Cervical Cancer

Question: What does cervical cancer vaccination do for me? If I get it, what exactly does it prevent? What are the benefits? Are there any downsides or any side effects to getting vaccinated for cervical cancer?

Answer: I am actually getting the shot. The vaccination is a dose of 3 shots, and what it does is help prevent against cervical cancer, hpv, and some other diseases. It is not a for sure thing, but at least you will be more protected than women that have not received the shot. I would recommend that you get it. As for the side effects well...I fainted after my second shot. The first one was fine, but the second one hurt really bad. However, I didn't eat before I was injected with it, so that may be why. Some other side effects are dizziness and nausea...typical side effects that could come along with any other shot. I'm going to get my third shot at the end of January, hopefully I don't faint after that one! I hope I helped! :)

Question: What do you think about the cervical cancer jab for girls the Government are discussing? This would be given to girls aged 12 to 13 in three doses over six months at a cost of £300 a course. The vaccine would help prevent cervical cancer as it protects against the STD, Human Pappillomavirus infection HPV which causes most cases of cervical cancer. The Government have agreed to it in principle but they have to review the costs to the NHS. Personally I think this jab can only be a good thing as so many women die of cervical cancer in this country (over 1000 a year) and if it helps to prevent it then that's great. The innoculations may start in Autumn 2008 and will not be compulsory. The Cervical Smear testing programme will continue as this jab won't protect against all strains of the HPV infection. There are HPV vaccines available now in the UK but haven't been approved for use by the Government. Some people apparently are worried this jab will increase promiscuity in young girls as it's given before they become sexually active. What do you think about this vaccination?

Answer: I think it's a shame that people are so hung up on the fact it will help protect the girls from HPV related cervical cancer. I have been immunized against hepatitis as well, and haven't felt the urge to abuse drugs and share needles at all. It's just too bad that people got all hung up on the whole sex issue. Especially seeing as the girls get HPV from a fellow who likely hasn't a clue that he's carrying it, and they can be in a monogamous relationship- married even, when she gets it from him. I have two daughters, in and near the age group, and as soon as I can have them immunized I plan to have it done. I'm for any jab that can keep my babies safe. If they become sexually active, I should hope the worst they suffered was a regret. Regret and broken hearts can be mended. HPV is not so easily fixed.

Question: What would happen if a man had the cervical cancer jab? I know it's a silly question, but recently the girls in my school have had their jabs to protect against cervical cancer. And it got me thinking: what would happen if a man got that jab? Would it have no affect at all? Or would it have some horrible malforming side effects? Preferably I'd like an actual medical opinion rather than just a thought.

Answer: In an ideal world both men and women would get the vaccine, this would progressively reduce the potential pool of HPV infection. There was a similar situation for many years with Rubella immunisation, it was only given to girls, now it is given ta all within the MMR vaccine.

Question: Can cervical cancer prevent the pregnancy hormone from showing up on a pregnancy test? Pretty much can the cervical cancer or HPV make a pregnancy test be negative? I know the preg. test picks up the hormone to show it positive if your preg. but can the cancer alter the results?

Answer: I have HPV, and my pregnancy tests came up positive right as soon as I missed my period. Cancer won't alter the results either, if you're pregnant and your body creates the hormone, the cancer won't block it out.

Question: How often do women die from cervical cancer? I am 11 years old, my mom got cervical cancer she found out yesturday. I am absoloutly heart broken and so is she. I was wondering how often do women die from it and is it possible for the sugery to go wrong or something?

Answer: Hi there, I'm so sorry to hear about your mom. I am going through radiation for cervical cancer now. I have/had stage IIA. Cervical cancer is very curable because the cervix can be removed. Do you know what stage she is? It is also a very slow growing cancer. The surgery is very common so it's unlikley she will have any problems. I had both a LEEP and then a radical hysterectomy and was absolutely fine. Your mom will have a team of doctors and nurses taking good care of her. Take care

Question: What are the chances of the Cervical Cancer vaccine causing your death, rather than the Cancer itself? I've watched on the internet, heard stories from friends, and read in magasines that the Cervical Cancer vaccine is the one doing the killing rather than the actual Cancer. I'll being going for my third and final one in January, but now I'm having second thoughts. Is it worth it? What are the chances of dying from this vaccine?

