Page 30 - Florida Sentinel 1-17-20

Health
The “OTHER” Cancer And Black women
Cervical cancer affects more than 11,000 women worldwide annually. Of the close to 2,000 Black women diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, over 40 percent will die. This is unac- ceptable. Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable types of cancer, and women can be screened for it with routine Pap tests. Despite this fact, the
American College of Obstetri- cians and Gynecologists (ACOG) is now recommending women begin cervical cancer screening at age 21, instead of 3 years after the onset of sexual activity, as was previously recommended by the group.
Cervical cancer is almost al- ways caused by genital human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. HPV can also lead to cancers of the anus, vulva, vagina, throat and penis.
Why Is This Important To Black Women?
Based on surveys conducted by the Black Women’s Health Imperative (Imperative), a ma- jority of Black women are famil- iar with certain facts about cervical cancer –how it is caused and that it is preventable. Yet we are still dying at a disproportion- ately higher rate.
Although cervical cancer oc- curs most often in Hispanic women, Black women tend to have lower 5-year survival rates and die more often than any other race. In fact, Black women have twice the cervical cancer mortality rate compared to white women.
While women are being en- couraged to be informed about the risks and benefits of any pro- cedure, the fact remains that most cervical cancer deaths occur among women who have never been screened or have not been screened in the past five years.
While aware of concerns on the affects of overtreatment and the social and economic toll they may place on women, particu- larly young women, it is known that screening and early detec- tion are critical components in eliminating these disparate health outcomes for Black women and other women of color.
What Black Women Need To Know
Cervical cancer may be pre- vented through the HPV vaccine or treated if detected early by a regular Pap test. If abnormal cells caused by HPV are found while they are still pre-cancer- ous, they can be treated before they progress into cancer. This is why it's important for all women to have a regular Pap test, and for women 30 and older (the group most at risk) to routinely be tested for HPV as well.
If it is detected early, cervical cancer is one of the most suc- cessfully treatable cancers which
is why it is important to know and understand the risk factors for developing cervical cancer.
Early cervical cancer gener- ally shows no signs or symp- toms. This is why regular screening is so important. A woman may develop symptoms only when the cancer has be- come invasive and spreads to nearby tissue. When this hap- pens, the most common symp- toms are: abnormal vaginal bleeding; unusual discharge from the vagina (separate from your normal menstrual period); bleeding following intercourse, douching, or after a pelvic exam; and pain during intercourse.
What Black Women Can Do
Beginning at age 30, women who have had 3 normal Pap test results in a row may get screened every 2 to 3 years. Women older than 30 may also get screened every 3 years with either the conventional or liq- uid-based Pap test, plus the human papilloma virus (HPV) test.
Women 70 years of age or older who have had 3 or more normal Pap tests in a row and no abnormal Pap test results in the last 10 years may choose to stop having cervical cancer testing.
Women who have had a total hysterectomy (removal of the uterus and cervix) may also choose to stop having cervical cancer testing, unless the sur- gery was done as a treatment for cervical cancer or pre-cancer.
Women who have had a hys- terectomy without removal of the cervix (a supra-cervical hys- terectomy) need to continue cer- vical cancer screening and follow the guidelines above.
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