Can cervical cancer be prevented?

12 Dec Can cervical cancer be prevented?

The two most important steps you can take to prevent cervical cancer are to get vaccinated against HPV if you are eligible and to get routinely scheduled tests according to the recommendations of the American Cancer Society. For more information, see the American Cancer Society Guidelines for the Prevention and Early Detection of Cervical Cancer.

The most common form of cervical cancer begins with precancerous changes. And there are ways to stop these changes from developing. The first is to find and treat pre-cancers before they become invasive cancers, and the second is to prevent pre-cancers.

Screening For Cervical Precancers

A proven way to prevent cervical cancer is to get screened. Screening consists of tests to find conditions that can lead to cancer or find pre-cancers before they can become invasive cancer. The Pap test and the human papillomavirus (HPV) test are specific tests used during cervical cancer screening. These tests are done in the same way. A health professional uses a special instrument to gently rub the tissue of the cervix to remove a sample of cells for testing.

The HPV test looks for infection with high-risk HPV types that are more likely to progress to cervical precancer and cancer. There are certain HPV tests that have been approved to be considered primary HPV tests. While others have been approved to be part of a joint test. The type you make will often depend on what is available.

The Pap smear is a procedure used to obtain cells from the cervix for careful observation in the laboratory to determine if there is cancer or pre-cancer. It is important to know that most cases of invasive cervical cancer are found in women. Who has not had regular Pap smears? A Pap smear may be done during a pelvic exam, although not all pelvic exams include a Pap smear.

The HPV test result, along with previous test results, will determine your risk of developing cervical cancer. If the test result is positive, this will mean more follow-up visits with the doctor, more tests to determine the presence of pre-cancer or cancer, and in some cases a procedure to treat any pre-cancer that might be detected.

It is best to discuss your screening test results in more detail with a health professional to fully understand your risk of developing cervical cancer and what steps to take next.

What To Do To Prevent Pre-Cancers And Cancers

Depending on your age, general health, and personal risk for cervical cancer, there are some steps you can take that can prevent pre-cancers and the conditions that lead to pre-cancers.

Get Vaccinated Against HPV

Vaccines are available to help protect children and young adults against certain HPV infections. These vaccines protect against infection caused by the types of HPV most commonly associated with cancer, as well as some types that can cause anal and genital warts.

These vaccines work only to prevent HPV infection (they are not a treatment for an existing infection). Therefore, to be most effective, the HPV vaccine must be given before a person is exposed to HPV (for example, before the person is sexually active).

These vaccines can help prevent cases of pre-cancer and cancer of the cervix. Some of the HPV vaccines have also been approved to prevent anal and genital warts and other types of cancer.

Vaccines require a series of injections. Side effects are usually mild. The most common are brief redness, swelling, and irritation in the area where the injection is given. Very occasionally, a young person may pass out after receiving the injection.

The American cancer society recommends:

• Giving the HPV vaccine between the ages of 9 and 12 will help prevent more cases of cancer than vaccinating at older ages.
• Children and young adults between the ages of 13 and 26 who have not been vaccinated or who have not received all doses should come to be vaccinated as soon as possible.
• The American Cancer Society does not recommend the vaccine for people older than 26 years.

It is important to know that no vaccine provides complete protection against all cancer-causing HPV types. Therefore, routine screening tests for cervical cancer are still necessary.

For more information on vaccines and HPV, please see HPV Vaccines.

Limit HPV Exposure

HPV is passed from one person to another during skin-to-skin contact with an infected area of ​​the body. HPV can be spread through skin contact, including vaginal, anal, and oral sex. Although intercourse does not have to occur for the infection to be transmitted. All it takes is skin-to-skin contact with an area of ​​the body infected with HPV. This means that the virus can be transmitted without sex. It is even possible for a genital infection to be transmitted by touching the genitals with the hands.

Also, HPV infection seems to be able to spread (pass) from one part of the body to another. This means that infection can start in the cervix and then spread to the vagina and vulva.

It can be very difficult not to be exposed to HPV. You can prevent HPV infection by not letting other people have contact with your genital or anal area. However, there may still be other ways to get infected that are not yet clear.

Limiting the number of sexual partners and avoiding sex with people who have had many sexual partners may lower your risk of being exposed to HPV. But as noted above, HPV is very common, so even sexual activity with just one partner can put you at risk. Remember that a person can have HPV for years and not have any symptoms. Therefore, it is possible for a person to have the virus and pass it on without knowing it.

Use A Condom

Condoms provide some protection against HPV, but they cannot completely prevent infection. One of the reasons that condoms cannot offer full protection is that they cannot cover all areas of the body that can be infected with HPV, such as the skin of the genital or anal area. However, condoms do provide some protection against HPV, and they also help protect against HIV and some other sexually transmitted infections.

Do Not Smoke

Not smoking is another important way to reduce the risk of cervical precancer and cancer.

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