The first and most important point to remember about cervical cancer is this: Screenings save lives. You can help protect your own life by following the guidelines for regular screening.

“Cervical cancer begins in the cells of the cervix,” explains Dr. Richard J. Cardosi, a board-certified Gynecologic Oncologist at the Watson Clinic Bella Vista Building. “The cervix is at the lower part of the uterus and connects the uterus to the vagina. Cancer starts when abnormal cells develop and grow uninhibited.”

  

 

Screening tests

Early detection may lead to successful treatment. Two types of tests are often done to help prevent cervical cancer or to find it early.

1. The HPV test looks for a virus called HPV (human papillomavirus). This virus can cause cells to change. The test will show if you have one of the types of HPV that is more commonly associated with cervical cancer.

2. Pap tests, or Pap smears, can also find abnormal cervical cells before they become cancerous. Removing or destroying these precancerous cells prevents cervical cancer over 95% of the time.

The current U.S. Preventive Services Task Force guidelines for most women are that women ages 21 to 29 should get a Pap test every three years. Women 30 to 65 years old should get one of the following:

• A Pap test every three years.
• An HPV test every five years.
• A Pap test and HPV test together (called co-testing) every five years. This is the department’s current preference.

“Women over 65 should talk to their doctor about whether they need to keep getting screened for cervical cancer,” says Dr. Logan Blankenship, a Gynecologic Oncology specialist at the Watson Clinic Bella Vista Building. “This also applies to women without a cervix who have never had cancer or any abnormal test results.” It is also important to remember that a Pap smear abnormality may require further evaluation by a gynecologist and may alter subsequent screening recommendations.

Millions of Americans are infected with the human papillomavirus each year. For most, the infection will go away. But when it doesn’t, they could be at an increased risk of developing cervical, vaginal and other forms of cancer. HPV vaccination has long been proven as a safe and effective avenue of protection from these dangers.

These are the vaccination guidelines set forth by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:

• Children ages 11 to 12 should receive two doses of the HPV vaccine 6 to 12 months apart (they can start at age 9 as well).
• If vaccination started before a patient’s 15th birthday, only two doses are required 6 to 12 months apart.
• People 15 to 26 years of age who have just started the vaccination series will need three doses over the course of six months.
• People with weakened immune systems should also receive three doses.
• People between 27 and 45 years of age should discuss the vaccine with their provider.

 

Treatment

The most common treatment for early-stage cervical cancer is surgery.

Radiation, chemotherapy and immunotherapy are used instead of surgery when the cancer is not detected early, and they can be curative in most cases.

The most common and effective surgical means of treating early-stage cervical cancers is a radical hysterectomy. In this procedure, the patient’s uterus, cervix and surrounding tissues are removed. At the time of a radical hysterectomy, pelvic lymph nodes are typically removed as well. Although robotic surgery has some unique advantages, radical hysterectomy for cervical cancer is typically performed through an abdominal incision, since this approach has been shown to provide improved survival rates.

 

Comprehensive care for women with gynecologic cancer

Housed in the Watson Clinic Bella Vista Building at 1755 N. Florida Ave. in Lakeland, Watson Clinic’s Gynecologic Oncology department provides patients with the latest advancements in surgical innovation and the highest level of personalized, compassionate care. Services include:

• Minimally invasive gynecologic surgery
• Robotic gynecologic surgery
• Radical pelvic surgery
• Colorectal and genitourinary surgery
• Management of patients at increased risk for gynecologic cancers
• Comprehensive treatment of gynecologic cancers
• Mediport placement
• Chemotherapy administration
• diVa® laser vaginal therapy
• Forever Bare BBL™ from Sciton®

For more information and to schedule an appointment, call 863-680-7578 or visit WatsonClinic.com/GynOnc.