Cervical Cancer - HPV Info

After Treatment for Precancerous Cervical Lesions, Risk Drops to Normal for Some

noreply@blogger.com (Fashion Accessory) — Sat, 28 Jan 2012 14:39:00 +0000

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, April 28 (HealthDay News) — Women who have been treated for precancerous cervical lesions should see their cancer risk drop to normal after three “all clear” screening test results, Dutch researchers say.

These women can then resume screening for cervical cancer on the same schedule as the general population, they added.

“The question is how we should follow women who have been treated for precancerous cervical lesions,” said lead researcher Dr. Chris Meijer, from the department of pathology at Vrije University Medical Center in Amsterdam.

The answer appears linked to two years worth of normal test results following treatment.

In the study, Meijer’s team looked at the effectiveness of follow-up screening among 435 women who were treated for precancerous cervical lesions between July 1988 and November 2004. The women were given Pap tests to screen for cervical cancer and also tested for a virus linked to the cancer — human papillomavirus, or HPV — at 6, 12 and 24 months after treatment. If the test results were normal, they resumed normal testing, which in the Netherlands is once every five years.

The risk of developing new precancerous cervical lesions or cervical cancer over five years was 16.5 percent.

However, among women who had three normal Pap and HPV tests, the risk dropped to 3 percent in the same period, which is the same risk seen in women who never had precancerous cervical lesions, the researchers noted.

In addition, Meijer’s group found that adding HPV testing made the one year screening unnecessary for women who had had a negative test at six months.

Women treated for precancerous cervical lesions who develop recurring disease need to be screened with Pap and human papillomavirus testing, but the best regimen for long-term follow-up hasn’t been clear, the researchers said.

The report was published in the April 27 online edition of The Lancet Oncology.

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends that women aged 21 to 30 be screened for cervical cancer every two years and that women over 30 who have had three negative (normal) Pap and HPV tests in a row be screened every three years.

Meijer thinks that even though the protocol for screening women over 30 in the United States is every three years, it can safely be extended to five years.

However, women who have abnormal tests after treatment need additional testing, because their risk of developing the disease again is high over the next five years, Meijer noted.

Commenting on the study, Dr. Elizabeth A. Poynor, a gynecologic oncologist and pelvic surgeon at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City said that “this provides a framework for how to follow people after they have been treated for precancerous cervical lesions.”

For Poynor, the important message is that if a women does not have a recurrence after two years, her risk of developing precancerous cervical lesions reverts to the same risk as women who have never had precancerous cervical lesions — that is, they have the same risk as other women in the general population.

“These women can go back to accepted population screening in the United States, which is a little bit more stringent [than that in the Netherlands],” she said. “Women two years after being appropriately treated for precancerous cervical lesions can be reassured that they go back down to a population risk.”

Source : http://news.health.com/2011/04/28/after-treatment-for-precancerous-cervical-lesions-risk-drops-to-normal-for-some

General Information About Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors

noreply@blogger.com (Fashion Accessory) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 13:25:00 +0000

Ovarian germ cell tumor is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the germ (egg) cells of the ovary.

Germ cell tumors begin in the reproductive cells (egg or sperm) of the body. Ovarian germ cell tumors usually occur in teenage girls or young women and most often affect just one ovary.
The ovaries are a pair of organs in the female reproductive system. They are located in the pelvis, one on each side of the uterus (the hollow, pear-shaped organ where a fetus grows). Each ovary is about the size and shape of an almond. The ovaries produce eggs and female hormones (chemicals that control the way certain cells or organs function).

Anatomy of the female reproductive system. The organs in the female reproductive system include the uterus, ovaries, fallopian tubes, cervix, and vagina. The uterus has a muscular outer layer called the myometrium and an inner lining called the endometrium.

Ovarian germ cell tumor is a general name that is used to describe several different types of cancer. The most common ovarian germ cell tumor is called dysgerminoma. (Refer to the PDQ summaries on Ovarian Epithelial Cancer Treatment and Ovarian Low Malignant Potential Tumors Treatment for information about other types of ovarian cancers.)

Possible signs of ovarian germ cell tumor are swelling of the abdomen or vaginal bleeding after menopause.
Ovarian germ cell tumors can be difficult to diagnose (find) early. Often there are no symptoms in the early stages, but tumors may be found during regular gynecologic examinations (checkups). A woman who has swelling of the abdomen without weight gain in other places should see a doctor. A woman who no longer has menstrual periods (who has gone through menopause) should also see a doctor if she has bleeding from the vagina.

Tests that examine the ovaries, pelvic area, blood, and ovarian tissue are used to detect (find) and diagnose ovarian germ cell tumor.

The following tests and procedures may be used:
Pelvic exam: An exam of the vagina, cervix, uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, and rectum. The doctor or nurse inserts one or two lubricated, gloved fingers of one hand into the vagina and the other hand is placed over the lower abdomen to feel the size, shape, and position of the uterus and ovaries. A speculum is also inserted into the vagina and the doctor or nurse looks at the vagina and cervix for signs of disease. A Pap test or Pap smear of the cervix is usually done. The doctor or nurse also inserts a lubricated, gloved finger into the rectum to feel for lumps or abnormal areas.

Pelvic exam. A doctor or nurse inserts one or two lubricated, gloved fingers of one hand into the vagina and presses on the lower abdomen with the other hand. This is done to feel the size, shape, and position of the uterus and ovaries. The vagina, cervix, fallopian tubes, and rectum are also checked.
Laparotomy: A surgical procedure in which an incision (cut) is made in the wall of the abdomen to check the inside of the abdomen for signs of disease. The size of the incision depends on the reason the laparotomy is being done. Sometimes organs are removed or tissue samples are taken for biopsy.
Lymphangiogram: A procedure used to x-ray the lymph system. A dye is injected into the lymph vessels in the feet. The dye travels upward through the lymph nodes and lymph vessels, and x-rays are taken to see if there are any blockages. This test helps find out whether cancer has spread to the lymph nodes.
CT scan (CAT scan): A procedure that makes a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body, taken from different angles. The pictures are made by a computer linked to an x-ray machine. A dye may be injected into a vein or swallowed to help the organs or tissues show up more clearly. This procedure is also called computed tomography, computerized tomography, or computerized axial tomography.
Serum tumor marker test: A procedure in which a sample of blood is checked to measure the amounts of certain substances released into the blood by organs, tissues, or tumor cells in the body. Certain substances are linked to specific types of cancer when found in increased levels in the blood. These are called tumor markers. An increased level of alpha fetoprotein (AFP) or human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in the blood may be a sign of ovarian germ cell tumor.

Certain factors affect prognosis (chance of recovery and treatment options).
The prognosis (chance of recovery) and treatment options depend on the following:

The type of cancer.
The size of the tumor.
The stage of cancer (whether it affects part of the ovary, involves the whole ovary, or has spread to other places in the body).
The way the cancer cells look under a microscope.
The patient's general health.

Ovarian germ cell tumors are generally curable if found and treated early.

Stages of Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors

After ovarian germ cell tumor has been diagnosed, tests are done to find out if cancer cells have spread within the ovary or to other parts of the body.

The process used to find out whether cancer has spread within the ovary or to other parts of the body is called staging. The information gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease. It is important to know the stage in order to plan treatment. Certain tests are used in the staging process.
Many of the tests used to diagnose ovariangerm cell tumor are also used to determine the stage of the disease. Unless a doctor is sure the cancer has spread from the ovaries to other parts of the body, surgery is required to determine the stage of cancer in an operation called a laparotomy. The doctor must cut into the abdomen and carefully look at all the organs to see if they contain cancer. The doctor will cut out small pieces of tissue and look at them under a microscope to see whether they contain cancer. The doctor may also wash the abdominal cavity with fluid and then look at the fluid under a microscope to see if it contains cancer cells. Usually the doctor will remove the cancer and other organs that contain cancer during the laparotomy.

There are three ways that cancer spreads in the body.
The three ways that cancer spreads in the body are:

Through tissue. Cancer invades the surrounding normal tissue.
Through the lymph system. Cancer invades the lymph system and travels through the lymph vessels to other places in the body.
Through the blood. Cancer invades the veins and capillaries and travels through the blood to other places in the body.

When cancer cells break away from the primary (original) tumor and travel through the lymph or blood to other places in the body, another (secondary) tumor may form. This process is called metastasis. The secondary (metastatic) tumor is the same type of cancer as the primary tumor. For example, if breast cancer spreads to the bones, the cancer cells in the bones are actually breast cancer cells. The disease is metastatic breast cancer, not bone cancer.

The following stages are used for ovarian germ cell tumors:
Stage I

Ovarian cancer stage IA, IB, and IC. In stage IA, cancer is found inside a single ovary. In stage IB, cancer is found inside both ovaries. In stage IC, cancer is found in one or both ovaries and one of the following is true: (a) cancer is found on the outside surface of one or both ovaries, (b) the capsule (outer covering) of the tumor has broken open, or (c) cancer cells are found floating in the peritoneal fluid surrounding abdominal organs or in washings of the peritoneum.
In stage I, cancer is found in one or both of the ovaries and has not spread. Stage I is divided into stage IA, stage IB, and stage IC.

Stage IA: Cancer is found in a single ovary.
Stage IB: Cancer is found in both ovaries.
Stage IC: Cancer is found in one or both ovaries and one of the following is true:
- cancer is found on the outside surface of one or both ovaries; or
- the capsule (outer covering) of the tumor has ruptured (broken open); or
- cancer cells are found in the fluid of the peritoneal cavity (the body cavity that contains most of the organs in the abdomen) or in washings of the peritoneum (tissue lining the peritoneal cavity).

