Screening Is Key To Cervical Cancer Prevention

Reported December 09, 2007

Natasha Spradley, a young mother of three, always thought she was healthy. For years, she assumed there was no reason for routine gynecological checkups.

That was before she was diagnosed with cervical cancer.

January is National Cervical Cancer Screening Awareness Month, and Dr. Tri Dinh, a gynecologic oncologist at The Methodist Hospital, urges women to see their gynecologist for regular exams.

"Cervical cancer is the only gynecological cancer that can be prevented by regular screening, and Pap smear screening is probably the single most important preventative measure that a woman can take to prevent the development of cervical cancer," said Dinh. "The Pap smear is designed to detect changes on the cervix so that they may be treated, preventing the progression to cervical cancer."
 

Dinh recommends annual Pap smear screenings within three years of the initiation of sexual activity or by age 21, whichever comes first. He says most women diagnosed with cervical cancer in the United States have not had a Pap smear in the three to five years prior to diagnosis.

Two years ago, Spradley felt extreme fatigue and noticed abnormal bleeding. After a Pap smear and biopsy, she was diagnosed with stage two cervical cancer and referred to Dinh, who performed surgery to remove the tumor.

Spradley returns to Methodist every six months and urges friends and family to get regular check-ups.

"I never in a million years thought this would happen to me; it was a major shock. I now preach to everyone that they need regular exams."

Spradley's lecture does not stop with her peers. Her 12-year-old daughter is receiving the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.

"My daughter understands that I don't want her to go through the same thing; the vaccine is a necessity."

Since the summer of 2006, the FDA-approved vaccine Gardisil has been available to help prevent infection with certain types of HPV. The vaccine protects against four types of HPV, and although it is approved for women and girls ages 9-26, the vaccine is recommended for girls ages 11 and 12.

Dinh says Gardisil is potentially one of the most exciting developments in the fight against cervical cancer, but points out that annual Pap smear screenings are still the best way to prevent this disease.