Page 5 - JanuaryNewsletter
P. 5
Monthly Health Topic
CERVICAL CANCER diet low in fruits and vegetables,
overweight, long-term use of oral
Submitted by contraceptives, IUD use, multiple full
Physical and Mental Health Committee
-term pregnancies, economic status,
According to the American Cancer and having a family history of cervi-
Society, about 12,820 new cases of cal cancer.
invasive cervical cancer will be diag-
nosed and about 4,210 women will
die from cervical cancer. Over the Prevention:
last 40 years cervical cancer death Find and treat pre-cancers before
rate has gone down by more than they become true cancers. Also, pre-
50%. The increased use of the Pap vent the pre-cancers by avoiding ex-
test contributed to this. This screen- posure to HPV, getting the HPV vac-
ing procedure can find changes in cine, and not smoking.
the cervix before cancer develops. It Screening tests offer the best chance
can also find cervical cancer early- in to have cervical cancer found early
its most curable stage. when successful treatment is likely.
If found early, cervical cancer is one
of the most successfully treatable
Most cases of cervical cancer is found
in women younger than 50. In the cancers.
United States, Hispanic women are More information on ways to prevent
most likely to get cervical cancer, fol- cervical pre-cancer and cancer can
lowed by African Americans, Asians, be found (/cancer/cervical-cancer/
and Pacific Islanders, and whites. prevention-and-early-detention.html).
American Indians and Alaskan na-
tives have the lowest risk.
Source: American Cancer Society
Risk Factors:
HPV infection, smoking, weakened
immune system, chlamydia infection,
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