Am I at Greater Risk of Dying from Cervical Cancer?
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A new study says the death rate from cervical cancer is worse than experts thought. Premier Health Now asked Michael Guy MD, Premier Gynecologic Oncology, for the details.
“It’s true that the chances of dying from cervical cancer are higher than we thought,” Dr. Guy says, “but it’s important to understand why.” Previous statistics on the disease included women who have had a hysterectomy. But because these women have had their cervixes removed, they have no chance of getting cervical cancer, and so they were not counted in the new study. “With those women excluded, we get a truer picture of a woman’s risk of dying from cervical cancer,” Dr. Guy explains.
The study, as reported in the Dayton Daily News and published last week in the medical journal Cancer, shows 10.1 per 100,000 black women and 4.7 per 100,000 white women currently die of cervical cancer.
The most important message, says Dr. Guy, is that cervical cancer is preventable. “We can really eliminate this slow-growing disease if women follow these screening guidelines.”
- Age 21-29: Pap test every three years
- Age 30-65: Pap and HPV (human papillomavirus) test every five years
- Thereafter: Testing as recommended by your doctor
The spotlight on cervical cancer became even more prominent this week after sportscaster and “Dancing with the Stars” co-host Erin Andrews revealed she was diagnosed with the disease. Following two surgeries this past October and November, she has been told she is now cancer free.
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Source: Michael Guy MD, Premier Gynecologic Oncology; Dayton Daily News; Fox News