Stage II

Ovarian cancer stage IIA, IIB, and IIC. In stage IIA, cancer is found inside one or both ovaries and has spread to the uterus and/or the fallopian tubes. In stage IIB, cancer is found inside one or both ovaries and has spread to other tissues within the pelvis. In stage IIC, cancer is found inside one or both ovaries and has spread to the uterus and/or fallopian tubes and/or other tissue within the pelvis. Cancer cells are also found floating in the peritoneal fluid surrounding abdominal organs or in washings of the peritoneum.

In stage II, cancer is found in one or both ovaries and has spread into other areas of the pelvis. Stage II is divided into stage IIA, stage IIB, and stage IIC.

Stage IIA: Cancer has spread to the uterus and/or the fallopian tubes (the long slender tubes through which eggs pass from the ovaries to the uterus).
Stage IIB: Cancer has spread to other tissue within the pelvis.
Stage IIC: Cancer has spread to the uterus and/or fallopian tubes and/or other tissue within the pelvis and cancer cells are found in the fluid of the peritoneal cavity (the body cavity that contains most of the organs in the abdomen) or in washings of the peritoneum (tissue lining the peritoneal cavity).

Stage III

Pea, peanut, walnut, and lime show tumor sizes.

In stage III, cancer is found in one or both ovaries and has spread to other parts of the abdomen. Stage III is divided into stage IIIA, stage IIIB, and stage IIIC as follows:
Stage IIIA: The tumor is found only in the pelvis, but cancercells have spread to the surface of the peritoneum (tissue that lines the abdominal wall and covers most of the organs in the abdomen).

Stage IIIA ovarian cancer. In stage IIIA, cancer is found in one or both ovaries and has spread to other tissue within the pelvis. Cancer cells have spread to the surface of the peritoneum. Cancer that has spread to the surface of the liver is also considered to be stage III. Stage IIIB: Cancer has spread to the peritoneum but is 2 centimeters or smaller in diameter.

Stage IIIB ovarian cancer. In stage IIIB, cancer is found in one or both ovaries and has spread to other tissue within the abdomen and to the peritoneum, where it is 2 centimeters or smaller in diameter. Cancer that has spread to the surface of the liver is also considered to be stage III.Stage IIIC: Cancer has spread to the peritoneum and is larger than 2 centimeters in diameter and/or has spread to lymph nodes in the abdomen.

Stage IIIC ovarian cancer. In stage IIIC, cancer is found in one or both ovaries and has spread to (a) the peritoneum, where it is larger than 2 centimeters in diameter, and/or (b) lymph nodes in the abdomen. Cancer that has spread to the surface of the liver is also considered to be stage III.
Cancer that has spread to the surface of the liver is also considered stage III disease.
Stage IV

Stage IV ovarian cancer. Cancer is found in one or both ovaries and may spread to other parts of the body, such as the lymph nodes, lung, liver, and bone. Cancer cells may also be found in an area between the lungs and the chest wall that has filled with fluid.
In stage IV, cancer is found in one or both ovaries and has metastasized (spread) beyond the abdomen to other parts of the body.
Cancer that has spread to tissues in the liver is also considered stage IV disease.

Recurrent Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors

Recurrentovariangerm cell tumor is cancer that has recurred (come back) after it has been treated. The cancer may come back in the other ovary or in other parts of the body.

Treatment Option Overview

There are different types of treatment for patients with ovarian germ cell tumors.
Different types of treatment are available for patients with ovariangerm cell tumor. Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some are being tested in clinical trials. A treatment clinical trial is a research study meant to help improve current treatments or obtain information on new treatments for patients with cancer. When clinical trials show that a new treatment is better than the standard treatment, the new treatment may become the standard treatment. Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial. Some clinical trials are open only to patients who have not started treatment.
Three types of standard treatment are used:

Surgery
Surgery is the most common treatment of ovarian germ cell tumor. A doctor may take out the cancer using one of the following types of surgery.

Unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy: A surgical procedure to remove one ovary and one fallopian tube.
Total hysterectomy: A surgical procedure to remove the uterus, including the cervix. If the uterus and cervix are taken out through the vagina, the operation is called a vaginal hysterectomy. If the uterus and cervix are taken out through a large incision (cut) in the abdomen, the operation is called a total abdominal hysterectomy. If the uterus and cervix are taken out through a small incision (cut) in the abdomen using a laparoscope, the operation is called a total laparoscopic hysterectomy.

Hysterectomy. The uterus is surgically removed with or without other organs or tissues. In a total hysterectomy, the uterus and cervix are removed. In a total hysterectomy with salpingo-oophorectomy, (a) the uterus plus one (unilateral) ovary and fallopian tube are removed; or (b) the uterus plus both (bilateral) ovaries and fallopian tubes are removed. In a radical hysterectomy, the uterus, cervix, both ovaries, both fallopian tubes, and nearby tissue are removed. These procedures are done using a low transverse incision or a vertical incision.
Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy: A surgical procedure to remove both ovaries and both fallopian tubes.
Tumor debulking: A surgical procedure in which as much of the tumor as possible is removed. Some tumors may not be able to be completely removed.

Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from dividing. When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly in the cerebrospinal fluid, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas. The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
See Drugs Approved for Ovarian Cancer for more information.
Radiation therapy
Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells. There are two types of radiation therapy. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer. Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer. The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.
Even if the doctor removes all the cancer that can be seen at the time of the operation, some patients may be offered chemotherapy or radiation after surgery to kill any cancer cells that are left. Treatment given after the surgery, to lower the risk that the cancer will come back, is called adjuvant therapy.
Following radiation or chemotherapy, an operation called a second-look laparotomy is sometimes done. This is similar to the laparotomy that is done to determine the stage of the cancer. During the second-look operation, the doctor will take samples of lymph nodes and other tissues in the abdomen to see if any cancer is left.

New types of treatment are being tested in clinical trials.
This summary section describes treatments that are being studied in clinical trials. It may not mention every new treatment being studied. Information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.
High-dose chemotherapy with bone marrow transplant
High-dose chemotherapy with bone marrow transplant is a method of giving very high doses of chemotherapy and replacing blood-forming cells destroyed by the cancer treatment. Stem cells (immature blood cells) are removed from the bone marrow of the patient or a donor and are frozen and stored. After the chemotherapy is completed, the stored stem cells are thawed and given back to the patient through an infusion. These reinfused stem cells grow into (and restore) the body's blood cells.
New treatment options
Combination chemotherapy (the use of more than one chemotherapy drug to fight cancer) is being tested in clinical trials.
Patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial.
For some patients, taking part in a clinical trial may be the best treatment choice. Clinical trials are part of the cancer research process. Clinical trials are done to find out if new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard treatment.

Many of today's standard treatments for cancer are based on earlier clinical trials. Patients who take part in a clinical trial may receive the standard treatment or be among the first to receive a new treatment.
Patients who take part in clinical trials also help improve the way cancer will be treated in the future. Even when clinical trials do not lead to effective new treatments, they often answer important questions and help move research forward.

Patients can enter clinical trials before, during, or after starting their cancer treatment.
Some clinical trials only include patients who have not yet received treatment. Other trials test treatments for patients whose cancer has not gotten better. There are also clinical trials that test new ways to stop cancer from recurring (coming back) or reduce the side effects of cancer treatment.

Clinical trials are taking place in many parts of the country. See the Treatment Options section that follows for links to current treatment clinical trials. These have been retrieved from NCI's listing of clinical trials.
Follow-up tests may be needed.
Some of the tests that were done to diagnose the cancer or to find out the stage of the cancer may be repeated. Some tests will be repeated in order to see how well the treatment is working. Decisions about whether to continue, change, or stop treatment may be based on the results of these tests. This is sometimes called re-staging.
Some of the tests will continue to be done from time to time after treatment has ended. The results of these tests can show if your condition has changed or if the cancer has recurred (come back). These tests are sometimes called follow-up tests or check-ups.

Treatment Options By Stage

A link to a list of current clinical trials is included for each treatment section. For some types or stages of cancer, there may not be any trials listed. Check with your doctor for clinical trials that are not listed here but may be right for you.
Stage I Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors
Treatment depends on whether the tumor is dysgerminoma or another type of germ cell tumor.
Treatment of dysgerminoma may include the following:

Unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy with or without lymphangiography (an x-ray study of the lymph system, the tissues and organs that filter and destroy harmful substances and help fight infection and disease) or CT scan (a series of detailed pictures of areas inside the body, created by a computer linked to an x-ray machine).
Unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy followed by observation (closely monitoring a patient's condition without giving any treatment until symptoms appear or change).
Unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy followed by radiation therapy.
Unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy followed by chemotherapy.

Treatment of other germ cell tumors may be either:

unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy followed by careful observation; or
unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, sometimes followed by combination chemotherapy.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage I ovarian germ cell tumor. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Stage II Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors

Treatment depends on whether the tumor is dysgerminoma or another type of germ cell tumor.
Treatment of dysgerminoma may be either:

total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy followed by radiation therapy or combination chemotherapy; or
unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy followed by chemotherapy.

Treatment of other germ cell tumors may include the following:

Unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy followed by combination chemotherapy.
Second-look surgery (surgery performed after primary treatment to determine whether tumorcells remain).
A clinical trial of new treatment options.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage II ovarian germ cell tumor. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Stage III Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors

Treatment depends on whether the tumor is dysgerminoma or another type of germ cell tumor.
Treatment of dysgerminoma may include the following:

Total abdominalhysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, with removal of as much of the cancer in the pelvis and abdomen as possible.
Unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy followed by chemotherapy.

