious conservatives who feared that the vaccine could lead to increased promiscuity among teen-agers.

The original proposals introduced last year would have required the immunization of 11-year-old girls against the human papilloma virus, just as children are now required to be vaccinated against polio, mumps, tetanus and other diseases.

U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the vaccine in 2006, finding that it was effective in blocking four strains of the virus that cause some 70 percent of cervical cancers and 90 percent of genital warts. But because the papilloma virus is transmitted by sexual contact, many conservatives objected to the treatment. More >>

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Stress may contribute to cervical cancer

2008-02-28T20:01:00.005-06:00

Philadelphia PA

Researchers know that human papilloma virus, or HPV, is responsible for the vast majority of cervical cancers. But usually, when a woman is infected with HPV, the infection resolves by itself, without any medical treatment. And many more people are exposed to HPV than get cancer. Rose Hoban reports on efforts to understand what causes some women to get cancer, and others not.

How women deal with stress may affect their risk of cervical cancer. Scientists have wondered what increases a woman's risk for cervical cancer once she has been exposed to HPV. And they also wonder why some people get cancer and others don't.

Studies have suggested that psychological stress is associated with decreased immune protection. Researcher Carolyn Fang from the Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia says she wanted to see if this was true with women exposed to HPV.

Fang and her colleagues recruited women who had changes on their Pap smear, the test used to detect early cell changes indicative of cervical cancer. They had the women fill out questionnaires that asked more than simply medical history.

"We asked … about how they were feeling at that time, how they had been feeling in the past month, what kinds of events have occurred in their lives over the past six months," Fang explains.

The women were asked about two kinds of stress: one was a checklist of stressful events that may have taken place recently in the women's lives, the other was a subjective measure of how stressed they felt. Then researchers took blood samples from each subject. The blood was used in their analysis of immune response to HPV. More >>

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Scientists try to unravel role of stress on cervical cancer

2008-02-20T17:07:00.002-06:00

Cancer Research UK

A small study has suggested that daily stress may reduce a woman's ability to fight off strain 16 of the human papillomavirus (HPV16), which is responsible for the majority of cases of cervical cancer.

But a Cancer Research UK spokesperson said that the study was far too small to be conclusive.

HPV is a sexually transmitted infection, certain strains of which can cause precancerous cervical lesions or cancer.

The researchers, from the Fox Chase Cancer Centre in the US, asked women who had been diagnosed with precancerous cervical lesions to complete a questionnaire giving details of their perceived levels of stress during the previous month and whether or not they had experienced any stressful events during their lifetime, such as a divorce or loss of a family member.

They found that daily stress appeared to be linked to an increased risk of cervical cancer and hypothesised that stress may affect immune function and reduce a woman's ability to fight off HPV.

However, no such link was found between cervical cancer risk and past major life events. More >>

Cervical Cancer Misdiagnosis Lawsuits

Cervial Cancer Prevention in Kentucky

2008-02-12T20:40:00.002-06:00

Lexington, KY

Cervical Cancer is almost 100 percent curable when found early...but what you don't know about prevention and detection could kill you.

Officials with the Kentucky Cancer Program say Kentucky ranks second in the nation in cervical cancer deaths.

Internal medicine and pediatrics doctor Anthony Yonts says a part of the reason for that is many families are uncomfortable talking about sex and prevention...and as a result many women aren't being screened.

You can see much more on this topic Monday night on Issues and Answers at 7pm on WYMT.

Study: Female smokers may increase risk of cervical cancer

2008-02-06T19:46:00.001-06:00

University Park, PA

A study released last month by the Penn State College of Medicine has added yet another negative effect to smoking -- a potential for an increased level of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in women already infected.
"Our study is the first to show that there is a biological marker between tobacco smoke and the virus that causes cancer," said Craig Meyers, researcher and professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the College of Medicine at the Hershey Medical Center.
The study was conducted to discover the effect of smoking on women specifically, according to a Penn State Live statement posted Thursday. The study was released in the January 2008 issue of the Journal of Virology, part of the American Society of Microbiology.
Results showed that exposure to cigarette smoke containing cancer-causing carcinogen can increase the HPV levels in cervical mucus by up to 10 times. The three most commonly associated types of HPV all showed elevated levels when exposed to the carcinogen. HPV can lead to women's cervical cancer, which is the third-leading type of cancer in women.
"If a woman with the initial signs of HPV continues to smoke, it is likely that she will be back at the Ob-Gyn for surgery. But if she stops, she may never have to be seen again," Meyers said. More >>

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Early detection essential to preventing cervical cancer

2008-02-05T00:29:00.000-06:00

Orlando, FL

Every year in the United States, 11,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer and 4,000 will die from it.

News 13's Christine Webb explains why education and early detection are such an important part of prevention.

Girl Scouts may be an unlikely audience for a discussion about cervical cancer, but Allison Hicks is a cancer survivor and she is trying to spread the word about ways to prevent the disease.

"I had no idea that this type of cancer even exited," Hicks said.

Hicks was diagnosed three years ago. She learned that cervical cancer is caused by the human papilloma virus or HPV -- which is transmitted sexually.

"Cervical cancer is definitely preventable. It's preventable by not allowing transmission of HPV to the woman," said Dr. Ursula Matulonis, of the Dana Farber Cancer Insitute. More >>

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