Pap Smear

Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer was once one of the most common causes of cancer death, but death rates have dropped dramatically over the last 40 years. This is due to the widespread use of the Pap test, an examination performed in your doctor’s office to detect abnormal cells before cancer develops. Nevertheless, about 1300 Canadian women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year and approximately 390 die from the disease.

What is cervical cancer?

Cervical cancer develops when cells in the cervix begin to grow out of control and can then invade nearby tissues or spread throughout the body. Large collections of cells that grow abnormally are called tumors. Some tumors are not cancer, because they cannot spread or threaten someone’s life. These are called benign tumors. The tumors that can spread throughout the body or invade nearby tissues are considered cancer and are called malignant tumors. Usually, cervix cancer is very slow growing, although in certain circumstances it can grow and spread quickly.

Cervical Cancer Causes

Cervical cancer begins with abnormal changes in the cervical tissue. The risk of developing these abnormal changes has been associated with certain factors, including previous infection with human papillomavirus (HPV), early sexual contact, multiple sexual partners, cigarette smoking, and taking oral contraceptives (birth control pills).

The development of cervical cancer is very slow. It starts as a pre-cancerous condition called dysplasia.

This pre-cancerous condition can be detected by a Pap smear and is 100% treatable. That is why it is so important for women to get regular Pap smears. Most women that are diagnosed with cervical cancer today have not had regular Pap smears or they have not followed up on abnormal results.

Signs and Symptoms

Early changes in the cells of the cervix (epithelial abnormalities) rarely cause symptoms.If early cell changes develop into cervical cancer, the most common signs include:

·    vaginal bleeding between periods

·    menstrual bleeding that is longer or heavier than usual

·    bleeding after intercourse

·    pain during intercourse

·    unusual vaginal discharge

·    vaginal bleeding after menopause

·    excessive tiredness

·    leg pain or swelling

·    low back pain.

Diagnosis

Unlike some cancers, cervical cancer is slow growing and can take a long time to develop; the average is around ten years.

Early changes, which may or may not develop into cancer, appear as abnormal cells on the surface of the cervix and can be picked up by a Pap smear. If these pre-cancerous abnormalities are considered to be severe enough, they can be treated before they develop into cancer.

There are two types of cervical cancer proper, named after the type of cell they initially form in: squamous cell carcinoma, which is the most common type and forms in the cells on the surface of the cervix, and adenocarcinoma, which is less common and forms in the mucus-producing gland cells in the cervical canal.

Treatment

Treatment of cervical cancer depends on the stage of the cancer, the size and shape of the tumor, the age and general health of the woman, and her desire to have children in the future.

Early cervical cancer can be cured by removing or destroying the pre-cancerous or cancerous tissue. There are various surgical ways to do this without removing the uterus or damaging the cervix, so that a woman can still have children in the future.

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When should your Pap test begin? In “The Best Treatment”, Dr. Isadore Rosenfeld of the New York Hospital-Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center said you should have one annually starting in your teens, especially when you begin having sex, up to your 60th birthday.

Women belonging to the high-risk group should also be tested every year. If your smears are normal, there’s no point in having a Pap test after the age of 60.

But not all doctors agree with Rosenfeld’s recommendations. Others say a Pap smear should be done every three years after the first two tests one year a part yield negative results starring at the age of 35 or at the age when you first have sex.

“Ideally, a Pap smear should be taken yearly for sexually active females, especially women 35 years and above. However, considering our economic condition and since studies have shown that two or three Pap smears starting at 35 can confer the same benefits as a yearly exam, I advise a Pap test every three to five years if the first two tests are negative. In other countries, this procedure has reduced cancer rates by 40 to 55 percent,” according to Dr. Rey de los Reyes, an obstetrician and gynecologist at the United Doctors Medical Center in the Philippines.

In cancer, however, it’s best to be safe than sorry so a yearly Pap test is probably best for most women. That may mean more expenses and a little inconvenience on your part, but it will offer you more protection in the long run.

