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Prognosis, Screening & Prevention of Cervical Cancer
Prognosis
The earlier you catch cervical cancer, the better the prognosis and most women with early cervical cancer will be cured.
For women with more advanced cervical cancer, there is still the possibility of a cure. Surgery is often successful in removing the cancer, and a combination of treatments can keep any remaining cancer under control for long periods of time.
If there is no invasive cancer present, that is, the abnormal cells are confined to the surface of the cervix, then the prognosis is usually excellent with complete cure.
If there is invasive cancer present, then although the situation is potentially, the prognosis depends on the extent of the disease.
Studies have shown that the five-year relative survival rate for the earliest stages of invasive cervical cancer is 92%. That means that 92 out of every 100 patients with this stage of cancer will live at least five years after their cancer is diagnosed. If you combine all the stages together, the five-year survival rate is about 73%.
Screening, prevention and the vaccine
Screening for cervical cancer is the best way to prevent it, and statistics show that 90% of cervical cancers are preventable for women who have a Pap smear every two years.
Cervical cancer deaths are higher in countries were women do not have access to routine Pap smears, and in developing countries cervical cancer is the second-most common cancer in women.
In Australia we’re lucky; we have a program called the National Cervical Screening Program which works to encourage all Australian women to have regular Pap smears.
During a Pap smear, your doctor will take scraping of cells from the surface of the cervix, which are then sent to a pathologist for analysis. Having regular Pap smears means that abnormal cells that could become cancerous will almost definitely be found.
An effective vaccine is now available that prevents persistent infection in women who have not been exposed to HPV, such as girls who are not yet sexually active.
Called Gardasil, the vaccine has been shown to be 100 per cent effective against HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18, which are responsible for 70 per cent of cervical cancer cases and 90 per cent of genital warts in women.
The vaccine involves three injections over a three-month period.
As of the beginning of 2007 the vaccine has been free for women aged between 18 to 26, available through their GP. As of April 2007, it was given to 12-13 year-old girls at school as part of the National Immunisation Program, and there’ll also be a government-funded catch up program for 13-18 year-old girls at school.
Women who have been vaccinated will still have to have Pap smears, to guard against developing cancer and abnormalities from the other types of HPV not prevented by the vaccine.
Reviewed by Gerry Wain, Director of Gynaecological Oncology at Westmead Hospital, Sydney, and Director, NSW Cervical Screening Program.
Our thanks to Markye Steffens ABC Health & Wellbeing for this article on Cervical Cancer CLICK HERE