Teal & White Tuesday ~ Fight Cervical Cancer

GET THE FACTS

Today is the last day of #CCAM Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, and although I said I was going to introduce you to my surgeon/oncologist today, you will have to wait until next week for her amazing story.

Instead, I would like to focus on some of the facts about this disease and how to prevent it. Since my diagnosis, I have been made aware that many women and men are 'unaware' of the primary cause of cervical cancer. Do you know what it is? Do you know the two ways to decrease your chance of getting cervical cancer? Cervical cancer is one of the few cancers that is caused by a virus. The virus is the Human Papillomavirus or HPV for short. I would encourage you to click on the link to read more about it. Knowledge can save lives.

I knew this information before my diagnosis. I knew about HPV. I knew I had, had an infection with HPV 30 years before, but nothing prepared me for getting cervical cancer because as you will see below, I only had one of the risk factors.

Here are the risk factors for cervical cancer via the American Cancer Societies Website:

• •Having the HPV virus - YES- was positive for it 30 years prior with negative PAP smears every year since.
• •Smoking- Never have
• •Weak Immune System-No
• •Infection with Chlamydia-Not that I am aware of.
• •Diet low in fruit and vegetables-NO
• •Overweight-No
• •Long-term use of oral contraceptives- No
• •IUD-Never
• •3 or more full-term pregnancies- No
• •Younger than 17 for first full term pregnancy-No
• •Low economic status-No
• •Family history of cervical cancer-No
• •DES-No

I had one risk factor. ONE!!! ONE!!! And as far as I knew the virus had cleared 30 or so years prior. I do know that one of the reasons my cancer was not found earlier and had advanced to stage 2b before it was detected was because the type of cancer I had was cervical adenocarcinoma. This type of cervical cancer is a rarer form and only affects 10-15% of patients. It starts much higher up in the cervix closer to the uterus in what is called the 'transformation zone.' A PAP smear in the lower cervix may not pick up cells higher in this part of the body. At least that is what I was told.

My guidance to anyone when it comes to preventing cervical cancer is this:

1.  If you are young and not yet sexually active, male or female, get the vaccine against HPV. I know there is controversy about vaccines, but please read this article and do your research before you risk preventing a very preventable cancer.
2. If you are women, get your yearly Pap tests. Get an HPV test as well, and if you know you have HPV, find out the strain. There are over 150 different strains, with only a few causing cancer. HPV 16 & 18 and  HPV types 31, 33, 45, 52, 58.  
3. Lastly, this is not just a female issue. HPV causes both anal and throat cancer in men.