With regards to treatment, surgery will cure most early cases of cervical cancer. If the cancer has spread to other organs, a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy may do the trick.

“The best way to guarantee the eradication of abnormal cervical cells is by conization, the removal of the portion of the cervix in which they are located. But since this procedure may result in bleeding, infection, and perhaps reduce your chances of having a baby at some later date because of scarring, it should be reserved for severe cases,” Rosenfeld said.

“When dysplasia is mild or moderate, other methods such as freezing, laser vaporization, and burning (with a hot cautery) are easier and preferable. However, their long-term cure rate is a little lower. Whichever approach your choose, make sure to have repeat Pap smears every three months for at least two years just to make sure you’re not one of the five or 10 percent of women in whom cancer subsequently develops,” he added. (Next: Are you at risk for colon cancer?)

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There are certain risks involved in having genital warts, and these will influence what your treatment is, and how soon you receive treatment. One of the risks that you face with genital warts and high risk strains of HPV is that of Cervical Cancer. Although Cervical Cancer is the most commonly and widely known about, if somebody has a high risk strain of genital HPV warts they are open to cancer of not only the cervix, but also of the vagina, penis, anus, or throat amongst others.

However, it should also be said I think that just because you get HPV, it doesn’t mean that you will get Cervical Cancer. On the other hand, if someone has cancer, like cervical cancer for instance, they could be subject to recurrent effects of genital warts. It’s not always easy to know whether the genital warts came first of the cancer, but there can be no doubt that the two are linked in some ways.

For a woman who has been diagnosed with genital warts, a pap smear should be taken at least once every six months or so. After the first bout of warts has cleared up this is to make sure that there is no recurring of the HPV genital warts, and that there are no abnormal cell changes which could result to Cervical Cancer. This holds especially true if the warts were found on the cervix, as in some cases, there can be precancerous cell changes made by the genital warts.

This precancerous cell change is referred to as Dysplasia and can be diagnosed by a pap smear. That’s why a woman who has had genital warts on the cervix should get a pap smear every three months. This continued monitoring of your progress can help to warn you if cervical cancer is probable. If this is the case then all possible steps should be taken to remove the precancerous cells before Cervical Cancer can develop.

For the most part these cell changes will be on the outermost cells of the cervix, but in some cases where the warts have gone untreated, or where they are overlooked, the changes can occur at a deeper level in your skin. Like I said a pap smear should be taken every three months or so, but you can probably stop it after receiving three consecutive normal pap smear results. You should also be aware that although a pap smear might show dysplastic cell changes to your cervical tissues these could be harmless and not be an indication of Cervical Cancer.

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Now people have become more aware and more concerned about their health. People have also heard a lot about cancer and how to prevent it. Health conscious people try to eat healthy, exercise daily, and avoid carcinogens such as tobacco smoke, radiation and chemicals. But that is just not enough. Another way to make sure you are safe from cancer is taking precaution step; cancer screening.

Cancer screening is the act of looking for cancer before a person begins to have any symptoms. Being able to find cancer at an early stage makes it easier for doctors to treat and prevent cancer cell from spreading. It is also cheaper and less painful for patients if the cancer is treated as an early stage. To make it easier to understand the benefits of cancer screening I wound like to give an example of two types of cancer often found in woman and why it’s important to scan for cancer regularly.

The first type of cancer is cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is a disease that affects the cervix, which is situated at the lower part of the uterus that opens at the top of the vagina. Cervical cancer usually develops very slowly and starts as a pre-cancerous condition called dysplasia. This pre-cancerous condition can be easily detected by a Pap smear and if followed up and treated properly can be 100% curable. Without being detected, dysplasia can develop into cervical cancer and spread to the bladder, intestines, liver and lungs. That is why it is very important to get regular Pap smears. Doctors recommend for woman to have a Pap test at least once every 3 years, beginning about 3 years after they begin to have sexual intercourse but no later the 21 years of age.

