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GREATER PROTECTION AGAINST CERVICAL CANCER
Facts:
What is HPV? HPV, or Human Papillomavirus, is a common viral infection, which is transmitted sexually. The majority of people carry HPV without even being aware of it. There are around 100 known, of which 13 are designated high- risk and-have been demonstrated to be causally or linked with cervical cancer. Some types of HPV cause genital warts. These are not related to cancer but they should alert your doctor to the potential presence of HPV infection in your cervix. What is the Pap smear? The Pap smear is a test to detect early changes cervix indicating that the person is at risk developing cervical cancer if not treated. The test is conducted on a small sample of cells that may indicate a problem is developing. If abnormal cells -are detected you may be recalled for a repeat Pap smear or referred for a colposcopy examination. However, the accuracy of Pap smear is much limited by sampling errors such as the presence of blood, mucus and infection in the sample, inaccessibility of lesion, among others. The results are also reader-dependent, thus rendering it highly subjective. What is the role of HPV in the development of cervical cancer? Most people come into contact with HPV at as some point in their lives and will spontaneously clear the virus from their body within a few months (as happens with other viruses like those for colds and flu). However, a small minority of women will not clear the virus and will have a higher than normal risk of developing cervical abnormalities. Persistent HPV infection can lead to cell changes, which, if left untreated, could develop into cervical cancer. Is it possible to test for HPV? Yes, the Hybrid Capture@ II HPV DNA Test can detect the presence of high-risk types of HPV a even before there are any visible changes to that the cells of the cervix, ensuring that women at having risk of cervical cancer can be identified much earlier. A positive HPV test does not mean that you will develop cervical cancer, but it does provide additional information about potential risks to your health and enable your doctor to monitor you more closely. Any signs of developing disease can therefore be detected earlier, enabling effective treatment. It also means that if you have a negative HPV test result, you can have the reassurance of knowing that your chance of developing cervical cancer is negligible. A negative Pap smear result combined with a negative HPV result means that you can be 99% sure that you will not develop cervical disease within the next 5 years. How is the HPV specimen collected for testing? The specimen is collected in the same way for the Pap smear-via a sample of cells taken. from the cervix. The sample is then placed into a liquid collection medium for transport to the laboratory for testing. Do I need a Pap smear and an HPV test? Current recommendations indicate that the most effective method for detecting the early signs of cervical cancer is a pap smear together with an HPV test, "The DNAwithPApTM Test". This combined approach has been shown to detect around 97% of high-grade cervical disease that causes cervical cancer. A negative Pap smear together with a negative HPV test provides 99% certainty you have a very minimal risk of cervical cancer and can therefore return to routine screening intervals. Equally important, the HPV test can provide additional information regarding the significance of any abnormaiities detected in your pap smear. It has been well documented that majority of abnormalities disappear on their own, but until now there has been no method to distinguish which will regress and which will in the progress to more serious disease. HPV testing can provide this information, particularly with regard to low grade abnormalities of which more than 97% will go away on their own if HPV negative. This information can be particularly helpful to your doctor and very reassuring to you. HPV testing can also be used to monitor the treatment response of patients with pre- malignant cervical lesions. HPV testing predicts clearance of the virus from the body after treatment. ASK YOUR DOCTOR ABOUT IT TESTS AVAILABLE AT: St. Lukes Medical Center Remember… Worldwide and in our country, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer among women. About 2/3 of cervical cancer in the Philippines are diagnosed in the advanced stage, where mortality is high
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