Answer: check the news again, recently a girl had died from it... of course, the doctors will give another explanations in the same way they do for all the complications caused for any vaccination... I don't have even my cat vaccinated ... how more stupid can it be? we want to prevent a desease or infections with poison, poisoning our body with all sorts of virus, metal, etc???????????? I rather die by whatever desease naturally than die from one I injected in my body. The farmacy is a HUGE INDUSTRY - they only interested is make money out of the fear of the ingnorant - please think, poison the body to prevent it get poisoned 9desease) in the future?????????

Question: What are the risks of living with cervical cancer without treatmentt? My friend Koty has cervical cancer and they charged her a $500 pap smear treatment, and she can't go back to get them or the treatment... So she just said she was just gunna let it go. What are the risks? Can she get rid of it without going to a doctor? I live in Phoenix, Arizona. And she got the cancer from HPV.

Answer: Does she have HPV (which can cause cervical cancer) or does she actually have cancer? The obviously answer is that if she has cancer, she will most likely die unless treatment begins. It's a very treatable cancer when it's detected and treated properly and early. If she has HPV and lets that go it CAN turn into cervical cancer. There should be state or local program to assist those who cannot afford medical care. She needs to go to a local planned parenthood or the health department and they will give her low cost health care and options for treatment.

Question: What is the relationship between plantars warts on the feet and cervical cancer? I read something about the HPV virus that causes plantar warts being connected to increased chances of cervical cancer?! I know HPV as related to genital warts can cause cancer, but if someone has plantar warts, should they be concerned about cancer?

Answer: You been reading a comic book? Coach

Question: What do you think of the relatively new cervical cancer vaccine? I am 16 years old, not sexually active, and considering getting the cervical cancer vaccine. My mom and I have talked about it, and she's talked to her gyno, and we all think it's a good idea to get it. Just wondering, for those who have already taken it, do you have any opinions on it? Thanks for the input! my understanding is that you don't necessarily have to have sex to get cervical cancer...just a small correction there

Answer: As far as I'm concerned it is really a bit of an issue, particularly with respect to young school age girls where the Gardasil vaccine is also being promoted strongly. This vaccination cannot be taken lightly and although it is said to provide protection for upto 85% of HPV, there seems to have been an insufficient length of time (approx. 5 years) of trials to determine any likely side effects. This and the fact that the trials where conducted by the manufacturerers themselves (Merck and GlaxoSmithKline) and not an independant body, is of concern in itself! Further the age of the study group was 15 -26 years, and yet it is being promoted to girls under 15 that have yet to reach puberty. What effect is this likely to have? Who knows? There are numerous articles on the safety and possible side effects and indeed the long term effectiveness of Gardasil to raise sufficient doubt in ones mind as to the necessity of having this particular vaccine. In all it appears that this drug was rushed through before full approval and in fact the FDA have stipulated for Merck to continue the monitoring and long term trial for girls under 15 years to confirm its safety. For us as parents there is sufficient doubt as to the safety that we postponed getting the vaccination for our daughter, until further studies and information comes to hand. Following are some links to articles on the vaccine which you may wish to read. Ultimately it comes down to a risk evaluation of your own self and if you believe that you may sufficiently at risk of contracting the disease and the precautions that you may need to take so as to minimise the risk.

Question: Is there a relationship between cervical cancer and men that have not been circumcised? I have read there is a higher incidence of cervical cancer amoungst women that have intercourse on a regular basis with men that are not circumcised.

Answer: If a woman is having sex on a regular basis with multiple partners without contraception, then the men's circumcision status is essentially irrelevant. Cervical cancer is usually caused by infection of the HPV virus, although most of the time HPV does not escalate to cancer and it usually takes at least 10 years to do so. This means regular screening will identify any precancerous changes in the cervix. If men use a condom, this reduces the risk of a woman becoming infected with HPV. Vaccines which protect against the strains of HPV that are most likely to cause cervical cancer have also been developed and licenced. Other factors which may increase your risk of cervical cancer are smoking, a weakened immune system, poor genital hygiene, and promiscuous sexual behavior. Using circumcision as a preventative method is pointless. It is also worth remembering that less than 0.01% of women are diagnosed with this disease each year.

Question: Is the cervical Cancer injection you get at school really painful? Im going in to second year soon and that's when you get your cervical cancer jabs. I've heard its three needles in the arm. Its not the needles Im scared of, its the pain. :( So is it painful and how painful?

Answer: It's a minuscule pinprick that cannot even be classed as painful. You might get some local swelling and soreness at the injection site but it's nothing major. You are worrying over nothing.

Question: What are the symptoms of cervical cancer? I had a smear test booked for this Tuesday, but I had to cancel it as I came on. I'm bleeding very heavily every two weeks, plus I have all the risk factors for cervical cancer. Please help as I am very concerned.

