Tecnica Y La Tecnnolgia

Cervical Cancer

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April 29, 2013

Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is a cancer that forms in the tissues of the cervix. The cervix is the organ connecting the uterus and vagina, that looks like maintains a cylinder shape maid of cartilage. Infections within the cervix such as human papillomavirus or commonly known as HPV, is believed to be the main cause of the transformation of cells within the cervix that causes cervical cancer. While all women are at risk for cervical cancer, the treatment and prevention is very attainable through screening tests, vaccines for HPV, and even when cervical cancer is found early; the treatments for removing the cancer are highly successful. Since HPV is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases, women are at risk from cervical cancer, therefore this paper highlights the preventative measures, treatment options, tests, symptoms, as well as an overall coverage of cervical cancer and how it is spread through the cervix.

Impact of Cervical Cancer

While vaccinations and screening tests are available to prevent and identify any problems such as the formation of cervical cancer in the cervix. According to the National Cancer Institute, there are roughly 12,000 women diagnosed with cervical cancer each year with about 4,000 deaths from cervical cancer (National Cancer Institute, 2013). In the past, cervical cancer was one of the main causes of cancer death among women in the United States. However, between the 1955 and 1992, the death rate for women with cervical cancer death declined by 70% with the screening procedure of the Pap test (The American Cancer Society, 2013). Hispanic and African-American women are most likely to be diagnosed with cervical cancer in the United States, with American Indiana and Alaskan natives to be the least likely of procuring the disease. While women of all ages are at risk from cervical cancer, the most prominent ages are in the mid-life stages between the ages of 30 and 50 (The American Cancer Society, 2013).

There are many factors that increase the risk for cervical cancer. These include HPV, family history of cervical cancer, age, sexual and reproductive history, socioeconomic status, smoking, and HIV infections. HPV is almost always associated and present with cervical cancer, however, not everyone who has HPV will be diagnosed with cervical cancer. It is unknown as to why some people are more susceptible, but there are traits including a genetic predisposition to cervical cancer through ancestral lineage. As indicated in the last paragraph, age is a fact with most cases occurring between the ages of 30 and 45. Since HPV is almost always evident and HPV is a sexually transmitted disease, past sexual and reproductive history increases the risk for cervical cancer, as well as those who can’t afford to receive help or regular checkups from a family doctor.

HPV and Cervical Cancer

Genital Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common transmitted infection that if left for long term may create complications in the cervix and is always the indicator for cervical cancer. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are more than 40 various strands of HPV that may infect the genital areas of the body affecting 79 million Americans (CDC, 2013). Most people who have HPV don’t even know they have it, causing an increased risk of cervical cancer for women. The CDC further states, “Most people with HPV never develop symptoms or health problems. Most HPV infections (90%) go away by themselves within two years” (CDC, 2013). However, it should also be noted that some infections may not go away on their own and include future problems.

When HPV is present in the body for long periods of time, the infection can cause normal cells to mutate into abnormal cells, where the abnormal cells continue to divide causing cancer, where they no long function like normal cells, but there are preventative measures. After a person contracts HPV, it may take years of perhaps even decades for cervical cancer to become evident or a problem, but the risk increases the long an individual carries the infection. There are tests for women who are aged 30 years or older to diagnose HPV. Furthermore, vaccines are offered to teenage girls (Cervarix and Gardasil) to protect females amongst most common strands of HPV (CDC, 2012). Another preventative measure against HPV is the use of condoms during sexual activities, but it is noted that areas not covered by the condom could still spread HPV.

The link between cervical cancer and HPV was discovered in the early 1980s by Harold zur Hausen. “In 1996, the World Health Association, along with the European Research Organization on Genital Infection and Neoplasia and the the National Institutes of Health Consensus Conference on Cervical Cancer, recognized HPV as an important cause of cervical cancer” (Burd, 2003). While there are hundreds of types of HPV, only about 40 are spread through sexually transmitted diseases; where only 4 are predominant with cervical cancer. “Four are most often found within the malignant cells of cervical cancers, with type 16 accounting for about hald of the cases in the United States and Europe and types 18, 31, and 45 accounting for an additional 25 to 30% of cases” (Burd, 2003). These strands are considered high-risk for they may cause severe future complications.

Testing for Abnormalities in the cells and Cervical Cancer

High-risk strands of HPV lead to abnormal growth in the cellular structures that cause cancers. The Pap and HPV tests are used to discover the abnormalities within the cells. The first method is to take a Pap test by scraping the lining of the cortex and studying the cells under the microscope. If the results come back inconclusive or abnormal, then a HPV tests is implemented to check the DNA type of the virus between the fifteen or so HPV types associated with cervical cancer. While the HPV test may not identify cancer by itself, it may, however, identify HPV types and offer treatments to reduce the risk of cervical cancer.

HPV and Pap smears occur when women visit the gynecologist. Both tests remove samples of cervical cells from the cervix. However, HPV tests are not required and many doctors will not conduct the tests. When a Pap smear is conducted, a HPV test should be requested alongside the Pap smear. Results for both tests make take a few weeks. If the results of the tests come back abnormal and there is evidence of HPV, then a colposcopy may be ordered to view the cervix more closely. These three tests are to monitor the cervix as a way of preventing cervical cancer by discovering any complications

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