January is Cervical Health Awareness Month

Cervical Cancer is Preventable

Get informed. Get screened. Get vaccinated.

Cervical cancer usually develops slowly over time. It starts as a precancerous condition known as dysplasia, in which abnormal cells begin to appear in the cervical tissue. It can take years for dysplasia to develop into cervical cancer. Infection of the cervix with human papillomavirus (HPV) is almost always the cause of cervical cancer. Women who do not regularly have tests to detect HPV or abnormal cells in the cervix are at increased risk of cervical cancer. The vast majority of cervical cancers could be prevented with Pap tests and HPV vaccination according to the American Cancer Association.

Cervical cancer was once a leading cause of cancer death for women in the United States. Today, screening and HPV vaccination have greatly reduced the impact of this form of cancer. Still, it was estimated that 13,960 women in the United States will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2023 and approximately 4,310 will die from the disease, according to the National Cancer Institute. In West Virginia from 2016 to 2020, 2,248 new cases of cervical cancer were detected, and 304 women died (US cancer statistics). Incidence of cervical cancer is highest among Black and Hispanic women and among low-income and rural populations. (American Cancer Association)

Screening is the key to catching precancers early. The current recommendations are to get a Pap test every three years from age 21 to 65 and/or a high-risk HPV test every five years after a woman turns 30. However, screening is just the first step for cervical cancer care. For screening to be effective, it has to be done frequently, according to guidelines, and needs to have appropriate and timely follow-up. If caught early and treated promptly and appropriately, cervical cancer has a cure rate of more than 90%. In addition, the HPV vaccine, first introduced in 2006 for girls between 9 and 26 years old and later approved for boys as well, is nearly 100% effective at protecting against high-risk strains of the virus that cause about 91% of cervical cancer. (American Cancer Association)