Answer: | health information | health factsheets Print-friendly version Cervical cancer Published by Bupa's health information team, February 2009. This factsheet is for women who have cervical cancer, or who would like information about it. Cervical cancer develops if the cells of the cervix (the neck of the womb) become abnormal and grow out of control. Animation - How cancer develops About cervical cancer Types of cervical cancer Symptoms of cervical cancer Causes of cervical cancer Diagnosis of cervical cancer Treatment of cervical cancer Prevention of cervical cancer Help and support Questions and answers Related topics Related Bupa products and services Further information Sources How cancer develops A Flash plug-in is required to view this animation. Legal notices About cervical cancer In 2005, around 2,800 women were diagnosed with cervical cancer in the UK. Deaths from cervical cancer in the UK have fallen over the last 20 years. This reduction is mainly because of the NHS cervical screening programme which may detect changes in the cells of the cervix at a pre-cancerous stage. If abnormal cells are caught early, cancer can be prevented or treated. The changes can be detected by a laboratory test on a small sample of cells. The cells are taken from an area called the transformation zone on the surface of your cervix, and preserved using a procedure called liquid-based cytology. The cervix and transformation zone Types of cervical cancer There are two main types of cervical cancer - squamous cell cancer (the most common) and adenocarcinoma, although they are often mixed. They are named after the types of cell that become cancerous. Squamous cells are flat cells covering your cervix; adenomatous cells are found in the passageway from your cervix to your womb. Other rarer cancers of the cervix include small cell cancer. Symptoms of cervical cancer Abnormal cells found on the cervix during a cervical screening test are usually at an early pre-cancer stage, and don't cause any symptoms. Treating the abnormal cells prevents cancer developing. If abnormal cells do develop into cervical cancer, you may have the following symptoms: abnormal vaginal bleeding, for example between periods or after sex smelly vaginal discharge discomfort during sex vaginal bleeding after the menopause These symptoms aren't always due to cervical cancer, but if you have them, you should visit your GP.

Question: What exactly is cervical cancer? Is it caused by sexual contact or intercourse? Can you get cervical cancer if you're a virgen? I just wanted to know, because I heard awhile back that there might be a law requiring girls age 13 and up to get the Gardisil vaccine.

Answer: most will say that cervical cancer is caused by the HPV virus, but this is a medical myth. HPV has never been proven to cause cervical cancer. Mind you that HPV (human pappilomavirus) usually clears up on it's own, so if you want to test on HPV, it's quite useless and so is getting the gardasil vaccine, which in itself may have very dangerous side effects(including death) "Cervical Cancer Virtually 100% Avoidable Cervical cancer is well documented to be caused by an infection acquired through sexual contact. So it is behaviorally avoidable. Many conservatives oppose making this vaccine mandatory, citing fears that it could send a subtle message condoning sexual activity before marriage. Also, a New England Journal of Medicine study found the use of condoms reduces the incidence of HPV by 70 percent. By comparison, Gardasil counteracts four varieties of HPV that cause 70 percent of the cases of cervical cancer and 90 percent of genital warts. According to the CDC, HPV is the most common sexually transmitted disease in America (more than 6 million women contract it annually), yet the immune systems of many women are strong enough to clear up these infections on their own. Cervical Cancer Review Cervical cancer, arising in the lining of the cervix, affects about 9,700 women in the United States each year. About 3,700 die. Worldwide, a half million get the disease and 233,000 die. Back in the 1970s, herpes simplex virus (HSV) was proposed as the sexually transmitted cause of cervical cancer, based mostly on population studies that showed a correlation of the disease with HSV DNA. That approach shifted to HPV in the 1980s, and over the years population studies set the pace for the now well-accepted view that cervical cancer is strongly related to the transmission of HPV. This is a group of more than 100 viruses, about 30 of which are said to be linked to cervical cancer. Of these 30 or so, HPV-16 is said to be found in 50 percent of cervical cancers. HPV-18 accounts for another 20 percent. In addition to the population studies that link HPV to cervical cancer, there is, for example, research showing that HPV viral DNA can be found integrated in the genetic structure of cervical cancers. Back in 1992, however, a question was raised about the dominant and increasingly entrenched theory that HPV causes cervical cancer. It came from Peter Duesberg and Jody Schwartz, molecular biologists at the University of California at Berkeley. Among the various issues they raised about the acceptance of HPV as the cause of cervical cancer was their fundamental concern that there was a lack of consistent HPV DNA sequences and consistent HPV gene expression in tumors that were HPV-positive. They instead suggested that "rare spontaneous or chemically induced chromosome abnormalities which are consistently observed in both HPV and HSV DNA-negative and positive cervical cancers induce cervical cancer." In short, Duesberg and Schwartz were pointing to the possibility that "carcinogens may be primary inducers of abnormal cell proliferation rather than HPV or HSV." And here's the key point: "Since proliferating cells [cancer cells dividing wildly] would be more susceptible to infection than resting cells, the viruses would just be indicators rather than causes of abnormal proliferation." The concept they raised back in 1992 is still relevant today, only science has gone on to assume that causation of cervical cancer has been well established. Even the National Cancer Institute (NCI) says that "direct" causation has not been demonstrated; however, the NCI and just about everyone else works with the principle that it has been established. Lip service is paid to other possible factors that may be involved in cervical cancer such as environmental conditions, including smoking. Even dietary factors -- particularly low levels of vitamin A and folate -- have been suggested as associated with a risk for cervical cancer. But once a vaccine to prevent HPV infection is raised as a weapon to prevent cervical cancer, then it's pretty clear that the medical establishment has gone all the way in accepting a theory."

