Reprinted Courtesy of Women's Health and Fitness Magazine, January 2005
The ABC’s of an abnormal PAP
By Lisa B. Samalonis
Does it automatically mean cervical cancer?
What you should know about prevention, early detection and false alarms.
If you get a call from your gynecologist’s office about an abnormal Pap smear, don’t freak out. While even the words 'abnormal Pap' can be scary, they can result for a variety of reasons. In many cases of cervical cancer, it can be detected early and treated fully. Each year, cervical cancer affects approximately 10,520 women a year, according to the American Cancer Society.
Routine annual gynecologic examinations are the first line of defense, says Ginger J. Gardner, MD, assistant professor, gynecologic oncology, at Johns Hopkins Hospital. Cervical cancer is categorized as early and late stage. "For early stage disease, typically the tumors are smaller and have a better response to therapy," she says.
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Did you know that cervical cancer is caused by certain types of a common virus? It’s a virus we should all be concerned about—it’s called human papillomavirus (HPV). And even though HPV is really common, many people don’t know they have it because there often are no signs or symptoms. For most women, HPV clears on its own. But for some, cervical cancer and other consequences can develop.
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