cervical cancer

[Wahine]

Wahine - actually HPV causes cervical cancer (and vulvar, vaginal, and anal cancers) and warts (genital and otherwise); another virus, the herpes simplex virus (HSV), causes genital herpes; either way, they are transmitted in the same manner.

Hellosunshine - I'm sorry you had to go through all that. But at least you are getting it taken care of early. As for the promiscious thing - it makes people more likely to contract HPV, but like all STDs - one partner who happens to have it can be the cause. The difference between HPV and the others is that it is extremely, extremely prevalent - somewhere around 80% of all college age women who are sexually active will contract HPV at some time - they just may never know it. I hate the way the media makes all women who contract some type of infection appear to be sleeping aroung - it just isn't the case.

Knottedyet - this vaccine should actually be studied in men. HPV can cause cancer in men just in the same way it causes cancer in women, just not as frequently. And I'm sorry for the loss of your friend. Hopefully those deaths will be less frequent in the future.

Okay, I'll be quiet now. But if you have any questions you would like me to attempt to answer, I can try. (I've done some research in this field)

Wow, BTChance. I have been misled and I thought I was fairly informed on the topic. My mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer and the post I wrote was based on information I had gathered at that time. So does having HSV increase the probability of having HPV? Are they linked in some way?

And +1 what Knott said.

Thank you so much for your information.

[Running Mommy]

I had cervical cancer. Actually I've been on a treatment regime twice now because I had an iffy read on a subsequent test.
Never did my doctor mention HPV. I'm glad there is now a vaccine for it, but I don't like how it's being portrayed in such an ugly light.
My husband heard the commercial for the vaccine and asked me if I had an STD. I was MORTIFIED!!! You see he was a virgin when we met, I was not. So somehow I feel like he thinks that I have something horrible that I could possibly pass on to him. It's a very touchy subject between us to say the least.
I still don't know if I have HPV??
My latest battle is with a rogue ovary. My doctor is not liking the looks of one of them so I have to go in for a sonogram. I'm kind of putting it off, tho I know I need to do it. I guess I should ask the OB about the HPV thing when I see her, but I also think that part of me doesn't want to know. I guess my main question is can you have cervical cancer and NOT have HPV??
Anyone know that answer??

[mimitabby]

wow, Running mom, you are a cancer survivor. That is a nasty one, and I know someone that died YOUNG from it too.

Take care of yourself, it sounds like you are living life to the fullest, as we all should.

[trickytiger]

RunningMommy,

I could be wrong, but two types of HPV are responsible for approximately 70% of cervical cancers (the viruses are labeled 14 and 16, I think). So, no, you do not have to have HPV to get cervical cancer, but it's most likely involved. Plus, the types of HPV that are linked to cancer are the ones that present no physical symptoms (like warts), so most women would have no idea that they were infected unless they were tested after a bad pap result.

[hellosunshine]

no this all happened feb 16th 2006!

yes,we are lucky in the UK the nat health system is 100% at times........



what also strikes me in how 100% lucky we are that we talk quite openly here,things id never discuss normally,there again as i mix in a male dominated sport i think ive only 2 female friends,so ta v muchy.xx to you all

[btchance]

Thanks trickytiger for helping to answer that question. I don't have time to type out some answers this morning but I will get to them this evening.

And RunningMommy - get your butt to the doctor to get that sonogram!!! Ovaries are not something to mess with. (you're not going to make me beg for you to go, are you ?)

[Crankin]

My best friend from childhood died from cervical cancer at age 21. Although I had moved away, I believe that she was diagnosed at age 15, and had a hysterectomy shortly after that (it had spread). I wouldn't care what people are insinuating about the link between sex and HPV/cancer. If I had a daughter, I would insist she get the vaccine.
It's amazing I have lived this long...

[btchance]

RunningMommy,

I could be wrong, but two types of HPV are responsible for approximately 70% of cervical cancers (the viruses are labeled 14 and 16, I think). So, no, you do not have to have HPV to get cervical cancer, but it's most likely involved. Plus, the types of HPV that are linked to cancer are the ones that present no physical symptoms (like warts), so most women would have no idea that they were infected unless they were tested after a bad pap result.

You're right, you don't have to have HPV to have cervical cancer. It's just that the majority of cervical ca is caused by HPV.

There are different types of HPV that cause different problems (think of them like dogs - different breeds, each with different characteristics but the same basic make-up)

The ones that cause cervical cancer are 16 (50% of all cancers), 18 (10- 12%), 31, 33, 45, 53, and 58 making up the rest. The ones that cause genital warts are 6 and 11 which make up 90% of warts.

The vaccine only contains 16, 18, 6, and 11. So you can see that it does not prevent you from getting cancer or warts; it only decreases your risk. What I'm afraid of is that all of these women will get the vaccine and will assume that they don't need Pap smears, which they absolutely still do need. There is all this talk about risk factors for cervical cancer, but the main one is no Pap smears or infrequent Pap smears - if you have you're yearly Pap smear done, the risk of the abnormal cells progressing to cancer before they are caught is extremely low. So keep getting your Paps even if you get the vaccine. (okay, I'll get off my soap box now. This is just a pet peeve of mine, not watching out for yourself)

I know there are some more questions and I'll get to those in a bit. I've got some studying to do before a certification test tomorrow. I hope this little bit has helped, and I'll keep trying with any questions you ladies have.

[KnottedYet]

My doc knocked my Pap smears down to once every two years. All this is making me think maybe I should go back to once a year.

[btchance]

My doc knocked my Pap smears down to once every two years. All this is making me think maybe I should go back to once a year.

The guidelines are that if you are in a stable relationship and have had 3 neg Pap smears in a row, and they use a certain type of Pap, then you can go to every 2 years. you still need a pelvic every year to check the ovaries and uterus, but Paps can be every 2 years.

Edited to add: actually, I'm going to have to go back and double check something here. I know you can definately go to every two years in this circumstances, but there may be some other times. I'll get back to you in a bit on this one.

[Kitsune06]

This is just a pet peeve of mine, not watching out for yourself).

Damm straight, Btchance, that's my thought on it, too. People shouldn't complain that there are getting to be requirements on having said vaccine. If there're preventative measures out there, one should pursue them. When I can, I intend to get the vacc... I'm 22, so well under their '26' limit, and though I don't sleep around, one never knows. I'd rather be safe than sorry, especially with something like cervical ca and its precursors.

[kelownagirl]

It has never occured to me to ask to be tested for any of those. Should I be? I am obviously too old for any vaccines (46). Can you be totally symptom-free?

Knot - my doctor only wants to do a pap every 2nd year now too.

[btchance]

Wow, BTChance. I have been misled and I thought I was fairly informed on the topic. My mother was diagnosed with cervical cancer and the post I wrote was based on information I had gathered at that time. So does having HSV increase the probability of having HPV? Are they linked in some way?

And +1 what Knott said.

Thank you so much for your information.

Wahine - herpes virus and HPV are confused pretty often unless you deal with both of them frequently. The difference between the two of them is that:
HSV - causes ulcers, no cancer
HPV - causes warts (growth-looking lesions) and cancer.
Having HSV indirectly increases risk of HPV just because they are transmitted the same way. It doesn't increase the risk in any other way that I know of.