Cervical Cancer
Cervical Cancer
In 2009, 11,270 U.S. women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer, and 4,070 women will die from this disease, according to the American Cancer Society. Yet, cervical cancer is nearly 100% preventable. We know it is caused by persistent infection with high-risk types of the human papillomavirus (HPV), a common virus. We have the tools we need to prevent cervical cancer. Now we need to make sure all women have the information they need to preserve their health and save their lives.
For screening, an HPV test, when used with a Pap test for women 30 and older, is nearly 100% effective in identifying women who need early intervention to stop the disease. Additionally, an FDA-approved HPV vaccine for girls and young women ages 9-26 is shown to be 100% effective at preventing the two types of HPV that account for about 70% of all cases of cervical cancer. There is significant public discussion going on now about the HPV vaccine, which provides us with a rare opportunity to expand the dialogue to include preventing cervical cancer through both vaccination and screening. To take advantage of this opportunity, the task force is focusing on public education and outreach on all of the available tools for preventing cervical cancer. What every woman should know:
- Girls aged 11 and 12 should get the HPV vaccine, and other girls and women ages 9 through 26, or their parents if appropriate, should ask their clinician about getting the HPV vaccine.
- All women should get regular Pap tests, beginning at age 21 at a frequency recommended by their clinician.
- Women age 30 and older should get an HPV test with their Pap test.
NCWO Resources:
- Cervical Cancer Facts
- Cervical Cancer & Older Women Facts
- Listen to a NCWO Cervical Cancer Lunch and Learn and View Speaker Powerpoints
- 'Note to Older Women' campaign
NCWO affiliate Programs & Campaigns:
- Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health
- Coalition of Labor Union Women
- Global Summit on Women
- HealthyWomen
- National Asian Women's Health Organization
- National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health
- National Women's Health Network
- Nurse Practitioners in Women's Health
- Planned Parenthood Federation of America
- Women in Government
Other Resources
- American Cancer Society
- American Social Health Association
- Centers for Disease Control
- Cervical Cancer-Free America
- Foundation for Women's Cancer
- National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program
- National Cervical Cancer Coalition
- National Institutes of Health
- Pearl of Wisdom Campaign to Prevent Cervical Cancer
- Say Something
- The ISIS Project
- Yellow Umbrella Organization
- National Cancer Institute
- U.S. Preventive Services Task Force's Latest Screening Recommendations (March 2012)
- PowerPoints (Summer 2011, from the first meeting of Women In Government's Oncology Task Force )
- The evolving clinical landscape of the infection and cancer, Dr. Mark Einstein, Albert Einstein College of Medicine at Yeshiva University.
- Cervical Cancer-Free America: What they do to prevent the spread of HPV and cervical cancer, Dr. Jennifer Smith, Director, Cervical Cancer-Free America.
- U.S. Preventative Services Task Force Recommendations on Cervical Cancer, Deborah Arrindell, Vice President, Health Policy, American Social Health Association.
- Overview of HPV and cervical cancer: Focus on adolescent vaccines and current and cutting-edge trends in research and HPV vaccine use, Kenneth Alexander, MD, PhD, Chief, Section of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at The University of Chicago.
- Director of Cervical Cancer-Free America is Interviewed on Lifetime Television (Sept. 5, 2011). Click here to view the show, where Dr. Jennifer Smith talks about signs, symptoms, and the latest research and treatments for cervical cancer.
The resources listed here are not meant to be exhaustive. They are ones that we are familiar with and refer to on a regular basis.