Helping To Stop Cervical Cancer

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Helping To Stop Cervical Cancer

• An Article From ABC News
• By Jennifer Wilson

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Facts About Cervical Cancer

• Before The 1950s, Cervical Cancer Was A Common
  Form Of Cancer For Women In The United States.
• After The Pap Test Was Introduced In The 1950s,
  The Rate Of Occurrence Dropped By 50 Percent!

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Current Facts To Consider

• The Occurrence Rate Is The Highest In Low Income
  And Minority Women
• The Women That Are Diagnosed With Cervical Cancer
  Today Are The Ones That Have Never Been Screened
  For It
• Cervical Cancer Is Sexually Transmitted And Is
  Caused By The Virus HPV

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Risk Factors

• Higher Chance To Contract The Disease From
  Multiple Partners
• The Cervix Is More Susceptible To HPV When Women
  Are Young
• Weak Immune System
• Smoking
  
  
  
• Not Getting Regular Pap Smears

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Why Is The Pap Test So Ideal?

• It Cuts The Rate Of Cervical Cancer Occurrence
  Down
• Treatments Can Be Administered If A Problem Is
  Evident
• Abnormal Cells Can Be Taken Care Of Before They
  Become Cancerous
• The Test Is Inexpensive And Available To The
  Public

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Conventional Pap Smears

• Cost Is Only Around 10
• Cell Samples Are Taken From The Outside Of The
  Cervix And Placed On A Slide
• The Cytotechnologist Looks At The Cells To
  Determine If A Problem Exists

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Liquid-Based Pap Smear

• Cost Is Around 30
• Cell Samples Are Taken From The Outside Of The
  Cervix And Placed In A Vial Of Liquid
• The Cervical Cells Are Isolated From Other
  Cervical Debris So That The Pathologist Can Read
  The Cervical Cells More Easily

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Which Test Is Better?

• Probably The Liquid-Based Because It Picks Up On
  More Abnormalities
• The Liquid-Based Test Still Costs More Though
• This Better Test Still Doesnt Help 70 Of Women
  Because For One Reason Or Another They Either
  Dont Get Tested At All Or Not Enough

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How Often Should Women Be Screened?

• Three Years After Intercourse Starts Or When 21
• Every Year Until The Age of 30
• Every Two To Three Years After The Age of 30
• After The Age of 65 or 70, Pap Smears No Longer
  Have To Be Done In Low-Risk, Well-Screened Women

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So If Pap Smears Are Not Done Every Year For All
Women, Should They Still Go To Their GYN
Appointment?

• Absolutely!
• Other Tests And Consultations Occur During
  Annual GYN Appointments, They Are Still Important
  To Participate In

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