Lifestyles Ideas Management - What should women know about ...

A letter from a new friend:
Hi Anne,

I hope you are doing well.
I came across your blog today and noticed your June 27th post concerning cervical cancer. I also think that it is important for women to have the most information possible about this disease that is highly preventable.
I am currently working with the digene HPV Test and was hoping to send you more information for inclusion on your blog. I know you are located in Singapore, however the information would be highly valuable for your American readers.

The digene HPV Test is the only FDA approved HPV test in the United States.
The test is approved for use in women age 30 and older in conjunction with a Pap. The test is meant to provide the best assurance (when used in conjunction with a Pap smear) of finding cervical disease before it becomes cancer.
The test is not mandatory, and only recommended if a Pap smear comes back inconclusive. I've spoken with many bloggers and online contacts, and it is my understanding that women just don't know about the test. I was hoping that you would be willing to help spread awareness through an article or link on your blog.

You can collect more information about our test on our Web site, HPV and Cervical Cancer-The digene HPV Test.
I can also provide you with cervical cancer survivor stories, fact sheets, etc. for publication on your site. Please let me know if you're interested.
I hope to hear from you soon. Thanks for spreading the word about important health concerns on your blog!

Best,
Valarie
Valarie Bastek | New Media Specialist
*@*@*@*@*#*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@*@

This is a great pleasure for me to spread the word about important health concerns on my blog. thanks Valarie!..

· Cervical cancer is cancer of the cervix.
The cervix is the lower part of the uterus (womb), which opens into the vagina.

· The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2006, about 9,700 women in the United States will develop cervical cancer and about 3,700 will die from it.

· Worldwide, cervical cancer is the second most common type of cancer that strikes women — behind only breast cancer.1

· The human papillomavirus, also called HPV, is a common sexually transmitted infection (STI). It is estimated that 80 percent of women will have one or more types of the virus at some time by the age of 50.2

· There are more than 100 types of HPV. Of these, about 15 high-risk types are known to cause virtually all cases of cervical cancer. Two of these types (16 and 18) are believed to cause 70 percent of these cases.3

· Although HPV is very common, cervical cancer is not. In most cases, the body's immune system fights off or suppresses the virus before it causes cancer or any other problems. It's only when high-risk types of HPV persist that the risk of developing dysplasia (pre-cancerous cells) and cervical cancer increases significantly.

· There is evidence that other factors may increase the risk of cervical cancer when combined with HPV, including smoking and illnesses that reduce the body's ability to fight off infections (such as HIV/AIDS).

· HPV cannot be treated, which makes early detection essential.

· A Pap test, the only detection method for nearly 60 years, fails to identify between 15 percent and 49 percent of women with abnormal cells before they become invasive cervical cancer.4

· A recent study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute found that one-third of all cervical cancer cases can be attributed to Pap test detection failure.

· The Digene® HPV Test was approved by the FDA in 2003 for cervical cancer screening, in conjunction with the Pap, for women age 30 or older (those most at risk for cervical cancer). With this combination approach, the ability to identify women at risk is nearly 100 percent5 – thus allowing treatment if necessary before abnormal cell changes become more serious.

· A comprehensive approach that combines HPV and Pap testing with the new vaccine that prevents infection with two high-risk types of HPV could make cervical cancer the first malignancy that is actually eliminated.

· Girls and young women who are not yet sexually active will benefit most from the new HPV vaccine. However, because the vaccine, approved for girls and women age 9 to 26, targets just two of more than a dozen types of HPV that can cause cervical cancer, that protection won’t be complete without regular screening.

For more information, visit http://www.theHPVtest.com
1 World Health Organization, November 2, 2005, http://www.who.int/vaccine_research/diseases/hpv/en.

2 ”Consumer/Patient Fact Sheet,” American Social Health Association, National HPV & Cervical Cancer Prevention Resource Center, 1999.

3 Harper, Diane et al, “Efficacy of Bivalent L1 Virus-Like Particle Vaccine in Prevention of Infection with HPV Types 16 and 18 in Young Women: A Randomised Controlled Trial.” The Lancet 2004 364: 1757 – 1765.

4 Clavel C. Masure M, Bory JP, Putaud I, Mangeonjean C, Lorenzato F et al. “Human Papillomavirus Testing in Primary Screening for the Detection of High-Grade Cervical Lesions: A Study of 7932 Women.” Br J Cancer 2001; 89(12): 1616-1623.

5 J Cuzick, A Szarewski, H Cubie, G Hulman et al, “Management of Women Who Test Positive for High-Risk Types of Human Papillomavirus: The Hart Study.” The Lancet 2003 362: 1871-1876.