The second type of cancer most found in women and can be prevented by cancer screening is breast cancer. The two main types of breast cancer are ductal carcinoma which starts in the tubes that transfer milk from the breast to the nipple and lobular carcinoma which starts in the parts of the breast, called lobules that produce milk. Like cervical cancer, early breast cancer usually does not cause symptoms. Women are advised to do regular breast self-exams. This is done by checking for hard uneven lumps in the armpits and the change of size, shape and feel of the breast and nipples. You should also check for fluid coming from the nipples. Another way to check for breast cancer is by either having a clinical breast exam by a medical professional or doing a mammography screening, which is able to detect breast abnormalities that could signal breast cancer. Woman of all ages should perform monthly breast self-exams. And women who are over 40 or have high risk of developing breast cancer should have regular mammograms.

As you can see both types of cancer mentioned above do not cause symptoms at an early stage and can only be detected by cancer screening. By being able to detect cancer at an early stage can not only increase the survival rate of the patient, but can also save money, time and pain.

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The Papillomavirus HPV is one of the most widespread STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) in the US and most likely in the world as well. Recent studies show that the number of people affected by this virus in the US alone could be anywhere between 15 to 20 million, which is huge by any standards.

Some other studies point to the fact that more than 80 per cent of women will contract this disease before they reach 50 years of age. This virus is also one of the main factors in the development of cervical cancer, a disease which is almost always fatal.

There are more than one hundred strains of the human Papillomavirus HPV, most of them non-cancerous. About 30 of these are contracted through sexual contact. It has been observed that any adult who has had more than one sexual partner, or has had intimate relationships with a partner who has had sex with more than one person, is a candidate for contacting this virus.

Genital warts are one of the most visible indicators that you have been infected with the virus, which unfortunately often develops after a long incubation period, during which time neither you (as the infected person) nor your partner would know about the virus HPV, yet it could still be easily passed on through sex.

Having an annual pap smear is a very simple way to find out if you have contracted the Papillomavirus HPV. The physician will run simple tests that will allow them to find out if you are affected. Because this virus can lead to cervical cancer, having this test done yearly to check for traces of the HPV virus is very important. Cervical cancer, unfortunately, takes the lives of a large amount of women every year. Because this is so, safe sex practices and having regular pap smears will help you to fight this form of the HPV virus.

Papillomavirus HPV can now be fought with an HPV vaccination. The vaccine is normally given to young girls, before they become sexually active, which is usually between the ages of 9 to 13.

This vaccine is known to stop the virus, which means that women will be less affected by cervical cancer caused by the HPV strain and also vaginal warts. While it is not known whether or not this vaccine can help men in the same way that it is able to help women, there are being more tests being conducted to find out.

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Cervical cancer is the second most common malignancy in women worldwide, and it remains a leading cause of cancer-related death for women in developing countries. Cervical tumors usually affects women of middle age or older, but it may be diagnosed in any reproductive-aged woman. Cervical tumors are classified as either preinvasive where the lower third of the epithelium contains abnormal cells, or invasive in which the full thickness of the epithelium contains abnormally proliferating cells.

Cervical cancer develops in the lining of the cervix, the lower part of the uterus (womb) that enters the vagina. Cervical cancers don’t always spread, but those that do most often spread to the lungs, the liver, the bladder, the vagina, and/or the rectum.

Cause

Cervical cancer almost always develops from cell changes caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV), which is spread through genital skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity. Cervical carcinoma also seems more prevalent in women who smoke. Sexual activity that increases the risk for infection with HPV and HIV and for cervical cancer includes the following: Having multiple sexual partners or having sex with a promiscuous partner, a history of sexually transmitted disease, sexual intercourse at a young age.

Signs and Symptoms

The early stages of cervical cancer may be completely asymptomatic. Symptoms of advanced disease may include: loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, pelvic pain, back pain, leg pain, a single swollen leg, heavy bleeding from the vagina, leaking of urine or feces from the vagina and bone fractures.

