When
you think of cancers that affect women, breast cancer comes readily to mind.
However, another type of cancer – cervical cancer -- is another potential
threat to the health of all women. 2011
statistics from the American Cancer Society estimate that more than
12,000 women will be diagnosed with invasive cancer of the cervix, which is
located in the lower part of the uterus. Doctors classify cervical cancer into
two classes: squamous cell carcinoma, which is the most prevalent type, and
adenocarcinoma, which is diagnosed in 10 to 20 percent of women. In fewer
cases, both types of cancerous cells may be present, resulting in what doctors
call mixed carcinoma.

The
primary risk factor for cervical cancer is infection with the human
papillomavirus, the viruses that cause warts. HPV, which affects
both females and males, is spread by sexual intercourse or genital contact.

Other
risk factors for cervical cancer include a personal history of smoking, HIV and
chlamydia infections, and long-term oral contraceptive use, as well as a
history of cervical cancer in your family. Cervical cancer also is more likely
to strike women of African-American or Hispanic descent.

Routine
screening with a Pap test is the primary method of detecting abnormal cells
that may indicate a pre-cancerous condition or an actual malignancy. According
to current guidelines from the American
Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, most healthy women over
age 30 can receive a Pap smear every two to three years, depending on the
results of previous tests. (All women still should see their primary care
provider for an annual pelvic examination beginning at age 21 or upon becoming
sexually active.)

As
with other cancers, when diagnosed and treated in its early stages, cervical
cancer is highly survivable. In fact, thanks to greater use of Pap testing and
advances in medical research, death rates from cervical cancer have decreased
dramatically in the United States over the last decade or so.

In
2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first-ever vaccine to
prevent infection with HPV for use in females ages 9 to 26 – a major step
forward in the fight against cervical cancer. The vaccine is given in three
injections over a six-month period. In 2009, this vaccine earned a second FDA
approval for use in males ages 9 to 26 for the prevention of genital warts,
which in turn can help stop the spread of HPV to sexual partners. A second HPV
vaccine earned FDA approval in 2009 for use in females ages 9 to 25. The
current recommended guidelines to vaccinate girls against HPV is at 11 to 12
years of age.

The
American Academy of Family Physicians has published a list of questions to ask
your doctor about cervical
cancer. To help decide if the HPV vaccine is right for your daughter
or son, read this informative
guide from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

* Joshua Feinberg, D.O., is a family
medicine physician in practice at the Crozer Health Pavilion,
145 Brinton Lake Road, Suite 201, Glen Mills, PA 19342, 610-459-1619

About Crozer Keystone Staff

Crozer-Keystone Health System’s physicians, specialists and advanced practitioners are committed to improving the health of our community through patient-centered, quality care across a full continuum of health services. Crozer Brinton Lake is Crozer-Keystone’s comprehensive outpatient care facility in western Delaware County, offering primary care, specialty services, outpatient surgery and advanced cancer treatment. Contact us: 300 Evergreen Drive, Glen Mills, PA 19342 http://www.crozerkeystone.org/Brinton-Lake 1-855-254-7425

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