Treatment of other germ cell tumors may include the following:

Total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, with removal of as much of the cancer in the pelvis and abdomen as possible. Chemotherapy will be given before and/or after surgery.
Unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy followed by chemotherapy.
Second-look surgery (surgery performed after primary treatment to determine whether tumor cells remain).
A clinical trial of new treatment options.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage III ovarian germ cell tumor. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Stage IV Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors

Treatment depends on whether the tumor is dysgerminoma or another type of germ cell tumor.
Treatment of dysgerminoma may include the following:

Total abdominalhysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy followed by chemotherapy, with removal of as much of the cancer in the pelvis and abdomen as possible.
Unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy followed by chemotherapy.

Treatment of other germ cell tumors may include the following:

Total abdominal hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, with removal of as much of the cancer in the pelvis and abdomen as possible. Chemotherapy will be given before and/or after surgery.
Unilateral salpingo-oophorectomy followed by chemotherapy.
Second-look surgery (surgery performed after primary treatment to determine whether tumor cells remain).
A clinical trial of new treatment options.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with stage IV ovarian germ cell tumor. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

Treatment Options for Recurrent Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors

Treatment depends on whether the tumor is dysgerminoma or another type of germ cell tumor.
Treatment of dysgerminoma may be:

Chemotherapy with or without radiation therapy.

Treatment of other germ cell tumors may include the following:

Chemotherapy.
Surgery with or without chemotherapy.
A clinical trial of high-dose chemotherapy followed by bone marrow transplant.
A clinical trial of new treatment options.

Check for U.S. clinical trials from NCI's list of cancer clinical trials that are now accepting patients with recurrent ovarian germ cell tumor. For more specific results, refine the search by using other search features, such as the location of the trial, the type of treatment, or the name of the drug. General information about clinical trials is available from the NCI Web site.

To Learn More About Ovarian Germ Cell Tumors

For more information from the National Cancer Institute about ovarian germ cell tumors, see the following:

Ovarian Cancer Home Page
Drugs Approved for Ovarian Cancer

For general cancer information and other resources from the National Cancer Institute, see the following:

What You Need to Know About™ Cancer
Understanding Cancer Series: Cancer
Cancer Staging
Chemotherapy and You: Support for People With Cancer
Radiation Therapy and You: Support for People With Cancer
Coping with Cancer: Supportive and Palliative Care
Cancer Library
Information For Survivors/Caregivers/Advocates

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Source : http://www.health.com/health/library/mdp/0,,ncicdr0000062967,00.

Few Young Women Getting Cervical Cancer Vaccine

noreply@blogger.com (Fashion Accessory) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 12:25:00 +0000

By Amanda Gardner
HealthDay Reporter

TUESDAY, Nov. 9 (HealthDay News) — Few teenage girls and young women are getting the human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV), and many of those who start the regimen fail to take all three doses, new research reveals.

Although studies have shown that the HPV vaccine is safe and effective against several strains of the sexually transmitted virus, just one-third of teens and young women who start the three-dose series actually finish, and almost three-quarters don’t start it at all, according to research being presented this week at the American Association of Cancer Research annual meeting in Philadelphia.
“Women who are eligible for this vaccine and could potentially benefit aren’t getting it at rates to maximally prevent cervical cancer,” said study author J. Kathleen Tracy, an assistant professor of epidemiology and public health at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore.

“This highlights the need for public health promotions and practice patterns to encourage vaccine uptake or at least discussion of the pros and cons,” Tracy said.

Tracy has initiated a study to see if text messages will prompt women aged 18 to 26 to keep their follow-up appointments for subsequent doses of the vaccine.
According to background information in the abstract, about 30 percent of sexually active 14- to 19-year-olds are infected with HPV at any one time. Over time, persistent infection can lead to cervical cancer.

Two HPV vaccines are marketed in the United States. Gardasil, approved in 2006 for girls aged 9 and up, protects against four types of HPV, two of which cause about 70 percent of cervical cancers worldwide.
Cervarix, which covers the two strains of the virus responsible for most cases of cervical cancer, was approved in 2009.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that 11- and 12-year-old girls be targeted for the vaccine as most in this age group are not yet having sex and would therefore not have been exposed to HPV yet.

A 2008 survey, conducted before Cervarix was approved, found that only about half of American mothers intended to have daughters younger than 13 vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV), despite government guidelines suggesting the opposite.
These authors looked at medical records on 9,658 girls and women aged 9 through 26 who were seen at the University of Maryland Medical Center between August 2006 and August 2010.
Only 27.3 percent of them opted to start the vaccine.
And of these, 39.1 percent completed just one dose, 30.1 percent got two doses and 30.7 percent finished the series.

Blacks were less likely than white women to get all three doses, and women aged 18 through 26 were less likely than younger girls to complete the series.
Dr. Mark Wakabayashi, chief of gynecologic oncology at City of Hope Cancer Center in Duarte, Calif., thinks suspicions about vaccines in general, including a lingering concern that childhood vaccinations can cause autism, may cause some reluctance. Those fears about autism are generally considered to be unfounded.
The stigma surrounding sexually transmitted diseases may also be a deterrent. “There are these connotations with sexually transmitted diseases, so I think a lot of parents feel that, when you’re talking about minors, everybody else should have the vaccine except their own child,” said Wakabayashi, who recommends the vaccine to his patients.

Tracy speculated that women aged 18 to 26 may be caught up in life’s transitions at that point, like leaving home and going to college. For many young women, this is the first time they are making their own medical decisions.

As for the younger age group, parents also get busy or may be less enthusiastic about a second dose if there was a side effect, such as pain at the injection site or fainting, after the first shot, she speculated.
Recent research from the University of Minnesota School of Public Health, which was published in the journal Health Affairs, also found that ongoing news reports regarding mandatory vaccination of middle-school students diminished support for the policy.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on HPV and on HPV vaccines.
SOURCES: J. Kathleen Tracy, Ph.D., assistant professor, epidemiology and public health, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore; Mark Wakabayashi, M.D., chief, gynecologic oncology, City of Hope Cancer Center, Duarte, Calif.; Nov. 9, 2010, news release, American Association for Cancer Research, Nov. 2, 2010, news release, University of Minnesota

Last Updated: Nov. 10, 2010

Copyright © 2010 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Source: http://news.health.com/2010/11/09/few-young-women-getting-cervical-cancer-vaccine

What to Expect at a Reproductive Health Center

noreply@blogger.com (Fashion Accessory) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 10:36:00 +0000

A reproductive health center is a facility that is designed to help individuals and couples experiencing infertility find relief. This may be a troubling condition for many experiencing it, making counseling important along with the treatment process. Many reproductive centers now offer stress relief treatments and exercises as well as counseling services along with the fertility treatments and procedures that are normally available at many clinics.

When you first seek consultation at a reproductive health center after experiencing infertility, you will likely be asked several questions regarding your health and medical history, as well as personal questions about your attempts at conception. Be open with the fertility specialist and make sure you find one with whom you feel comfortable discussing these matters. Keep in mind also that these specialists deal with these issues every day and understand patients' reluctance or hesitation to discuss personal matters.

In many cases, tests may be performed in an attempt to pinpoint the problem so that a solution may be worked out. Ask your specialist about the different tests being performed to help you understand the process. Diagnostic tests such as semen analysis, ultrasounds and cycle monitoring may be used to help determine the cause of infertility for many individuals and couples. Clinics may also investigate the possible causes of recurrent pregnancy loss if this is an issue. If the tests reveal the cause of the infertility, the specialist may recommend various treatment or procedure options and explore these options with the couple or individual.

Some of the more common fertility treatments available at many reproductive health centers include in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intrauterine insemination (IUI). In vitro fertilization involves the combination of sperm and eggs in a dish in a laboratory to create embryos, which are then transferred to the uterus where they may implant in the uterine wall and develop. Intrauterine insemination involves the direct injection of sperm into the uterus where it may fertilize the egg to create an embryo, which may then implant in the uterine lining and develop.

A variety of treatments and procedures may be available to treat various possible causes of infertility. These include endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), among many others. Male infertility may also be treated at many clinics. To help patients through what can be a difficult time, many clinics now offer counseling or stress-relieving exercises such as yoga or fertility massage to help patients relax and manage their stress.

Click on the following to find out more from a Fertility Doctor for your questions and solutions in becoming pregnant, becoming a parent, and general question regarding IVF South Florida in Plantation, Ft Lauderdale and Broward county

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?What-to-Expect-at-a-Reproductive-Health-Center&id=6097841

Ovarian Cancer - What Is It?

noreply@blogger.com (Fashion Accessory) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 09:49:00 +0000

Ovarian cancer is a common type of cancer that consists of cancerous growths on or around the ovary. Due to the organs that are affected, the illness is only present among women and features symptoms such as bloating, pelvic pain, constant urination, and decreased hunger. It is the second most common form of gynecological cancers, with just over eighty thousand patients being diagnosed with it each year.

Because of the subtle and common nature of the condition's symptoms, they're occasionally mistaken for symptoms of other diseases. This, along with the fact that most women do not experience any significant symptoms at all, usually leads to the condition not being diagnosed quickly enough. It is common practice to advice anyone who is complaining of regular constipation, stomach pain, or bloating to visit their physician as quickly as possible. If it is not diagnosed and treated in time, the disease can lead to more drastic issues such as colon obstructions and painful fluid in the pelvic area.

Because the disease is so common and life threatening, the American Cancer Society and the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists put together some helpful pamphlets about its symptoms so women could be more informed. The statement stresses the importance of annual checkups and taking any one of the illness's four most common symptoms very seriously.