Diagnosis

The Papanicolaou (Pap) smear test has been used to screen for pre-cancerous lesions in asymptomatic women for the past 50 years. While the pap smear is an effective screening test, confirmation of the diagnosis of cervical cancer or pre-cancer requires a biopsy of the cervix. Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, the precursor to cervical cancer, is often diagnosed on examination of cervical biopsies by a pathologist.

Other Risk Factors

Women with diets low in fruits and vegetables may be at increased risk for cervical cancer. Research suggests that the risk of cervical carcinomas goes up the longer a woman takes oral contraceptives, but the risk goes back down again after the OCs are stopped. Women who have had many full term pregnancies have an increased risk of developing cervical cancer.

Prevention

Cervical cancer is the easiest female cancer to prevent, because there is a vaccine and a screening test available. The vaccine known as Gardasil offers protection from the most dangerous types of HPV and recently published results indicate that new cervical tumors may eventually be reduced by as much as 97% in those areas where vaccination is introduced and maintained.

Treatment

Treatment depends on the stage of the cancer, the size and shape of the tumor, the age and general health of the woman, and her desire to have children in the future. Appropriate treatment also depends on accurate clinical staging. Preinvasive stages may be treated total excisional biopsy, cryosurgery or laser destruction. Invasive squamous cell carcinoma therapy may include hysterectomy and radiation therapy.

Internal radiation therapy uses a device filled with radioactive material, which is placed inside the woman’s vagina next to the cervical cancer. Some of the drugs used for chemotherapy for cervical cancer include 5-FU, Cisplatin, Carboplatin, Ifosfamide, Paclitaxel, and Cyclophosphamide.

Thirty-five percent of patients with invasive disease have persistent or recurrent tumours after treatment. Recurrent cervical cancer detected at its earliest stages might be successfully treated with surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or a combination of the three.

Survival

The chance of being alive in 5 years for cancer that has spread to the inside of the cervix walls but not outside the cervix area is 92%. However, the 5-year survival rate falls steadily as it spreads into other areas. Recently, the combined use of cisplatin and topotecan was shown to significantly improve survival compared with single-agent cisplatin. If you combine all the stages together, the five-year survival rate is about 73%.

As the cancer metastasizes to other parts of the body, prognosis drops dramatically because treatment of local lesions is generally more effective than whole body treatments such as chemotherapy.

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Genital HPV infection is a sexually transmitted disease (STD). More than 30 of these viruses are sexually transmitted, and

they can infect the genital area of men and women including the skin of the penis, vulva (area outside the vagina). At least

50 percent of sexually active men and women acquire genital HPV infection at some point in their lives. In short what we are

saying here is Genital warts are STDs. Many people carry the wart virus on their penis, in and around the vagina, or in and

around the anus/rectum.

Not everyone with the genital wart virus will have signs of a disease. A point to note is that Genital warts can also be

referred to as Condylomata Acuminate, Venereal warts, sometimes penile warts. Genital warts STD infections are caused by

genital sexual contact and it’s very highly contagious. The use of condoms should not be a substitute. It can be difficult to

talk about STDs, but just as with any other medical issue, we need this information to stay safe and healthy. Exchange of

bodily fluids is not a cause for transfer of genital warts STD, rather it is through skin to skin contact.

That is why I mentioned earlier that using of condoms will not be of much help in preventing you from contracting the genital

warts STD from infected partners. The most common method carried out to detect the genital warts STD is by visual examination

which by and large is conducted by a doctor. No treatment for visible genital warts is better than another, and no single

treatment is ideal for all cases.

The warts are sometimes found on the outer lips of the vagina, inner thighs or other potions of the genital area.

If the visual examination does not yield lots of fruit, other tests can be run on you like cervical smear test or even

colposcopy, which is dabbing the affected area with acetic acid. Other causes of genital warts STD is starting to have

sexual relationships at a tender age, having unprotected sex, having sex with multiple partners and also having a history of

other STDs.

