Cervical Cancer The Silent Killer

Has your doctor told you that your abnormal Pap smear results may be due to an HPV infection that may lead to cervical cancer if not treated? THINA MTHEMBU consulted with Keegan Hall of Oz Healthcare to find out just how HPV is related to cancer of the cervix

- Thina Mthembu

IT STARTS WITH HPV

HPV (human papillomavirus) is the name given to a family of hardy, easily transmitted viruses. HPV is a common infection, and 8 out 10 adults will come into contact with HPV. Depending on the conditions they cause, different types of HPV are classified as either high-risk or low-risk.

High-risk HPVs are the cause of most cervical cancers. They can also cause cancers of the anus, penis, vagina and vulva. There is growing evidence that high-risk types may also be involved in some cancers of the mouth and throat.

Low-risk HPVs do not cause cancer, but may cause genital warts (condyloma) and other low-risk types cause lesions that are of no medical consequence or cause no lesions at all. Although genital warts are certainly uncomfortable, these lesions are not life threatening and rarely present any health complications. Genital warts can develop very quickly or very slowly, they may be undetectable to the eye and they may clear up without treatment.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HPV AND CERVICAL CANCER

Certain strains of HPV can cause changes in the cells of a woman’s cervix, which is a condition called cervical dysplasia. If left untreated, these cell changes can progress to cervical cancer. HPV is almost always the cause of cervical cancer; however, just because a woman has HPV or cervical dysplasia does not necessarily mean that she will get cervical cancer. The best protection against cervical cancer is going for regular Pap tests.

AN OVERVIEW OF THE SYMPTOMS AND SIGNS OF CERVICAL CANCER