Cervical Cancer: Early Detection and Prevention Make a Difference
Courtney Carter
/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2024

Cervical Cancer: Early Detection and Prevention Make a Difference

Even though cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women aged 20 to 39 years, the news around the disease for anyone born with a cervix is mostly good.

Case and point: the death rate for cervical cancer declined by more than 50% since the mid-1970s, thanks in large part to screenings. In addition, the rate of diagnosis for women younger than 25 has dropped by over 65% since the introduction of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine.

Cervical Cancer Numbers for 2024

According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 13,820 new cases of invasive cervical cancer were diagnosed in 2024. That same year, over 4,300 women died from the disease.

Screenings

As with all cancers, regular screenings and early detection make a huge difference in viable treatment options and likely outcomes.

In the case of cervical cancer, ANYONE BORN WITH A CERVIX SHOULD BE SCREENED.

Screenings for cervical cancer typically include a Pap test and a test for HPV. In both cases, cells are taken from the cervix and sent to a lab for testing. The HPV test is a recent but important addition to screenings as it detects two strains of the virus known to cause 70% of cervical cancers. If your screening reveals you have a high-risk type of HPV, your doctor can develop a plan for follow-up monitoring, further testing, or even treatment of abnormal cells.

 

Are you due for Pap test?

Not sure if or when you should get a Pap test? Click here to see the latest guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

 

Prevention

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, HPV vaccines have the potential to prevent more than 90% of HPV-related cancers, including cervical precancers in young women. 

As a member of the Vermonters Taking Action Against Cancer HPV Task Force, SVMC encourages individuals of all genders to receive the HPV9 (nine-valent HPV) vaccine beginning at age 9. Your child’s age at the first dose will determine whether they need two or three doses. 

Know your risks

Even though the incidence of cervical cancer is on the decline, the risk is nowhere near zero.

In fact, in addition to HPV exposure, other factors can increase the risk of anyone with a cervix developing the disease. These include:

Smoking: Doubles the risk of developing cervical cancer.  

Being immunocompromised: Conditions like HIV/AIDS and even taking drugs to suppress immune response, can make it harder to fight off HPV infections.

Long-term Use of Birth Control Pills: Using oral contraceptives for 5 or more years increases the risk of cervical cancer.

Family History: If a parent or sibling had cervical cancer, your chances of developing the disease are higher than if no one in the family had it.

While not all risk factors, like family history, can be changed, it’s important to focus on changing those you can. And if you have a factor that can’t be changed, consider that all the more reason to stay current with screenings.

 

Rebecca Hewson-Steller, RN, CN-BN is an oncology nurse at the Dartmouth Health Cancer Center at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.

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How to Become a Mask Wearer

Long before COVID-19, online chat groups for people with pulmonary fibrosis (PF) were filled with posts about how uncomfortable it is to wear a mask in public: not physically uncomfortable, a fact that was barely mentioned, but psychologically uncomfortable. For people with this condition or the lung transplant used to cure it, catching a cold or the flu could be deadly. They need to wear masks in public to help protect themselves from getting ill.

The participants discussed how awkward it is riding the bus in a mask, going to the grocery store in a mask, or boarding a plane while wearing one. They were mostly self-conscious that others would think they were ill or weak. Many would rather suffer the risk of getting fatally sick than put a mask on in a department store.

Now, we've all been directed to wear masks in public. Both Bennington and Wilmington's Select Boards have passed local mandates requiring masks in public places. This—along with distancing and handwashing—are crucial parts of returning to a more normal way of life. Suddenly, we are all feeling the psychological discomfort PF patients have felt for many years.

People usually have an interest in blending in. And, just like doing anything out of the ordinary, wearing a mask for the first time definitely feels like putting yourself out there. If we want to return to a somewhat normal way of life, masks are crucially important, along with frequent, thorough handwashing and keeping a distance from others.

Here are a few tips for making the leap from being someone nervous about wearing a mask to being a person who wears one regularly.

Do it for others. We know that people can spread COVID-19 as many as a few days before they get sick. Even if you feel fine, you could have COVID-19 right now without knowing it. At the same time, masks are far better at keeping sick people from spreading germs than they are at keeping people from getting sick. So wearing a mask isn't a sign of weakness; it's a sign of altruism. It's like saying, "I am not certain that I am not sick, so I want to pay those around me the consideration of limiting the likelihood I will infect them." Think of it as a badge of kindness.

Get a mask that fits. We know that masks are not completely comfortable physically. Getting the right fit makes a big difference in their "wearability." Cloth masks are readily available online and from local groups. The Green Mountain Mask Makers have excellent information and resources. If you can, purchase a few types in a few sizes to see which you like best. Buy enough of that type to allow washing between trips out in public.

Get a mask that you like. Once you have found a mask source and as long as you have a choice, pick one that you like. You can choose colors that match your wardrobe or that represent your interests, like camouflage. There are even masks that look like fashionable scarves when they hang around your neck. The sooner we start thinking of masks as part of our outfits, as essential and unremarkable as shoes or a belt, the healthier we will all be.

Try to quit caring about what others think. This one is hard. But one wise PF patient wrote, "I just don't give a darn!" Essentially, he shared that if people want to judge him for wearing a mask, so be it. Their opinions don't have a single thing to do with him. Many in the chat group applauded his confidence and vowed to adopt his attitude.

If we all do our best, soon the cultural scale will tip. Wearing a mask or not wearing one will cease to be a political statement. It will be normal. And thankfully, if wearing a mask in public, handwashing and sanitizing, and keeping our distance are all normal, going out into public again can be safe and normal too.

Donna Barron, RN, is the infection preventionist at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.

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