No treatment is completely satisfactory, and some treatments are uncomfortable and leave scars. External genital warts may be

removed by laser, freezing (cryotherapy), or surgery using local anesthetics For instance Podophyllin toxin, imiquimod,

trichloroacetic acid and so forth. In uncircumcised men, circumcision may help prevent recurrence. Some topical medications

include: Aldara, a cream, which boosts the immune system’s ability to fight the virus.

Gardasil is a vaccine for genital warts STD too which is recommended to be administered to young girls between the ages of 9

to 26 in a number of three dosages before the onset of sexual relationships. Due to its highly contagious nature the only

truly effective way to prevent genital warts STDs is abstinence. That is why it is very important to check up with your

doctor anytime you switch partners; that way you will not accidentally infect another person if you do indeed have any STD’s

like genital warts. Sexually active women should have a regular Pap Smear test to screen for cervical cancer and other

pre-cancerous changes.

Check yourself often for signs of actual warts; these can be treated. But remember: we treat the wart, not the virus, which

stays in the skin.

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The bad news about cervical cancer is that it is one of the most common cancers affecting the female reproductive organs. But cheer up! It’s a slow-growing cancer and 100 percent curable if detected early.

Cervical cancer usually affects women between 30 and 55 years old. The National Cancer Institute said there are over 11,000 cases discovered every year.

Who gets cervical cancer? Naturally, any woman with a cervix is prone to the disease, but there are certain risk factors to consider. Sexual promiscuity is one of them.

Women who begin having sex before age 18 are more likely to get the disease. The cervix simply can’t stand numerous penile thrusts from different men who may carry a variety of infections. These include the papilloma virus (which is responsible for warts), genital herpes, the chlamydia organism, and other cancer-causing agents.

It you have had many pregnancies which started at a tender age, that puts you at risk for cervical cancer as well. On a positive side, women who use barrier methods of contraception, namely, the cervical cap, diaphragm, or let their partners wear a condom, which in all cases protect the cervix, have a lower cancer rate.

For some reason, smoking affects the cervix and the nicotine buildup in that organ can trigger the disease. Passive smokers face the same risk. So stop smoking now and avoid those who do. A diet rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C, and folacin is believed to be protective against cervical cancer. So it’s probably wise to eat your veggies.

Circumcision was once thought to protect women from cervical cancer but we now know that this is not true. This painful procedure has no medical benefit and should be discouraged except in special cases.

There are usually no symptoms in the early stage of the disease. Warning signals include bleeding after intercourse, bleeding between periods or after menopause. In some, there is a watery, bloody discharge from the vagina. A dull backache may be felt later.

With early detection, cervical cancer is highly curable provided it has not spread beyond the uterus. A yearly pelvic exam and a routine Pap test can save you a lot of trouble.

Since the 1940s, the Pap smear has reduced cervical cancer death rates by 70 percent. Today, only about three percent of women die from the disease thanks to this valuable test.

“A Pap smear is the best screening procedure for cervical cancer. It can detect early lesions as well as pre-malignant lesions of the cervix. Aside from that, a Pap smear can also detect infection,” according to Dr. Rey de los Reyes, an obstetrician and gynecologist at the United Doctors Medical Center in the Philippines.

The Pap smear is named after Dr. G.N. Papanicolaou who developed it. In this test, the doctor gathers cell samples from the surface of the cervix by means of scraping it with a wooden spatula, brush, or cotton swab. The cell samples are sent to a laboratory for analysis.

“A negative result means that your cervix is normal; positive result indicates some abnormal cells. A positive result does not prove that you have cancer or even dysplasia, a precancerous condition, but it usually does mean you should have further evaluation, such as colposcopic examination and biopsy,” said Dr. David E. Larson, editor-in-chief of the “Mayo Clinic Family Health Book.”

A colposcope is an instrument with a magnifying lens which helps the physician examine the cervix. While doing so, he removes a bit of the cervix (biopsy) for analysis.

