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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Resuming Regular Care

So many important medical appointments were booked for March and April and canceled during the height of the pandemic. Now we are beginning to refocus on the fact that skipping appointments, even if you are feeling well now, could become harmful.

One important group of patients that we are eager to see are those with serious chronic conditions. These diseases require patients to see their primary care provider or a specialist at least once a year and sometimes far more frequently than that. Those with heart failure, kidney disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, for instance, all require regular contact with your provider.

Another group of patients we'd like to see are those with new medical concerns. We know that new medical concerns don't stop during a pandemic. Some conditions, like depression and anxiety, are far more prevalent during a pandemic than before. In many cases, new conditions are easiest to treat when patients first notice symptoms, and delaying care for these conditions can be dangerous.

Even regular care for those who are healthy is as important as ever. Other diseases—cancer in particular—haven't gone away. So, if you would normally be getting a screening such as a colonoscopy or mammogram, it's time to schedule an appointment. Many cancers can be detected and treated early with better outcomes. We can only expect those good results, if people are screened.

For children, regular vaccines are very important. If a big portion of the population neglects to get important childhood vaccines on schedule, we may be susceptible to outbreaks of measles or whooping cough.

There are many steps we have taken to improve safety for those seeking medical care. The first one is the availability of telemedicine. If the condition you are seeking treatment for does not require diagnostics or a physical exam, your provider can meet you virtually using any Internet-enabled device or over the phone. See details here.

If you do need to come to the office, you will notice check-ins at entrances, where staff check patients and visitors for respiratory symptoms and ensure that all are masked. You'll also notice efforts to space the waiting rooms to improve social distancing.

So how do you get the care you need?

  • If you have a primary care provider, call in to see what you may have missed during the pandemic. Did you miss an appointment to manage a chronic condition? Also share any new health concerns you have and check that you and your family members are up to date on all of your screenings and vaccinations.
  • If you don’t have a regular doctor, it makes sense to get one now. Locally, call the find-a-provider line at 802-447-5007 for a directory of practices that are accepting new patients.
  • Those with time-sensitive medical needs can use ExpressCare, a walk-in clinic, on the hospital campus in Bennington. Be sure to call ahead to 802-440-4077 if you have respiratory symptoms.
  • For Emergency Care, always come directly to the SVMC Emergency Department.

Most off all, we want our patients to know that we are here for them. There is no longer a need to delay medical care, whether for known conditions, new concerns, or preventive care. In every step we take, we are protecting patients against COVID-19 and helping patients with all of their other medical needs, too.

Bob Schwartz, MD, is associate medical director of Dartmouth- Hitchcock Putnam Physicians at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center in Bennington and a family medicine physician at SVMC Northshire Campus in Manchester.

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