When ovarian cancer is properly diagnosed in its early stages, it is nearly ninety percent curable but that percentage drops dramatically as time goes on so it is very important for women to listen to their body.
As of now, the exact cause of the disease isn't yet known but there are a number of mitigating factors that can put you at a higher risk of contracting it. Examples of higher risk patients include women over the age of forty, those with relatives who suffer from the disease, those who have never given birth, and those who have undergone postmenopausal hormonal replacement therapies. Many of the factors such as infertility, endometriosis, and other types of cancers can be linked to genetics.

However, those who give birth to more babies, have their babies earlier in life, take certain contraceptive pills, and undergo tubal ligation surgeries are at a much lower risk of ever getting ovarian cancer.
As with any other form of cancer, the sooner that this particular disease is caught the better off a person will be towards making a total recovery, though due to the lack of official early screening tests, the disease unfortunately has a poor long-term prognosis. Roughly sixty percent of all girls who receive a diagnosis will be in stage four or three of the condition already.

A physician with a woman who is presenting with certain symptoms will quickly check for any other signs of this condition. This includes an in-depth pelvic exam, blood tests, and abdominal ultrasounds. If they find enough signs to unveil that a cancerous growth is there, they will then do an exploratory procedure in order to confirm it.

There are many health issues women may have to face during their lives. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is very common among women during their child-bearing years. If you are suffering from the condition there are some natural remedies for PCOS that can offer relief from the symptoms. Learn more by visiting at pcosandfibroids.com/natural-remedies-for-pcos

Article Source: http://ezinearticles.com/?Ovarian-Cancer---What-Is-It?&id=6454502

HIV Vaccine Hits Another Obstacle

noreply@blogger.com (Fashion Accessory) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 13:10:00 +0000

By Michael Smith, North American Correspondent, MedPage Today
Published: December 27, 2011
Reviewed by Zalman S. Agus, MD; Emeritus Professor
University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and
Dorothy Caputo, MA, RN, BC-ADM, CDE, Nurse Planner

A detailed examination of immune responses to a failed HIV vaccine candidate has turned up another stumbling block on the road to a successful immunization strategy, researchers reported.
Having no antibodies to a viral vector intended to present HIV antigens to the immune system doesn't rule out a cellular immune response, according to Juliana McElrath, MD, PhD, of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, and colleagues.

And that can be enough to lower the response to the HIV antigens, McElrath and colleagues reported in the January issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
The finding is part of the continuing analysis of what went wrong with the so-called MRKAd5 vaccine candidate, which not only was not effective but actually increased the risk of acquiring HIV.
To understand exactly why the vaccine failed, McElrath and colleagues analyzed samples from participants in the STEP clinical trial of the substance, which was halted early, as well as from participants in a parallel study.

The viral vector was adenovirus serotype 5 – or Ad5 – which, when including HIV gene inserts, was able to induce strong HIV-specific cellular immune responses in preliminary studies.
In earlier analyses of the STEP trial, researchers found that a high level of neutralizing antibodies to the vector had a dampening effect on the cellular immune response to the HIV antigens.

That suggested that rarer adenoviruses – Ad36 and Ad24, for instance – might be more suitable vectors, since they presumably would be less likely to encounter neutralizing antibodies when used in people, McElrath and colleagues noted.
But a key finding of the current study, they reported, is that it's not just antibodies that depress the HIV-specific reaction.

Instead, a higher pre-immunization frequency of adenovirus-specific CD4-positive T cells – regardless of the presence or absence of Ad5 antibodies -- was associated with a substantially decreased magnitude of HIV-specific CD4 cell responses.

Specifically, a 0.1% increase in the frequency of adenovirus-specific CD4 cells before vaccination was associated with a 0.04% decrease in the magnitude of HIV-specific CD4 cell responses a year later. The finding was significant at P=0.03.

Even in study participants who did not have Ad5 antibodies, adenovirus-specific T cells were readily obtained, they reported. In the STEP trial, 54% of Ad5-seronegative placebo patients and 74% of those with Ad5 antibodies had such cells.

What's more, adenovirus-specific CD4 cells recognized a set of proteins that were common to many different types, suggesting that switching to rare serotypes for future vaccine candidates may not be a workable strategy, McElrath and colleagues concluded.
Although the exact mechanism of the dampening effect remains unclear, they argued, "our work may have broad implications for the use of (adenovirus) vectors in HIV vaccines."

Evaluating the impact of preexisting immunity to the vector, they concluded, will need study of both the antibody response to the specific serotype and the T-cell response to adenoviruses in general.

Source : http://www.medpagetoday.com/InfectiousDisease/HIVAIDS/30401

Pregnancy-Related Problems

noreply@blogger.com (Fashion Accessory) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 11:54:00 +0000

From Canzustra

Most women are healthy during pregnancy and do not have serious health concerns. You may have minor physical symptoms throughout your pregnancy that are considered normal pregnancy changes. It is important for you to be aware of symptoms that may mean you have a more serious problem. Talk with your doctor about any concerns you have during your pregnancy so that your health problems can be checked quickly.

Many minor problems of pregnancy can be managed at home. Home treatment measures are usually all that is needed to relieve mild morning sickness or discomfort from heartburn or constipation. There are also home treatment measures for sleep problems, hip pain, hemorrhoids, or fatigue. If you develop a problem and your doctor has given you specific instructions to follow during your pregnancy, be sure to follow those instructions.

If you have a family history of diabetes, you may develop a type of diabetes that only occurs during pregnancy (gestational diabetes). Gestational diabetes is treated by watching what you eat, exercising, checking blood sugar levels, and possibly taking oral medicines or insulin shots to keep blood sugar levels within a safe range. Women who have gestational diabetes are likely to have babies that weigh more than normal. If the mother's blood sugar is not controlled, this could cause serious problems for the baby before and during delivery.

You may also have other common problems, like a cold or the flu, while you are pregnant that are not caused by your pregnancy. You can use home treatment measures for these illnesses as well, but make sure to talk to your doctor if your symptoms become more serious, such as coughing up blood or not being able to drink enough fluids (dehydrated).

While most problems that occur during pregnancy are minor, you may develop more serious symptoms that you need to talk to your doctor about. Your symptoms may be related to:

Miscarriage. Symptoms may include:
- Vaginal bleeding.
- Tissue that passes through the vagina.
Premature birth. Symptoms may include:
- Abnormal vaginal discharge or fluid leaking from your vagina.
- Belly, pelvic, or back (flank) pain. This pain may come and go regularly.
- Preterm labor, which happens when contractions begin before the 37th week of pregnancy.
Infection. Symptoms may include:
- Fever.
- Nausea and vomiting or diarrhea.
- Urinary problems, such as a urinary tract infection or not being able to urinate.
- Open skin sores or blisters and itching.
Changes in your blood pressure that may mean you have preeclampsia. This problem may cause:
- Abnormal swelling, especially in your face, hands, or feet.
- A new or different headache.
- Vision problems.
- Pain in the upper right belly.
- Nausea and vomiting.
Depression. If you are tearful, sad, anxious, or have big mood swings, talk to your doctor. If you are depressed during your pregnancy, you may have a hard time bonding with your baby after delivery. Depression can be treated so that you and your baby will be able to bond.

During the days and weeks after delivery (postpartum period), you can expect that your body will change as it returns to its nonpregnant condition. As with pregnancy changes, postpartum changes are different for every woman. Some problems, such as high blood pressure, hemorrhoids, or diabetes, may continue after delivery. You may need to follow up with your doctor about these problems after delivery.

Use the Check Your Symptoms section to decide if and when you should see a doctor.

Source : http://www.health.com/health/library/topic/0,,tw9725_tw9725-HealthTools,00.html

Lower Cervical Cancer Risk

noreply@blogger.com (Fashion Accessory) — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 09:49:00 +0000

TUESDAY, September 13, 2011 (Health.com) — Intrauterine devices (IUDs) prevent unwanted pregnancies, and as an added benefit they may also help protect against cervical cancer, according to a new study in the Lancet Oncology, a British medical journal.

Women who use IUDs are roughly half as likely to develop cervical cancer as women who have never used one, the study found. Nor does IUD use appear to increase the risk of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, a known cause of cervical cancer.

European researchers combined and analyzed data from nearly 20,000 women around the world who participated in various studies and surveys between 1985 and 2007. The new analysis does not prove that IUDs directly prevent cervical cancer; it simply suggests that the devices are associated with a lower risk of cancer for reasons that aren’t fully understood.

Avastin Less Effective In Ovarian Cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Fashion Accessory) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 08:09:00 +0000

While avastin has recently lost the US Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) approval for breast cancer treatment, due to its low effectiveness and high side effects, two new studies showed that the blockbuster drug only slowed down advanced ovarian cancer for a few months.

A European and a US study published in The New England Journal of Medicine found that avastin delayed the disease from spreading for five to six months in the highest-risk ovarian cancer patients.

The studies could not find any evidence that the medication could improve ovarian cancer patients' survival.

The team believes that despite avastin's side effects, the results of their trail shows that the drug is still a worthy option for treating women with advanced ovarian cancer.

Dr. Amit M. Oza, who led the trial, says avastin is the first new drug in a decade and a half to improve outcomes in ovarian cancer patients.

He suggested that the drug should be considered a new standard treatment in advanced ovarian cancer, especially for women with the highest risk for recurrence.

Although avastin won approval in Europe last week for advanced ovarian cancer, its maker has no immediate plans to seek the same approval in the US saying that the FDA is less likely to show a green light to the drug.