“Once you have a suspicious lesion on the cervix that should be biopsied. Since some lesions of the cervix and even an infection can look like cervical cancer, a biopsy can accurately detect the disease,” De los Reyes said. (Next: When should you have a Pap test?)

To strengthen your body, take Immunitril – your first line of defense in maintaining a healthy immune system. For details, visit http://www.bodestore.com/immunitril.html.

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Women’s reproductive health is often as important as other aspects of their health and they need to gain a better perspective of their reproductive system to enable them to understand just how sensitive their reproductive organs really are. A woman who becomes concerned with women’s reproductive health may need to understand how her hormones as well as organs come together to produce a monthly cycle. Women’s reproductive health is also dependent on the diet they consume because the food that they intake will impact and influence their reproductive system’s functioning.

Need to Understand how Hormones and Organs Function Together

A woman’s system often goes out of control and this would affect their menstrual cycle and lead to their not becoming pregnant. To ensure those women’s reproductive system stays in sync, women need to get regular pap smears. An abnormal smear test often causes distress and fear among women even though it is not necessarily a sign of cancer or risking developing it in the future.

Since cervical cancer is the second most common cancer other than breast cancer, taking a smear test is vital as it helps identify early warning signs of possible cancer and also lead to halting further growth of cervical cancer. Cancer is destructive of women’s reproductive health and apart from cervical cancer; women may also have to contend with uterine cancer or ovarian cancer. In addition, she may also get ovarian cysts, chronic pelvic pain as well as fibroids.

That is not to imply that women’s reproductive health is only centered on the pelvic region because even the breasts are an important part of the women’s reproductive system which enables the woman to breast feed her children for years or just months. The risk of contracting breast cancer is a serious worry to women’s reproductive health which may cause damage to the breasts and lead to infertility. In the case of a woman who has had mastectomy it may be rather disconcerting to have just one breast, but using reconstructive surgery, it is now possible to have both breasts back again.

Other major causes of worry to women’s reproductive health are when the reproductive system gets affected by infections such as yeast infections and bacterial vaginosis even though these are treatable conditions. However, pelvic inflammatory disease can cause scarring and even infertility if not treated in time. Thus, it is important for women to get to their doctors and keep their health in check.

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Vaginal sores can be a symptom of yeast infections, or another vaginal problem such as genital warts. Since it might be difficult to know whether you have vaginal sores, you will only have other symptoms to go by so these should be heeded and attended to by a qualified physician.

Again, the problem with vaginal sores is that since you have to rely on other symptoms to warn you of this, you might very well ignore these other symptoms thereby causing your sores to become worse and in some cases, spread.

Symptoms to indicate that you might have vaginal sores include, but are not limited to itching in and around the vaginal area, tenderness, soreness, a burning sensation, pain during sexual intercourse, possible pain during urination, and maybe an outer rash or redness on the vulva or outer lips.

If you have any or all of these indications you could have sores, or you could be suffering from some other medical condition. This is why it’s always good to have these looked at by trained medical personnel.

Another problem that arises with such things as these sores is that quite a lot of people are embarrassed about their condition and won’t seek medical help. While all this is very admirable from a social standpoint, it can be potentially dangerous for you to ignore such blatant symptoms as those mentioned earlier.

You’re much better off leaving your social graces and conditionings behind you and getting then necessary treatments for your condition. Additionally, by going in for a medical checkup you have the option having a pap smear performed which can give you a much better idea as to what you might be suffering from.

Especially in cases such as vaginal sores, a pap smear will be better able to identify the reason behind the sores appearing. For this procedure a speculum will be inserted into your vagina and widened so as to open the mouth of the vagina.

This facilitates a specimen gathering brush “sort of like a long cotton bud” to be inserted into your vagina where it will take a small swab of the surrounding vaginal walls. This specimen will then be sent off to testing and come back later in the form of report which you will then be informed about by your doctor.

It might sound like something out of a torture chamber but it’s all very simple and fast and over before you know it. A pap smear can also show you whether you have anything more serious. With this knowledge you can then begin your treatment.

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