Question: I heard that the human papilloma virus is responsible for all cases of cervical cancer. Is this true?
Answer: In a word, no. Indeed, the human papilloma virus is responsible for a large majority of the cases of cervical cancer that are found to exist in society, but it definitely does not account for all of them. In order to ensure that you will be able to cut off any problems with cervical cancer before they become to large, it is important to schedule pelvic exams and pap tests as recommended by your doctor. In this way, you can largely decrease your chances of developing cervical cancer regardless of whether or not you are afflicted with the human papilloma virus.
Question: How do doctors gauge the progression of cervical cancer?
Answer: Doctors have created a type of staging system that helps them to discuss how far a case of cervical cancer has progressed. The staging system that they developed consists of 5 principle stages – stage 0, stage I, stage II, stage III, and stage IV. As the number of the stage goes higher, the cancer grows and begins to spread to other parts of the body. During stage one, pre-cancerous cells may be found around the cervix, and as the disease progresses through stage IV, the cancer grows and grows and begins to spread to other areas such as the lungs or the bladder. Knowing what stage your cancer is at is an important thing to consider when it comes to figuring out exactly what types of treatments should be undertaken to remedy the problem.
Question: I’ve heard that a vaccine is currently in production that can help to limit a woman’s risk of developing cervical cancer. What’s the deal with it?
Answer: Actually, there are two different types of vaccines that are in development right now that can be useful in helping women to avoid falling victim to cervical cancer. They go by the names Gardasil and Cervarix, and they work by introducing weakened strains of the human papilloma virus to the body. In that way, the body can build up immunity to the virus, which limits the chances of cervical cancer developing. A woman who has received one of the vaccines may still develop cervical cancer, but the likelihood of that happening is slim considering it will be impossible for the woman to develop a case of the human papilloma virus which accelerates a risk of the disease.