In November, the FDA revoked avastin's approval for breast cancer but added that it could still be sold for some colon, lung, kidney and brain cancers.

Source : http://www.presstv.ir/detail/218340.html

Importance Cervical Cancer Screening To Detect Early Cervical Cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Fashion Accessory) — Wed, 04 Jan 2012 06:09:00 +0000

Cervical cancer occurs when abnormal cells on the cervix grow out of control. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that opens into the vagina. Cervical Cancer Screening Program can help find cancer at an early stage. When abnormal tissue or cancer is found early, it may be easier to treat. By the time symptoms appear, cancer may have begun to spread. Screening tests are given when you have no cancer symptoms. It is important to know that your doctor does not necessarily think you have cancer if he or she suggests a cervical cancer screening.

Cervical cancer screening is the examination, testing and prevention of cervical cancer of all women at risk for cervical cancer, some of them will be without symptoms. About Approximately 4,000 American women die of cervical cancer every year. About 13,000 will be diagnosed with disease. It is often the case in general among women.

It would require the examination early, because cervical cancer often can be cured if found early.

There are basically two kinds of tests that doctor may recommend when you have a cervical cancer screening.

> Pap Test

The Pap smear (cytology) or pap test is the only cervical cancer screening test that has been used in large populations and that has been shown to reduce cervical cancer incidence and mortality. This is a method of examining cells from the cervix. Pap Recommendations are really essential for women who have had sexual intercourse.

To perform a Pap test, a doctor or nurse will perform a pelvic exam and use a small brush or spatula to collect cells from the cervix. The cells are smeared on a glass slide (traditional Pap smear) or added to a preservative fluid (liquid-based, thin layer testing).

In the United States, the first Pap test is recommended at age 21; some other countries suggest that screening begin at age 25. Cervical cancer is very rare in younger women. Pap cervical cancer screening test can find cervical cancer and precancer in the early stages when it can be treated, and thus may reduce the number of deaths from cervical cancer.

> HPV Test

This cervical cancer screening test can be done along with a Pap test or as a separate test. Like a Pap test, the HPV test is done during a pelvic exam, using a small brush to collect a sample from the cervix. If you are 30 years or older, your doctor or nurse may recommend HPV cervical cancer screening test in addition to a Pap test.

Women who are under age 30 are not usually tested for HPV because many women in this age group have temporary infections, which will go away without treatment.

If your HPV and Pap cervical cancer screening test are negative, repeat testing is not usually needed for three years. HPV cervical cancer screening test may also be done if the results of your Pap test results are unclear.

Cervical cancer screening is really important. This is because we need to prevent the cancer growth since there is almost no Cervical Cancer Early Symptoms. Vaccine for human papillomavirus is really recommended for women in productive ages who have not had sexual intercourse. Even if you have had a vaccine for human papillomavirus, you will still need cervical cancer screening.

Sources: http://akiavintage.com/cervical-cancer-screening-tests-for-early-detection.html & http://www.ky3.com/news/ky3-health-professionals-encourage-screening-for-cervical-cancer-20120103,0,424940.story

Vinegar Acid Therapy of Cervical Cancer Detection

noreply@blogger.com (Fashion Accessory) — Tue, 03 Jan 2012 10:01:00 +0000

Acetic acid was not only add flavor in the food delicious, but also useful to detect early cervical cancer is easily and inexpensively. Early detection of cervical cancer with vinegar method is called VIA (Visual Inspection with Acetic Acid). This method has been introduced since 1925 by Hans Hinselman from Germany, but only applied around the year 2005.

Ministry of Health had already adopted it. This method is in addition to easy and cheap, also has a very high accuracy in detecting precancerous lesions or sores, which reached 90 percent.

Early detection by applying vinegar to 3-5 percent in the mouth of the womb (cervix) is not to be done by a doctor, but can be practiced by trained personnel such as midwives in health centers. And in about 60 seconds already can be seen if there are abnormalities, namely the appearance of white plaques on the cervix. These white plaques may be aware as a pre-cancerous sores.

World Health Organization (WHO) has examined the application of IVA in India, Thailand, and Zimbabwe. Its effectiveness was not lower than the pap smear.

In addition to the same performance with other tests and the results can be immediately known, IVA also offers other advantages, that is practical, requiring only simple tools, and affordable.

Inke Maris, communications expert who is also cofounder of the Prevention of Cervical Cancer Initiative Indonesia (Ipkasi), said many health centers are able to provide testing services IVA is a cost of about 15 thousand dollars.

"In fact, a number of areas has published regulations that set a price of only five thousand dollars for IVA inspection," added Dr. Basalama Fatum, MSM, Head of Sub Directorate of Cancer. PPTM, Kemenkes RI.

This therapy is of short duration, about 5 minutes. There is discomfort when undergoing this therapy. Most women feel the sensation of cold and a little cramping, or sometimes feel warm spread on the upper body and face.

Ease of handling checks at once if found precancerous sores are spurred to make See and Treat program more and more applied in a number of health centers. Expected with the IVA, will more and more women are reached by early detection of cervical cancer, so the incidence of this cancer can be derived.

Source : http://id.she.yahoo.com/terapi-asam-cuka-deteksi-kanker-serviks-002600016.html

Outside Gynecology Pregnancy Caused Infections

noreply@blogger.com (Fashion Accessory) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:18:00 +0000

TRIBUNNEWS.COM - An ectopic pregnancy or a layman known as pregnancy outside the womb is the implantation (planting) the fertilized ovum in an improper place (outside the uterus).

The term comes from English ectopic, ectopic, with the root word from the Greek topos meaning place.

"The cause of this wide range of pregnancy, but more often the cause is an infection in the fallopian tubes or never perform operations outside the womb before," said Dr. Tjahaya PU SpOG Kes, Specialty Obstetrics and Gynecology, Princess Pearl RSIA

Pregnancy outside the womb, the fetus can not develop like a fetus inside the uterus, so pregnancy can not be maintained. Complications that can occur, the root layer of the placenta attached to the fallopian tubes, and cause bleeding, minor bleeding then detached spontaneously. Furthermore, the network remains out spontaneously are often called "tubal abortion" (tubal abortion). The roots penetrate the placental lining the fallopian tubes, and resulted in rupture of blood vessels by the impact is severe bleeding that can cause death.

There are no symptoms or signs typical of these ectopic pregnancies. At first she would feel the same as any other normal pregnancy. Symptoms arise when there has been significant bleeding in the abdominal wall.

Symptoms are pain in the pelvic area or abdomen, bleeding from the genitals, fainting or dizzy outlook due to lack of blood. That is why it is important for early detection of ectopic pregnancy in early pregnancy.
Women who have had an ectopic pregnancy can become pregnant again, only to have the risk of ectopic pregnancy over a three-fold higher than women without a history. And if the fallopian tubes are still good, there is still a possibility for.

Source : http://id.she.yahoo.com/kehamilan-di-luar-kandungan-disebabkan-infeksi-114938118.html

Second Hand Smoke and Abnormal Paps

noreply@blogger.com (Fashion Accessory) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 05:22:00 +0000

A recent study shows that second hand smoke increases the risk of abnormal pap smears. While second hand smoke was not proven to cause cervical cancer, it does prove to cause abnormalities in cervical tissue. In the study, the women who said they were exposed to some second hand smoke were 70 more likely to have an abnormal result.
Actively smoking has already been linked to increasing damage in the cervix caused by HPV. A concrete link between second hand smoke exposure and the cancer may not be a long way off. This study does not confirm a direct connection, but why take a chance

Source : http://cervicalcancer.about.com/b/2011/02/23/second-hand-smoke-and-abnormal-paps.htm

Cervical cancer vaccine not widely recommended for women older than 26

noreply@blogger.com (Fashion Accessory) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 16:23:00 +0000

Millions of adolescent girls and young women around the country have by now received a vaccine that protects them from cervical cancer. The vaccine blocks HPV, an extremely common sexually transmitted disease that in its fiercest form causes most cases of cervical cancer, along with rarer cancers that also strike men.

That's good news for prevention-minded young women and parents who want to protect their daughters. But it has left some older women feeling a bit left out.

"Should I get the HPV vaccine?" one Sacramento woman asked her gynecologist last month. The woman, a Sacramento State graduate who asked that her name not be used, said the doctor replied, "No. You're too old. It's too late for you. I'm sorry you didn't get it before." The Food and Drug Administration has approved the vaccine for both genders ages 9 through 26. The aim is to immunize youths before they start having sex, as the vaccine can't stop an infection that's already taken hold.

HPV, a virus that also causes genital warts, is so widespread that the federal government estimates one in two people will get it at some point in their lives.

The vast majority of infections cause no symptoms and go away on their own, but a handful stick around, with potentially devastating consequences. By the time women reach their late 20s, federal health officials say, they've probably already been exposed.

However, the FDA's recommended age range doesn't mean older women couldn't benefit from the vaccine or can't get it. That's up to their doctor's discretion. Yet doctors rarely recommend it, and the scarce information available makes it hard for an older woman to figure out her chances of getting meaningful protection. Should she shell out the money – typically $400 or more for the three-shot series, which insurance generally won't cover for women over the age limit – or resign herself to the idea that it's too late?

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention doesn't recommend what older women should do."For the individual person, it's confusing," said Lauri Markowitz, team leader for epidemiology research in the CDC's Division of STD Prevention. Confusing, it seems, for physicians, too. The CSUS graduate is only 26, still within the recommended age range. Yet her doctor told her otherwise.

The woman, an administrative assistant, said she likes to do everything she can to care for her reproductive health.

