cervical cancer

[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...

[bmccasland]

OK, I'll ask a dumb (?) question .. I've been getting Pap smears for years, doesn't this test for HPV? Have my annual physical in a couple of months and inquiring minds want to know.

(and yeah, I know, "there's no such thing as a dumb question".)

[SalsaMTB]

OK, I'll ask a dumb (?) question .. I've been getting Pap smears for years, doesn't this test for HPV? Have my annual physical in a couple of months and inquiring minds want to know.

(and yeah, I know, "there's no such thing as a dumb question".)

+1. I'm curious to know this also. I know very little about cervical cancer and HPV.

Also, for people in US, how does getting tested for HPV impact insurance coverage? Just curious, if you test positive, but don't have cancer and do nothing, then later get diagnosed with cancer, will insurance still cover treatment??

The reason I ask this is something I recall my mother telling me. I do not know if this is still true, so if someone knows it isn't, please correct me. A friend of the family has been fighting breast cancer. She carries one of the genes that makes you significantly more likely to get the cancer. She wanted her daughter to get tested for the gene, but her daughter was reluctant because if she were found positive for the gene, she would need to take preventative measures for breast cancer (ie preventative mastectomy), otherwise insurance would not cover treatment later on in life if she were to get breast cancer.

[Grog]

I hope BTChance will provide more enlightening details, but as someone who's been treated for weird stuff on my cervix I can give little info I have.

The pap smear does not test for HPV, it looks for abnormal cells on your cervix. If abnormal cells are found, a test for HPV will be made. However I don't think it matters that much whether the source of the abnormal cells is HPV or something else, it has to be treated anyway, and there is no way to take HPV outside of your body once it's there.

There is a new test around supposedly that is much better than the pap smear but I haven't experienced it personally and am not sure whether it's been approved for mass use.

Pap smears are not totally and do not catch everything. Which is why it is very important to get one every year so that you increase your chance of catching any problem early. Abnormal cells on your cervix, if let to their own nasty thing, might lead to cervical cancer and other cancers in that area. Sometimes they just disappear, too.

Where I'm from, "promiscuity" is not so much of an issue and few people freak out when teenagers have sex. I've always been told that early start of sexual activity is a risk factor. It makes sense: the longer you've had sex, the more chance you have of being exposed to the virus. I don't see it as a moral issue. I encourage you to do the same with your partners, friends, daughters. As others have mentioned, most women who are sexually active have been exposed to HPV. Not all will develop cancer as a result. But it's a virus that's basically omnipresent. Like, by the way, HSV (herpes) that is thought to be present in about 1/6 people if not more. Making it a shameful thing just prevents people from seeking treatment.

**

RM: GO GET THAT ULTRASOUND. NOW. You don't want to wait until the funny looking ovaries start behaving funny. If only for that reason: it HURTS terribly. (Think of a man being repeatedly kicked in the balls.......) And the earlier you get them to straighten their act - or are reassured about it - the better.

[chickwhorips]

my pap keeps coming back abnormal. i don't know why. a couple years ago they took a chunk of my cervix and tested it, but nothing was wrong.

why do i keep having abnormal paps? bc it keeps coming up, i don't really want to keep going back every couple of months to be checked. specially when nothing comes from it. i'm so frustrated.

i've considered getting vaccinated, but don't know much more about it. i hear its good to get until your 26, which i just turned. still debating about it. they probably don't have it out here in the bush, but in town they probably do. i just haven't heard much about it or if my insurance will cover it.

[DrBadger]

For those of you curious about the vaccine for HPV (it is called Guardasil and is made my Merk) it is a series of 3 shots given over 6 months. It is currently FDA "approved" for girls 12-26 in the US. However, this is just a guideline, and many doctors will give it to women older depending on circumstances. Generally they are giving it to women who have not become sexually active yet, as this is the only way to know that they haven't been exposed to one of the 4 strains of HPV that it is effective for. However, I believe that some doctors are giving it to people who have already been sexually active because the chances that they have already been exposed to all 4 strains is pretty low. As for insurance covering it, some are, some aren't, and it might depend on your age.

I have had two of my 3 doses, and I didn't start it until I was 27 (am 28 now), but I had talked to my Dr. the minute it was approved by the FDA since my mom had cervical cancer, and I have not yet been sexually active. While cervical cancer is usually caused by one of the HPV strains, it is still unclear why it only forms into cancer in some women, and there is a thought that that part of it might be genetic. My insurance doesn't cover it (yet), but I can get the vaccine at cost at my university. It is $135 for each injection, so ~$400 for all 3. In my mind, that is a small price to pay for decreasing my risk of cervical cancer.

I would encourage anyone who is able to to get the vaccine, and if you (or your daughters) are in the age group, or close to it, and there is a history of cervical cancer in your family I would really push the Dr. to let you get it ASAP, even if you have to pay for it.

RunningMommy - I know what you mean about this being a touchy subject for partners... my mom only had 1 partner, my dad, and the Dr.s do know that HPV caused her cervical cancer, so my dad hates that there are now all these ads about cancer being caused by a sexually transmitted virus, because it implies that he gave it to her. To add to it, she had to have a full hysterectomy, so no more kids.

For those of you older or yunger, I know that Merk is running clinical trials on women over 26 and on men (so they can't transmit it), so keep watching.

Also, word of warning... the injection hurts like a b**ch! Apparently it is the silver solution they use as the carrier. My clinic has found that the slower they inject it the less painful it is, so suggest that when you get it if they don't say anything.

[matagi]

As already mentioned the routine Pap smear looks for abnormal cells. It does not look for the presence of HPV. If you are concerned about HPV then you need to ask for additional testing to look for wart virus DNA.

[Kitsune06]

People know entirely too little about entirely too much.

I'm with you, Knot- I'd like to add that I betya anything that said vaccine for men wouldn't cost $600 for a 3-shot round. We had a client come in and b*tch to my manager (just casual b*tching, my mgr used to be a nurse) that she has three daughters, all under 12, which is the age at which some states are actually *requiring* the immunization. $1800 for protection for her daughters? I Sh*t you not.

Regarding testing- I'd reccommend being tested during annual exams...

Oh, to have health insurance. And even then I don't know if it'd be covered.

I think part of why there isn't as much of a clamor for it is that people think of only promiscuous people picking this up. As stated before, 1 in 4 has a strain of some sort. Sh!t happens that's beyond our control. end of story. Protection is incredibly important.

Think of the sheer amount of healthcare costs that will be reduced when we manage to reduce the number of women who develop cervical cancer because of HPV? What a benefit that would be to society. How dare they charge so much? I know Merck has a policy for those under-funded, but it would likely prove very difficult, indeed, to manage that.

PABadger- Ok, I know it might be awhile before I can afford this, but seriously, yer makin' me nervous. Like I need to be *more* afraid of a vaccination!

[DrBadger]

PABadger- Ok, I know it might be awhile before I can afford this, but seriously, yer makin' me nervous. Like I need to be *more* afraid of a vaccination!

At least it only hurts while they give the injection, and not for days afterwards like the tetanus vacccine I got my first HPV, a tetanus AND my flu shot all on the same day talk about sore arms!