Don't skip cervical cancer screenings

Decatur, IL

Sexual health is a notoriously difficult subject to bring up, but time after time, research has shown that awareness saves lives.

In recognition of Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, Illinois Public Health Director Dr. Damon T. Arnold's office issued a press release urging Illinois women to proceed as recommended with their regular screenings.

Dr. Derin Rominger, a Decatur Memorial Hospital obstetrician-gynecologist, said the guidelines for cervical cancer screenings have changed in recent years.

The former guidelines stated that women should begin receiving Pap smears, tests for changes in the cells of the cervix, at age 18 or upon becoming sexually active, Rominger said.

"We just don't see that much cervical cancer in the teenage group," he said. "They seem to be able to clear the virus that causes these problems."

New guidelines state that women should start getting the tests at age 21 or three years after becoming sexually active, Rominger said.

Once women start receiving the screenings, those who fall into the lower-risk categories of being in a monogamous relationship and having a series of negative Pap smears will need them less often, Rominger said. But those who have had abnormal smears in the past, have had new sexual partners or are immunosuppressed will need to be screened annually, he said.

Research has shown a strong connection between certain strains of human papillomavirus, or HPV, and cervical cancer, Rominger said. Two main strains are responsible for 90 percent of cervical cancers, he added.

"Basically, we've known for a long time there was some sort of a factor," Rominger said of the relationship between HPV and cervical cancer.

In the past few years, vaccines such as Merck's Gardasil and GlaxoSmithKline's Cervarix, which protect against some of the strains known to cause cervical cancer, have become available.

Vaccination is one thing young women can do to reduce their risk of HPV infection and, ultimately, cervical cancer, Rominger said. Women between the ages of 11 and 26 currently are eligible for vaccination.

Although doctors prefer to give the vaccine to women before their "sexual debut," Rominger said, "just because she's been sexually active or had an abnormal Pap smear doesn't mean she's not eligible for the vaccine."

Another measure of protection is to practice safer sex, he said. Use a condom to protect against transmission of the virus and other sexually transmitted diseases.

Refrain from smoking, which has been shown to double the risk of cervical cancer, Rominger said. And be sure to get in for routine Pap smears as they are recommended by a physician, he added.

"The whole key is that early detection," Rominger said.

In 16 years of practice, he has seen only seven cases of cervical cancer. All of those women had gone at least 10 years or more without a Pap smear, he said.

The screenings save lives by locating precancerous cells, and doctors sometimes must take measures to remove those growths, Rominger said.

"Those are the ones that have a greater chance of progressing to cervical cancer," he said.

According to the recent release from Arnold's office, it is estimated that in 2010, 610 women in Illinois will be diagnosed with cervical cancer, and about 180 will die from it.

But those deaths are avoidable through routine screenings and preventive measures, Arnold said.

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