Dolphins may be ideal model to study human cervical cancer

Dolphins could help cure cervical cancer

Miami,FL

Veterinarians from the University of Florida say that dolphins may be an ideal model to study human cervical cancer.

"We discovered that dolphins get multiple infections of papillomaviruses, which are known to be linked with cervical cancer in women," said marine biologist Hendrik Nollens in a news release. "Dolphins are the only species besides humans that we know of that can harbor coinfections, or infections of multiple papillomavirus types, in the genital mucosa."

There are approximately 100 types of human papillomaviruses.

Nollens also said that there is evidence that some infections can go from the sea to the land, which could even mean that a high-risk infection such as SARS or the West Nile virus could come from marine animals.

However, Nollens said that there is no evidence that dolphins get cervical cancer from papillomaviruses.

"Why do people develop the disease, but dolphins don't? If we can figure out why, the human medical community might be very interested in how that information might be applied to human strategies for preventing the disease," he said.

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Florida woman lobbies for cervical cancer awareness

Surviving sister goes to Washington to lobby for cervical cancer awareness

Washington, DC

The 26-year-old Fort Pierce, Fla., resident came here recently to be an advocate for cervical cancer, the disease that took her sister's life four years ago.

Seven months after being diagnosed with cervical cancer, Heather Martin died. She was 28 and uninsured.

"I have to do what I can to get Heather's word out there," Martin said. "And that's what she wanted. I don't want another woman to go through what I went through."

Lung, breast and colorectal cancer all outrank cervical cancer in causing deaths among women, according to the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention. But cervical cancer is the easiest to prevent.

Since the introduction of the Pap smear, cervical cancer cases have decreased by 75 percent, said Jacqueline W. Miller, medical director for CDC′s National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program, at a congressional briefing Jan. 27.

Martin dedicated her Web site, http://Ihatetumors.org, to Heather's memory. The site sells T-shirts with profits going to cancer charities in Heather's name.

Donna Martin campaigns for cervical cancer awareness after losing her sister, Heather, to the disease when Heather was 28 years old. SHFWire photo by Nikki Roberti
Cervical cancer survivor Tamika Felder contacted Martin after she read Heather's story in a 2006 issue of JANE magazine and saw Martin on "The Tyra Banks Show."

Felder is the founder and CEO of Tamika & Friends Inc., a nonprofit organization that informs people about the reality of cervical cancer.

"We have that bond because cervical cancer has touched both of our lives," Felder said of Martin. "We're forever bonded to one another, and we're in this fight together to make sure no one dies of cervical cancer."

Felder asked Martin to lobby for cervical cancer awareness as a representative of Florida.

Martin spoke with Rep. Tom Rooney, R- Fla., and Jessica Moore, a member of his staff.

The CDC created the Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program in 1991. The program provides access to breast and cervical cancer screening to low-income women.

However, because of under-funding, only 9 percent of eligible women ages 18 to 64 nationwide were screened for cervical cancer in 2009, said Mona Shah, senior policy analyst for the American Cancer Society, at the congressional briefing.

Cervical cancer gets less public attention than breast cancer, Martin said, which leads to under-funding and lack of awareness.

For this reason, Tamika & Friends Inc. took the issue to members of Congress. "They are the ones who can bring in the federal dollars that can make sure awareness is made," Felder said.

Martin said Rooney and Moore were willing to spread the word about cervical cancer prevention.

"How loud do you have to shout before people hear?" Martin said. "She may not have insurance, but she's my sister. How would you feel if it was your daughter, your girlfriend, your wife - someone you cared about?"

Now back in Florida, Martin said she hopes to make her Web site a nonprofit and take the next step in making a difference.

Martin's mother died when she was 18, and her father died just as Heather was diagnosed. Martin held all of their hands as they died. While she admitted it was terrible, she is grateful for the time she had with them.

"But you know what? Now they live through me," she said. "I have three people I have to live for. I have to do what I can."