"I went home and I told my boyfriend the bad news and we said, dang, that sucks," she said. "I wish I had known about it earlier."

Research on the vaccine has suggested it can help certain older women who have had few sexual partners and not much exposure to HPV. But when FDA regulators looked at data for the whole group of women studied – many of whom had already contracted the virus – they found the vaccine made little difference. Given the odds, Markowitz said, women should focus on getting regular Pap tests, rather than the HPV vaccine. There's no practical way for a woman to know if she's already exposed to HPV – or to which of the more than 40 strains of HPV that infect the genitals. Only a few of those cause cancer or warts.

The most commonly used vaccine, Gardasil, protects against four of the most prevalent ones. So, the CDC says, women who haven't already encountered all four strains could gain some protection.

"We don't have a good test," Markowitz explained. HPV tests during routine Pap screenings tell only if a woman has an active infection, not if she's ever been exposed, she said. Plus, the usual tests won't show which strain a woman has.

So what's a 27-plus woman to do?

Dorothy Furgerson, chief medical officer for Planned Parenthood Mar Monte, said she would recommend the shots to a woman over 26 only if she's had fewer than five sexual partners in her life.

"The chance of it doing any good if a woman has had multiple partners is very, very small, and it's expensive," she said.

Planned Parenthood's official policy is to immunize girls and women within the recommended age range, and consider older patients only on a case-by-case basis. Kaiser Permanente's policy is the same. Only one clinic in the Planned Parenthood Mar Monte network, which stretches from Reno to Bakersfield, has vaccinated women over 26 this year – five women, to be exact. Tamika Felder, founder of the cervical cancer prevention organization Tamika & Friends in Maryland, takes an "it can't hurt" perspective.

Felder was diagnosed with cervical cancer at age 25. She beat the disease, but it stole her fertility. "This is the only cancer that we know the cause behind it, we know how to detect it and we have tools to prevent it," she said. Regular Pap tests are essential, she added, but if a woman wants to get immunized despite the uncertain benefit – and if she can afford it – "Why not?" America's most common sexually transmitted disease, HPV, is not just a killer of women anymore.Rates of throat cancer have risen dramatically in the U.S. over the past few decades – mostly among men – and new research shows that HPV is the cause. HPV, or human papillomavirus, causes almost all of the 12,000 cases of cervical cancer in women in the United States each year. It's spread through sexual, skin-to-skin contact – no bodily fluids necessary – and can infect the genitals and anus of a person of either gender. What's becoming alarmingly clear now is that it can also spread through oral sex, and infect the mouth and throat. And that is causing the rates of throat cancer nationwide to skyrocket. Nurse practitioner Emily Tsuchida, manager of the CARES medical clinic in midtown Sacramento, said "people have no idea" that oral sex can result in cancer. There is a vaccine against several of the most common and virulent strains of HPV. Since 2006 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recommended that all girls be inoculated at age 11 or 12, before they become sexually active. Just recently, in late October, the CDC vaccine committee recommended that all boys receive it, too.Several weeks earlier, a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found that between 1984 and 2004, the proportion of throat cancers caused by HPV exploded from 16 percent to 72 percent.

Between 1988 and 2004, the overall number of throat cancer cases rose by 28 percent. During that time, the number caused by HPV more than tripled. Meanwhile, the rate of such cancers caused by smoking and drinking alcohol dropped – meaning that what's driving the disease's nationwide rise is HPV. Throat cancer due to HPV seems to strike men far more often than women; scientists don't yet understand why.

The CDC puts the number of HPV-related throat cancer cases among men at 5,600 per year – almost four times the number among women. But if the trend continues, researchers predicted, by 2020 the virus will cause more cases of throat cancer than cervical cancer in the United States.

"In the U.S., HPV is poised to become the dominant cause of head and neck cancers within the next few decades," lead researcher Maura Gillison of Ohio State University said in a podcast about the study.

The silver lining to the findings was that survival rates are much better for HPV-caused throat cancers than for those with other causes. The CDC estimates that 50 percent of people in the United States will contract HPV at some point during their lives. Most cases show no symptoms and go away on their own.

Source: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/12/23/4141608/cervical-cancer-vaccine-not-widely.html

Cervical cancer vaccine not widely recommended for women older than 26

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/12/23/4141608/cervical-cancer-vaccine-not-widely.html#storylink=cpy

Cervical cancer vaccine not widely recommended for women older than 26

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2011/12/23/4141608/cervical-cancer-vaccine-not-widely.html#storylink=cpy

Cervical cancer vaccine not widely recommended for women older than 26 #scsharelink { background: url(http://media.sacbee.com/static/sacconnect/images/share-icon.png) no-repeat left center; padding-left: 20px; } Share By Grace Rubenstein grubenstein@sacbee.com grubenstein@sacbee.com By Grace Rubenstein The Sacramento Bee

HPV Tied to Rare Head-and-Neck Cancer

noreply@blogger.com (Vimala) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 19:57:00 +0000

Origins of nasopharyngeal infection may mirror tonsil cancer epidemic, researchers say

(HealthDay News) -- Human papillomavirus (HPV) appears to be linked to an increase in cases of a rare type of head and neck cancer, a new study has found.

Nasopharyngeal cancer -- a tumor that grows behind the nose and at the top of the throat, above the tonsils -- affects about one of every 100,000 people in the United States. According to the researchers, this is the first time that a connection has been made between HPV and nasopharyngeal cancer.

"We are in the middle of a tonsil cancer epidemic, seeing many patients with tonsil cancer linked to HPV," study author Dr. Carol Bradford, a professor and chairwoman of otolaryngology at the University of Michigan Medical School, said in a university news release. "It turns out that HPV may also be a new cause of this rare form of cancer that occurs in this hidden location."

Bradford and her colleagues analyzed tissue samples from five patients with nasopharyngeal cancer and found HPV in four of them. The four HPV-positive tumor samples were negative for Epstein-Barr virus, previously recognized as one of the major infectious causes of nasopharyngeal cancer.

The study was published online Sept. 15 in Head & Neck.

"Since I began studying head and neck cancer, I have wondered what the cause of Epstein-Barr-virus-negative nasopharyngeal tumors might be," Thomas Carey, a professor of otolaryngology and pharmacology, co-director of the head and neck oncology program at the university's Comprehensive Cancer Center and another author of the study, said in the news release. "This research suggests that there is a changing etiology for nasopharyngeal cancer in the North American population that may mirror the HPV-positive epidemic of tonsil cancer."

The researchers said that a larger study needs to be conducted to clarify the role of HPV in nasopharyngeal cancer.

Resource: HealthDay.com

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Cervical Cancer Vaccine Well Tolerated

noreply@blogger.com (Hardono D.) — Sun, 28 Dec 2008 03:18:00 +0000

Reactions such as hives called 'idiosyncratic,' study finds

(HealthDay News) -- Reactions to the vaccine designed to protect against cervical cancer are rare, and young women can tolerate subsequent doses.

That's the assessment of Australian researchers who analyzed data after more than 380,000 doses of the Gardasil vaccine were given to girls in secondary schools beginning in April 2007.

Gardasil protects against four types of human papillomavirus (HPV) that increase the risk of cervical cancer. Some ingredients of the vaccine, such as aluminum salts and yeasts, have previously been associated with hypersensitivity reactions.

The Australian researchers identified 35 schoolgirls with suspected hypersensitivity reactions, including hives, generalized rash, swelling of subcutaneous tissues (angioedema), and severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis).

Twenty-five of the girls agreed to be referred to pediatric allergy centers for further evaluation. This included a detailed account of their reactions, such as previous doses of the vaccine, time and severity of reaction, and previous clinical history. Skin tests of HPV vaccines were conducted, and vaccine challenges were administered intramuscularly. The girls were followed-up by telephone one week after the subsequent dose, and any adverse events were noted, the researchers said.

Nineteen girls had skin testing of the Gardasil vaccine, and all were negative. Seventeen of 18 girls later "challenged" with the vaccine tolerated further doses. One girl reported a limited case of hives four hours after receiving the vaccine. Only three of the 25 evaluated girls had probable hypersensitivity to the vaccine, and the researchers concluded that true hypersensitivity is rare.

They noted that suspected hypersensitivity reactions such as hives are often "idiosyncratic" and don't increase the risk of adverse reactions in subsequent vaccinations. Girls with suspected hypersensitivity to the vaccine should be evaluated before receiving further doses, said the researchers, who called for more research into the mechanisms of hypersensitivity to the vaccine.

The study was published online Dec. 3 in the BMJ.

More information
The U.S. National Cancer Institute has more about HPV vaccines.

Source from : HealthDay.com

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Gardasil Protects Men Against Genital Warts: Study

noreply@blogger.com (Hardono D.) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 09:19:00 +0000

Health Highlights

(HealthDay) A new study says the anti-cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil also reduces men's risk of genital warts, which can lead to cancer of the penis and anus. Gardasil protects against the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV).

The 30-month study of 4,065 males, ages 16 to 26, found that those who received the vaccine were 90 percent less likely to develop genital warts. The findings were presented Friday at a meeting of the European Research Organization on Genital Infection and Neoplasia, Bloomberg news reported.

The study was funded by Merck & Co., which plans to use the results to seek U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval to sell Gardasil as a vaccine for males. Currently, it's only approved in the United States to protect women against HPV, which can cause cervical cancer. Gardasil is approved for males in 40 countries.

HPV may be associated with about 1,500 cases of penile cancer and about 1,900 cases of anal cancer in men a year, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The agency also said men who have sex with men are 17 times more likely to develop anal cancer from HPV, Bloomberg reported.