Question: How long does it take for cervical cancer to develop? Due to lack of insurance I have not had a pap smear in over 2 years. I have a lot of weird symptoms when it comes to my period and pelvic pain and stuff. My last pap smear was normal and it was done a little over 2 years ago. I was wondering how long does it take to develop cervical cancer and how fast does it grow. Thanks.

Answer: I have Cervical Cancer so I have been doing a lot of reading on the subject. Just like yourself, I did not have insurance and was unable to keep up with my Pap Smears. Before being diagnosed with Cervical Cancer, I had not had a Pap Smear in 9 years... I always worried what would happen by not being able to have it done and now I know... I ended up having to go to the Health Department in my county to have a Pap Smear. I also had to lie in order to have it done for free... I would highly suggest going to the Health Department once a year for a free or very low cost Pap Smear. Although it CAN take 10 years for Cervical Cancer to develop, it can also take much less time which is exactly why Pap Smears are normally done annually. Also to answer your other question, Cervical Cancer is one of the slowest growing (spreading) cancers that there are. As for how fast they can grow or how slow, I cannot say for sure but I have read many times that it is one of the slowest growing and most cureable. However, just because it is one of the cureable does not mean that the battle fighting it is any easier, physically or emotionally. Having Cervical Cancer is extremely stressful on the person as well as the people who love them. Please find a way to get yourself checked. My symptoms began with bleeding during / after sex, then some mild to moderate pelvic pains, sometimes I get very sharp pains now, also I have had bleeding in between periods, and become very light headed at times, I also have nausea and occasional vomiting. Keep in mind though that most of these symptoms did not start until I had already had one symptom for five months. Good luck and I really hope you are able to have a Pap Smear and an HPV test done as soon as possible.

Question: Does genital warts lead to high risk cervical cancer. I'm hearing yes and no which is the truth? I hear 2 different sides. I know certain strands of HPV can lead to cervical cancer. And I'm also hearing that the strands of HPV that develop warts are not related to the strands that can cause cervical cancer, but then again i'm hearing people say the Genital Warts are directly related as a high risk for CC. Help!

Answer: That damn gardisil commercial scared the hell out of ALOT of people. Don't get your education from TV - they're selling a vaccine! Anyhow - IF YOU WERE PRE-DESTINED to get cervical cancer (not everyone GETS cervical cancer obviously) having HPV will only speed up the growth of cancer on your cervix IF YOU HAVE cancer..... IT DOES NOT CAUSE CERVICAL CANCER TO HAVE HPV

Question: If you get the cervical cancer jab, does it stop you getting cervical cancer at all? I'm getting the jab in september and the others later on. But i was just wondering, if you get the jab, does it prevent from getting cervical cancer all together?

Answer: No it doesn't prevent all the cervical cancers, only the top 4 HPV virus strains that cause them. It isn't something that you can have and then go thinking "I will never get cervical cancer now"... It just doesn't happen that way. There are a few problems reported with this shot as well and some girls have even died because of it. I would suggest you look at the articles on this and see if its worth it, I know I would want to make sure my daughters were protected if I had any but this would be one thing I would have my doubts about, it is a new drug and a new treatment with very little time to look at what it will do and if it is worth the risk. Hope this helps.