The Facts
Cervical cancers are among the most common cancerous (malignant) tumors. Fortunately, a large majority of women diagnosed with this disease are completely cured. This is because the tumors tend to grow slowly. Women are encouraged to have regular Pap tests, as this allows for early detection of tumors in most cases, and therefore plenty of time to treat them.
Recommendations for Pap tests vary depending on your age and health history. In general, women should have a Pap test starting about 3 years after they first have sex (but no later than the age of 21), and at least once every 3 years thereafter. For women aged 65 to 70 years who have had at least 3 normal Pap tests and no abnormal Pap tests in the last 10 years, they may talk to their doctor about stopping Pap tests.
In a typical year, about 8 out of 100,000 American women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and about 3 out of 100,000 will not survive it. The death rate from cervical cancer is now 90% lower than it was before the Pap smear was invented in 1941. The Pap test can actually tell in advance which people are likely to develop cervical cancer in the near future, allowing doctors to act to prevent the disease from appearing.
The tissues of the cervix are very prone to undergo abnormal changes, and many women have tumors or neoplasms (new growths) in these areas of the reproductive system. Only a minority of these changes are actually cancerous. Some are benign, which means that they won't multiply and spread to other organs, and therefore aren't cancerous. Others are considered precancerous, and may require surgical treatment similar to that used to cure cancer itself. Many women who don't actually have cancer still need to be treated by an oncologist (a doctor who treats cancer).
Preventing cancer may require a time-consuming series of diagnostic and surgical procedures. Similarly, women who have been cured of cervical cancer often need further treatment, especially if radiation was used. In addition to early screening using Pap tests, another prevention method is a vaccination against 4 common types of human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a sexually transmitted virus that can cause cervical cancer and other health problems. The vaccine prevents against the types of HPV that cause about 70% of all cervical cancers. The vaccine can reduce the likelihood of developing a number of conditions caused by the HPV. The vaccination is available for girls and women 9 to 26 years of age.
About 12,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer every year and almost 4,000 women die of it. However, cervical cancer today only strikes half as many people as it did 30 years ago, before the test was invented, and the mortality rate has been decreasing steadily for the past several years. The Pap test can actually tell in advance which people are likely to develop cervical cancer in the near future, allowing doctors to act to prevent the disease from appearing.
The tissues of the cervix are very prone to undergoing abnormal changes, and many women have tumors or neoplasms (new growths) in these areas of the reproductive system. Only a minority of these changes are actually cancerous. Some are benign, which means that they won't multiply and spread to other organs, and therefore aren't cancerous (malignant). Others are considered precancerous, and may require surgical treatment similar to that used to cure cancer itself. Many women who don't actually have cancer still need to be treated by an oncologist (a doctor who treats cancer).
Preventing cancer may require a time-consuming series of diagnostic and surgical procedures. Similarly, women who have been cured of cervical cancer often need further treatment, especially if radiation was used.