Source from : HealthDay.com

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Special Mouth Rinse Spots, Tracks Human Papillomavirus Infection

noreply@blogger.com (Hardono D.) — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 13:51:00 +0000

Study may lead to better diagnosis and monitoring for head/neck cancers

(HealthDay News) -- A simple mouth rinse can spot specific types of human papillomavirus, some of which cause genital warts and increase the risk of developing certain types of cancer, new research shows.

The study, published in the Nov. 1 issue of Clinical Cancer Research, reaffirms that people exposed to human papillomavirus (HPV-16), the variant that causes cervical cancer, are more likely to develop cancers of the head and neck.

The researchers followed 135 patients with head and neck cancer over five years, and found that the patients with HPV-16 positive tumors were far more likely to test positive for oral HPV-16 infections before, during, and after therapy.

Although past research has shown a strong association between cancers of the head and neck and HPV-16 infection, these researchers used genetic sequencing to confirm the link between HPV-16 infection and HPV-16 shed by tumors in patients with head and neck cancers. Patients with HPV-16 positive tumors were also more likely to test positive for all types of the virus.

"Most of the 50 percent of people who get an HPV infection at some point in their lives clear it with no problem," said study co-author Dr. Maura Gillison, an associate professor of oncology at Johns Hopkins. "The question is, how do we identify those who will have a problem from the infection with those who will not?"

Although the vaccine Gardasil has been shown to offer protection against HPV infection and thus reduce the incidence of cervical cancer, efforts to vaccinate young girls have been controversial. Some believe vaccinating young girls may encourage premarital sex or promote risky sexual behavior.

But the link between HPV infection and cancers of the head and neck has prompted many researchers to advocate vaccinating boys as well as girls. "In the future, vaccinating all young women between the ages of 9 and 26 would reduce oral cancer if HPV is indeed the cause," said Dr. Mark Werner, an obstetrician/gynecologist at William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich. "Maybe at some point, men or young boys will be vaccinated as well."

The study concluded that a noninvasive oral rinse may help researchers understand how different variants of the virus impact the development, outcome, and recurrence of different cancers.

"Can we use HPV oral detection for screening purposes to identify people who are at risk for this type of cancer?" asked Gillison. "The broader implications are that these can be applied to other studies."

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Source : HealthDay.com

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Cervical Cancer Vaccine Called Safe

noreply@blogger.com (Hardono D.) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 06:34:00 +0000

CDC found no heightened risk of blood clots, other conditions with Gardasil

(HealthDay) -- Gardasil, the two-year-old vaccine that's designed to prevent cervical cancer, is safe, U.S. officials said Wednesday.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Immunization Safety Office said a study of 370,000 doses given to girls and young women over the past two years found no evidence that the vaccine causes an increased risk of blood clots or other serious conditions, Bloomberg News reported.

The CDC, which recommends the vaccine for girls starting at ages 11 and 12, based its findings on statistics from the Vaccine Safety Datalink, which uses medical data to test hypotheses about vaccine safety, the news service said.

"There were no associations found that suggested an elevated risk," said John Iskander, acting director for the Immunization Safety Office, told Bloomberg.

Critics of the vaccine, including some groups that worry that the inoculation could promote promiscuity, have contended that Gardasil may not be safe and could give women a false sense of security about sexually transmitted diseases.

Gardasil protects against four types of genital human papillomavirus, HPV, which is spread through sexual contact and can cause cervical cancer in women.

The U.S. study covered 190,000 girls and young women who received at least one dose of the vaccine's three-shot regimen. The CDC researchers compared medical data on those girls who got the vaccine with data for girls and young women who received other vaccines or none.

"The results are really reassuring," said Dr. Paul Offit, chief of the infectious diseases division at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. "There's a public perception that the vaccine is not safe. This is important for countering negative information."

CDC officials had announced earlier this month that an estimated 25 percent of girls aged 11 to 17 have gotten the vaccine.

"This is very good for a first-year measurement of a new vaccine," Dr. Lance Rodewald, director of the Division of Immunization Services at the CDC' National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during a Oct. 9 teleconference announcing the survey. "It usually takes six to nine years to achieve the desired 90 percent coverage."

Rodewald noted that because the survey covered only young teens, many more young women have probably received the vaccine. The vaccine has been very well-tolerated, and its protection, especially when given at a younger age, is expected to last at least six years, he noted. Whether a booster shot will be needed isn't known yet.

The hope for the vaccine is that it will reduce the almost 4,000 cervical cancer deaths each year in the United States. Barriers to getting the vaccine include cost, which is about $375, although it is covered under many health insurance plans.

One side effect associated with the vaccine, fainting, resulted in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration last month requiring that vaccine manufacturer Merck & Co. add a warning to the package insert, advising doctors to watch patients for 15 minutes after the shot to be sure they don't faint.

In July, news stories said that almost 8,000 reports of adverse reactions to Gardasil -- including injection site pain and nausea -- had been filed with the CDC.

The reactions included 15 reports of death and 10 confirmed deaths, but none of the deaths has been tied to the vaccine, according to a CNN report.

After the CDC study results were released Wednesday, Merck issued the following statement: "Gardasil is an important tool to help prevent cervical cancer caused by HPV types 16 and 18 for girls and young women. About 30 women every day are diagnosed with cervical cancer in the United States. An estimated 8 out of 10 women will become infected with HPV in their lifetime. For most people, HPV clears on its own. But for some women who don't clear certain types of the virus, cervical cancer can develop. And there's no way to predict who will or won't clear the virus."

Source : HealthDay.com

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New MRI Puts Cervical Cancer Into Focus

noreply@blogger.com (Hardono D.) — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 06:10:00 +0000

The high-tech approach outlines extent of disease, guides treatment, experts say

(HealthDay News) -- Combining the use of MRI with a special vaginal coil, doctors can now assess the extent of cervical cancer and make more informed treatment decisions, a new study suggests.

"The main use is in women with small cervical cancers, in whom it is necessary to delineate accurately the extent of disease prior to fertility-sparing surgery," explained study author Dr. Nandita deSouza, co-director of the MRI Unit at the Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden Hospital, in London.

The new technique, described in the November issue of Radiology, is called endocavitary MRI. The MRI component, called "diffusion-weighted imaging," helps measure the movement of water within cervical tissue. "The ring coil enables the high-resolution MRI -- it is the equivalent of using a zoom lens on a camera," deSouza said.

When used in combination with the vaginal coil, endocavitary MRI helps researchers spot smaller tumors and then decide on treatment options based on how extensive the cancer is.

The entire procedure using the MRI with the coil takes about 15 minutes.

According to the American Cancer Society, an estimated 11,070 women in the United States will be diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer in 2008.

In the study, deSouza's group looked at 59 women, aged 24 to 83, separated into two groups. The first group included 20 women who were awaiting biopsies due to abnormal cervical tissue development when they were screened for cancer, and another 18 women who had invasive cervical cancer confirmed by biopsy. The second group included 21 women awaiting evaluation for invasive cervical cancer.

As deSouza explained, the diffusion of water is reduced in cancerous tissue versus normal tissue, allowing the investigators to use the MRI to determine the extent of the malignancy.

The authors reported no commercial interest related to the device.

The study adds to what is known about using the coil with MRI, one expert said.

"Studies already published show that the coil is more sensitive for small cancers," noted Dr. Susanna I. Lee, vice chairman of the American College of Radiology Panel on Women's Imaging, chief of women's imaging at Massachusetts General Hospital and an assistant professor of radiology at Harvard Medical School.

The new technique "looks at the function of the tissue, the ability of extracellular water in the tissue to diffuse. What diffusion imaging does is point out tissue that is abnormal. It's routinely used for brain imaging. This [new] technique is used after a Pap test tells you have cervical cancer," Lee said.

By Kathleen Doheny

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Cervical Cancer Vaccine Approved to Combat Two Related Cancers

noreply@blogger.com (Hardono D.) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:18:00 +0000

Gardasil, the vaccine used to guard against cervical cancer, has been approved for similar use against two more gynecological malignancies.

According to the Associated Press, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved the drug, manufactured by Merck Pharmaceuticals, to guard against cancers that attack the vagina and vulva.

Gardasil fights most strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV) that cause cervical cancer. About 20 million Americans carry HPV, but not all of them develop cancer. About 5,000 women get vulva and vaginal cancer annually, according to the wire service.

"Anytime we have evidence of additional cancer protection, that's a really important piece of information," the AP quotes Rick Haupt, Merick's executive director for HPV vaccines, as saying.

source : healthday.com

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HPV Vaccine Has Higher Allergic Reaction Rate

noreply@blogger.com (Hardono D.) — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 16:04:00 +0000

But the overall risk for these events is still extremely low, experts note

MONDAY, Sept. 1 (HealthDay News) -- The rate of serious allergic reactions to the cervical cancer vaccine is considerably higher than that for other vaccines given to children, but the total number of these reactions remains miniscule, Australian researchers report

Overall, the Gardasil shot is remarkably safe, declared a team of doctors in an editorial accompanying the study in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. They did acknowledge the need to keep tabs on possible side effects, however.

"Parents can be reassured that these reactions were very rare and are not a reason to not vaccinate their daughter against HPV (the virus that causes cervical cancer)," said study lead author Dr. Julia Brotherton, a public health physician at the National Centre for Immunization Research and Surveillance in Australia.