Cervical cancer by the numbers

The American Cancer Society's most recent estimates for cancer of the cervix in the United States are for 2009:

* 11,270 new cases of invasive cervical cancer (cancer that has spread beyond the cervix)
* 4,070 deaths from cervical cancer

Florida Rates in 2005*

Cervical Cancer incidence rates 2005: 8.7-12.8

Cervical Cancer death rates 2005: 2.5-2.8

*Rates are per 100,000 and are age-adjusted to the 2000 U.S. standard population.

Source: the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention Cervical Cancer Statistics

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Detect cervical cancer at early stage

Pensacola, FL

According to the American Cancer Society, more than 1,400,000 people in the United States were diagnosed with cancer last year.

February is "National Cancer Prevention Month". By keeping yourself healthy, you can help prevent some types of cancer.

One of the types is cervical cancer. Cervical cancer can be detected by your gynocologist. It's important to have regular pap smears to prevent cervical cancer, which is caused by the STD human papillomavirus.

"In the united states, HPV counts for about 20 million new infections per year. In fact, about 80 percent of all women will acquire HPV by time they're 50-years-old," said Dr. Rodney Rocconi, U.S.A. Mitchell Cancer Institute.

Dr. Rocconi said sometimes HPV is asymptomatic, and if it's left untreated, some types can cause cancer. But with regular pap smears, at least once a year, cancer can be prevented.

"It usually develops over a period of years into a pre-invasive disease so there's some subtle changes that happens to the cervix that smolder for years without symptoms. So what's very important for women is to make sure they get their pap smears on time so that you can catch it in those pre-invasive states. When done so and done properly, those are always curable cases so it's very important," he said.

If a woman does develop abnormal cells on her cervix, and the cells are detected early on, they can be destroyed.

"Treatment for pre-invasive disease is quite easy. It involves either laser, freezing the cells, sometimes even removing parts of the cells like a biopsy. And those types of surgeries can preserve fertility which is important in the young patient population. Early cervical cancers also have a fairly good cure rate as well," said Dr. Rocconi.

He said prevention is key. That's why it's so important for early screening. He also says women should spread the word to female friends and family to get screened, because it could save their lives.

Dr. Rocconi also suggests that woman get vaccinated against the cancer causing strains of HPV. The Gardasil vaccination has been approved by the FDA for girls as young as nine-years-old.

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Pap smear test first line of defense against cervical cancer

Maryville, TN

Don't be telling Dr. Kim Collins you don't have time for your Pap test, or that it's uncomfortable, or that you don't like going to the doctor. She's not buying those excuses.

“Just woman up and do it,” Collins said.

Collins, an obstetrician/gynecologist with Women's Care Group in Maryville, said the importance of having a Pap test cannot be overemphasized. This simple test can detect potential problems in their earliest stages, allowing treatment to begin before the condition becomes cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is a slow growing cancer caused by certain strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), an extremely common sexually transmitted disease among women and men.

Cervical cancer has no warning signs in early stages. This is why Pap tests are so important. In the Papanicolaou (Pap) test, cells are gathered from the cervix and then examined closely under a microscope for abnormalities. Collins said cervical cancer rates in the United States have fallen more than 50 percent in the past 30 years thanks to the widespread use of the Pap test.

New guidelines for Pap screenings were released in December 2009. Rather than an annual Pap test, women ages 21 to 29 may be screened every two years, and women 30 and above every three years as long as they have had three negative Paps in row. Collins emphasized that an annual physical exam is still indicated because it involves much more than the one test.

According to the Tennessee Department of Health, risk factors for cervical cancer include high-risk sexual behavior; a personal and/or family history of cervical cancer; cigarette smoking; and previous HPV infection. African-American women are more prone to develop cervical cancer than Caucasian and Hispanic women are.

As for having Pap tests, Collins won't accept any excuses for avoiding them.

“I tell my patients this about mammograms and Pap tests,” Collins said. “Is this your favorite thing to do? No. But, when they say this is painful or uncomfortable, my response is, ‘Not as uncomfortable as surgery and radiation and chemotherapy.' There are worse things. If you eventually get diagnosed, you're headed for far more discomfort and pain.”

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