Understanding Cervical Cancer And The Importance Of Early Screenings

January is cervical cancer awareness month.  Gynecological Oncology Nurse Navigator Karla Schlicht from CentraCare and Coborns Cancer Center joined me on WJON talk about cervical cancer.

What Is Cervical Cancer?

Cervical Cancer is a cancer of the female reproductive system specifically the cervix which is the lower part of a woman's uterus.  Cervical cancer develops when abnormal cells in cervix start to grow uncontrollably.  Schlicht says these abnormal cells are often caused by a HPV (Human Papillomavirus) infection.  She says most people have this virus at some point in their lives.  Schlicht explains most of the time our bodies do a good job of clearing the infection.  She says for some, HPV can linger and can lead to cervical or other cancers.

Lack of Symptoms

Schlicht says often times people with early stages of cervical cancer, have no idea they have it.  She says when symptoms start to develop, the cancer has moved past early stages.  Schlicht says HPV can be discovered early during routine pap smears with a primary care doctor.  Pap smears should be done at age 21 and should be done every 3 years with their primary care provider.  Schlicht says getting routine pap smears is the only screening for cervical cancer that they have.

Risk Factors

Cervical cancer does not run in families.  Risk factors for cervical cancer include smoking, which Schlicht says lowers our body's immune system and ability to rid the body of viruses like HPV.  Other risk factors include having multiple sexual partners, more than 3 pregnancies, and not having the HPV vaccine.  Schlicht says the HPV vaccine is readily available and recommended by the CDC starting around the age of 11 or 12.

Treatment

Treatments for cervical cancer include surgery, if discovered early, and radiation and chemotherapy, if the cancer has progressed.  Schlicht says radiation and chemotherapy can prolong a person's life but people often times die of cervical cancer. She says if the cancer is discovered in the cervix, it can often spread to other locations in the body, like the vagina and lymph nodes.

If you'd like to listen to my 4-part conversation with RN Karla Schlicht, click below.