Gardasil, which was approved for use in the United States in 2006, protects against the human papillomavirus, or HPV, a sexually transmitted infection that causes most cases of cervical cancer, as well as other conditions such as genital warts. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention currently recommends that 11- and 12-year-old girls be targeted for this vaccine, as most girls of this age are not yet sexually active, have not yet been exposed to HPV, and will therefore achieve maximum protection.

The recommendation was not without controversy, with some parents objecting to the shot because they felt it might encourage sexual activity, or because they feared potential complications or side effects.

This study focused on anaphylaxis, or severe allergic reactions to the shot.

In 2007, Australia launched a government-funded vaccination program aimed at females aged 12 to 26. The study authors found a total of seven cases of allergic reactions out of almost 270,000 doses, a rate of 2.6 cases per 100,000 doses. (Patients are supposed to receive three doses of the vaccine in order to be protected.)

The allergic reactions included nausea, itchy red rash, difficulty breathing and other symptoms.

"These reactions were all potentially serious, meaning that if they were untreated, it is possible they could have progressed to become potentially life-threatening. However, all were rapidly recognized and treated with no serious effects resulting," Brotherton said.

Allergic reactions to vaccines aren't unusual, although they tend to be rare. It's not clear why the HPV vaccine might cause allergic reactions, Brotherton said.

The study authors did find that the rate of allergic reactions to the HPV vaccine was higher than the rates for other vaccines given at schools, including those for hepatitis B, diphtheria, measles, mumps and the flu. In some cases, the rate of allergic reactions to HPV was 5 times to 20 times as high as the rates for the other vaccines.

The results of the study need to be confirmed by other research, Brotherton said. It's possible that the researchers in the new study may have detected more cases of allergic reactions because they used a different definition of them, she said. It's also possible that the young women who got the vaccine may be more susceptible to problems than other groups of people who get vaccines, she said.

While the risk of allergic reactions shouldn't discourage use of the vaccine, health workers should be prepared to "rapidly detect and treat adverse events, including fainting, anxiety and immediate hypersensitivity reactions," wrote Dr. Neal A. Halsey of the Institute for Vaccine Safety at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in a commentary accompanying the Australian study in the Canadian journal's Sept. 9 issue.

Some adolescents faint after getting the vaccine, he wrote, so health workers should monitor them for at least 15 minutes after vaccination and keep them sitting down if possible.

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Lesbians and HPV

noreply@blogger.com (Hardono D.) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:59:00 +0000

Question: Lesbians and HPV

I just found out that my partner has HPV. We are a lesbian couple and I am concerned about whether or not I can get it. Can lesbians transmit the virus to one another?

Answer: The human papillomavirus (HPV) can be transmitted though lesbian sexual activity. The virus is transmitted through sexual skin-to-skin contact with an infected person. No penile penetration is needed to contract the virus. Lesbians can contract the virus from an infected partner through:

* genital to genital contact
* touching the genitals of a partner and then your own
* sharing sex toys without first disinfecting

How Lesbians Can Reduce the Risk of HPV

There are several ways lesbians can reduce their risk of transmitting HPV:

* using condoms on sex toys if sharing
* using gloves when touching genitals
* limiting the number of sexual partners and practicing safe sex
* staying in a monogamous relationship

HPV cannot be 100 percent prevented, even among heterosexual couples. Abstinence from all sexual activities is the only real method of prevention, although unrealistic for most adults.

How to Find Out if You Have HPV

Most women with HPV find out they are infected through a routine Pap smear. A Pap smear detects cervical changes caused by HPV. These cervical changes, if left untreated, could eventually lead to cervical cancer. This is why a Pap smear is essential for all women.

It is important to note that all types of HPV will not lead to cervical cancer. Most cases of HPV resolve on their own without medical treatment. But it is important to monitor cervical changes to see if they require treatment.

Unfortunately, there is a common misconception in the lesbian community that lesbians do not need Pap smears. This is entirely false. All women need to have regular Pap smears, regardless of sexual orientation. Current American Cancer Society screening guidelines suggest women should begin to have their first Pap smear about three years after sexual intercourse, or by age 21, whichever comes first.

The HPV test is a direct means of detecting HPV. One way of following women aged 30 and over is to perform a Pap and an HPV test every three years. The HPV test is also used in women who have had abnormal Pap smears.

The HPV test can determine if a woman is infected with the virus and what type of HPV is present. It can be used to identify women with a high risk that may need to be followed more closely. There are many types of HPV, and there are high risk strains known to cause cervical cancer.

By Lisa Fayed, About.com

Resource : about.com
[link : http://cancer.about.com/od/hpv/f/leabianHPV.htm

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HPV Risk in Lesbian Relationships

noreply@blogger.com (Hardono D.) — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 13:55:00 +0000

What Lesbian Women Need to Know About HPV

It is a common myth that HPV is a "heterosexual" virus and can only be transmitted during heterosexual intercourse. While some people falsely believe that the risk of sexually transmitted infections among lesbian women is relatively low, it is important to note that HPV (like other STDs) does not discriminate against gender or sexual orientation. Men and women, homosexual or heterosexual, are all at risk of contracting HPV if they have sexual contact with an infected person.

The Facts About HPV

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection, with an estimated 20 million people infected in the United States. The virus is transmitted through sexual, skin-to-skin contact with an infected person. No penile penetration is needed to contract the virus. Lesbians can contract the virus from an infected partner through:

* genital-to-genital contact
* touching the genitals of a partner and then your own
* sharing sex toys without cleaning them properly first

Reducing Your Risk of HPV
HPV cannot be 100% prevented, even among heterosexual couples. Abstinence from all sexual activity is the only real method of prevention, although that's unrealistic for most adults. There are several ways lesbians can reduce their risk of transmitting HPV:

* getting the HPV vaccine (Gardasil)
* using condoms on sex toys, if they are being shared
* using gloves when touching genitals
* limiting the number of sexual partners and practicing safe sex
* staying in a monogamous relationship

Sources:

"Lesbian Health." WomenHealth.gov. Jan 2005. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
[link url=http://www.4woman.gov/faq/lesbian.htm]http://www.4woman.gov/faq/lesbian.htm[/link]

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25% of Teen Girls Vaccinated for HPV

noreply@blogger.com (Vimala) — Fri, 10 Oct 2008 16:02:00 +0000

THURSDAY, Oct. 9 (HealthDay News) -- About 25 percent of girls aged 11 to 17 have gotten the human papillomavirus vaccine known as Gardasil, which protects against cervical cancer, U.S. health officials reported Thursday.

"This is very good for a first year measurement of a new vaccine," Dr. Lance Rodewald, director of the Division of Immunization Services at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said during a noon teleconference. "It usually takes six to nine years to achieve the desired 90 percent coverage."

Rodewald noted that because the survey covers only young teens, many more young women have probably received the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine. The vaccine has been very well-tolerated, and its protection, especially when given at a younger age, is expected to last at least six years, he noted. Whether a booster shot will be needed isn't known yet.

The hope for the vaccine is that it will reduce the almost 4,000 cervical cancer deaths each year in the United States. Barriers to getting the vaccine include cost, which is about $375, although it is covered under many health insurance plans.

In September, fainting, a side effect associated with the HPV vaccine, resulted in the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's requiring that vaccine manufacturer Merck & Co. add a warning to the vaccine's package insert, advising doctors to watch patients for 15 minutes after receiving the vaccine to be sure they don't faint.

This is the second year the Annual National Immunization Survey for Teens has been done among children in this age group, Rodewald noted. In the survey, researchers collected data on about 3,000 teens whose vaccinations were verified by their doctors.

The results of the survey are published in the Oct. 10 issue of the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

"In 2005 and 2006, [the] CDC's advisory committee on immunization practices recommended three new vaccines to protect preteens and teens from infectious diseases that were not previously preventable in this age group," Rodewald said. "All three of these vaccines have the potential to prevent a substantial burden of disease."

These new vaccines included pertussis (whooping cough), invasive meningococcal disease, and the HPV vaccine, Rodewald said. "Although whooping cough is preventable among young children, we have seen increases of the disease in teens and young adults. There are about 20,000 cases a year in the United States among teens. The Tdap vaccine is the first vaccine to protect this age group from pertussis," he said.

Vaccines recommended for 11- to 12-year-olds include the tetanus-diphtheria-acellular pertussis (Tdap) vaccine, the meningococcal conjugate vaccine (MCV4), and the human papillomavirus (HPV4) vaccine for girls and young women.

In addition, the estimate of vaccine coverage includes the percentage of teens aged 13 to 17 who should have received vaccine for measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR), hepatitis B (HepB) vaccine, and varicella vaccine (VAR).

Compared with 2006, vaccine coverage substantially increased:

* More than 80 percent of teens had been vaccinated with HepB and MMR vaccines.
* Vaccine coverage for one dose of VAR was 75.7 percent, but two doses was only 18.8 among preteens and teens.
* MCV4 coverage rose from 11.7 percent in 2006 to 32.4 percent of preteens and teens in 2007.
* Tdap coverage rose from 10.8 percent in 2006 to 30.4 percent in 2007.
* Among adolescent girls, 2.5 million had received at least one dose of HPV vaccine.

While rates are improving, they are still far below the Healthy People 2010 goals for vaccinations among preteens and teens. The Healthy People 2010 goals are for 90 percent coverage, with three doses of HepB vaccine, two doses of MMR, one dose of Tdap, and one dose of VAR for those who have not previously had chickenpox. There is no Healthy People 2010 goal for HPV vaccination, which was first recommended in 2006.

"The strong start with the newly recommended vaccines is a good sign that we will see widespread acceptance of these vaccines and much broader coverage in future years," Rodewald said. "However, it is clear we have a long way to go before reaching the 90 percent targets."

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