Cervical cancer
is a disease in which cancer cells grow in the cervix. According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 12,200 new cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed yearly and an estimated 4,100 women will die of the disease. Fortunately, cervical cancer is completely preventable if precancerous cell changes are detected and treated early.
The human papilloma virus (HPV) is the primary cause of nearly all cases of cervical cancer. Indeed, of the more than 100 types of HPV, over 30 may be passed from one person to another through sexual contact. In most cases, the HPV virus is harmless and causes no symptoms. In fact, many young women who become infected with HPV are able to clear the infection from their systems through their own immune systems. However, certain high-risk types of HPV cause cervical lesions, which, over a period of time, may develop into cancer if untreated.
For over 50 years, the
Papanicolaou (Pap) smear
has been a powerful tool for detecting cancerous and precancerous cervical lesions. The reliability and effectiveness of a cervical screening method is judged by its ability to diagnose precancerous lesions while at the same time avoiding false positive diagnosis. Unfortunately, the Pap smear has been associated with false negative rates in 10% to 50% of cases. Women whose Paps return from the lab with the designation ASC-US (atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance) are then informed that their Pap tests are abnormal and that follow-up screening is required.
The
HPV test
(the DNAwithPAP™ test by Digene Corporation) is used in conjunction with the Pap test. The test helps to determine which of the many women who have abnormal Pap smears every year are not actually infected with HPV. Women with abnormal Pap smears who are not infected with HPV are at very low risk of developing cervical cancer or even pre-cancerous lesions in the near future.
The HPV test is collected very much like a Pap smear. A cervical brush or other collection device is inserted into the cervix to collect cells for testing. This sample is then sent to the lab for evaluation.
A negative result means that high-risk, cancer-causing types of HPV were not detected; therefore, your risk of developing high-grade cervical disease before your next routine visit is extremely low.
A positive HPV result means an increased risk of developing cervical cancer. In this case, further examination will be needed in order to determine whether your cervix shows pre-cancerous or cancerous changes. If no changes are detected, you will be closely monitored to ensure that any subsequent changes are detected as early as possible. If changes are detected, you should know that several highly effective treatment options are available. When combined with the Pap test, HPV testing detects virtually 100% of all high-grade cervical disease and cervical cancer.
To find out if HPV testing is right for you, be sure to ask your healthcare providers the following questions on your next doctor visit:
- Am I a candidate for an HPV test as part of my cervical cancer screening program?
- Do you provide HPV testing as a follow-up to help clarify inconclusive (ASC-US) Pap test results?
- If I have an inconclusive Pap test result, can you ask the laboratory to perform an automatic HPV test from the same Pap sample?
- Will my insurance cover the HPV test?
- Can I talk to you about questions I may have regarding HPV and cervical cancer?
