PREVENTION OF HPV & CERVICAL CANCER
Preventing HPV and HPV-related cancers depends heavily on:
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Educating young men and women about contraception and safe sex practices
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Vaccination!
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Protects against HPV types 6, 11, 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58
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Young men and women (9-18) to prevent spread of HPV
- Age ranges have been extended by the FDA to 45 years of age for both sexes if unvaccinated
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Regular testing for pre-cancers before they turn into invasive cancer is so important:
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Papanicolaou's (Pap) test, also called a smear test or Pap smear is a swab to collect cells from the cervix to analyze for cervical dysplasia, or abnormally growing cervical cells associated with HPV related pre-cancers
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The current HPV tests
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MY PAP TEST CAME BACK ABNORMAL-NOW WHAT?
Diagnosis of cervical cell abnormalities usually starts with the Pap test. If the test returns positive for abnormal cell growth a doctor will choose from a number of pathways.
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Biopsy- small 1mm samples of tissue taken from various locations on the cervix using forceps
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Colposcopy- looking at the cervix with a microscope, sometimes combined with taking a biopsy
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Microscope positioned outside the vagina with a with a light to view the cervix at high magnification
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May use acetic acid (vinegar solution) to dehydrate bad cells and view changes
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Yearly testing schedule to follow until normal results are achieved, then returns to 3 year
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Monitoring- patients under 30 years of age with low-grade cells are often deferred to a yearly testing schedule until tests come back normal
