Some of my patients wonder why it is important for them to get pap smears. I explain that pap smears, or Papanicolaou tests are important in helping us detect early, pre-cancerous changes in the cervix, thus allowing for the possibility for early treatment if necessary.
Watch the video below, or Read More.
Cervical cancer is a slow progressing disease. The normal cells go through several pre-cancerous stages before becoming cancer. This process usually takes several years. More importantly, only some of the women with pre-cancer of the cervix will develop actual cancer. For most women, the pre-cancer changes will remain stable or go away without any treatment. Since it is impossible to predict which women will end up with cervical cancer, the best approach is to have regular follow-up with your doctor and get regular evaluation with pap smears.
Pap smears are tests performed to retrieve a sampling of cells from the cervix in order to diagnose pre-cancer or cancer. The goal is to prevent cervical cancers by finding and treating the pre-cancers before they have a chance to progress further. It is recommended that women get a pap smear every year beginning at age 21, or starting three years after the first sexual encounter, whichever comes first.
Your doctor may choose to recommend different intervals between pap smears once you begin testing, especially if you are 30 years old or older and have had a number of normal pap results in a row. If you are unsure about when you should get your next pap smear, definitely talk to your doctor.
Pap smears can also be used to detect the presence of HPVs, or human papillomaviruses. HPVs are a group of viruses that are sexually transmitted and can cause infections to the cervix. It is a common infection among sexually active women and usually does not cause any symptoms. HPV infection has been determined as the most important risk factor for the development of cervical cancer. Fortunately, most HPV infections clear on their own without treatment within months to a few years, and only a small proportion progress to cancer.
***
It is also important to practice safe sex by using condoms. Even though condoms do not completely prevent HPV infections, they still decrease the risk significantly and also protect against other STDs such as HIV. Avoid smoking, since that has been linked to increased risk of cervical cancer. Lastly, consider getting the HPV vaccine. There are currently two HPV vaccines that are approved by the FDA: Gardasil and Cervarix. The main thing to keep in mind about these vaccines is that they do not treat HPV infections and do not prevent all HPV infections. Therefore it is important to continue with your pap smear testings even after getting the vaccine.
Source American Cancer Society: Cervical Cancer – Prevention and Early Detection
• About Dr. Chan
Related posts:
Need help and can't find anywhere to get it? Come get safe 
