1. Yearly screening saves lives. There are so many things that we canNOT control - that we do not have the answers to..... one of the most important things we can do for ourselves, as women, is to go in for our annual gyn visit. So many women avoid getting into the stirrups - they feel it is invasive and uncomfortable. But getting into the stirrups can save your life.

Cervical cancer is preventable. We know what causes it - HPV - a very common virus that most women will get at some point in their lives. When you go in for your annual gyn visit, the pap test is measuring for cellular changes, caused by the virus, on your cervix. Catching these changes at an early stage can make all the difference. The problem - is that the pap test can be wrong up to 50% of the time - telling you that you are fine, when you are not.

The pap used to be the only tool available to women. Now there is another test - the HPV test - that can tell a woman if she is carrying HPV and is at risk for cervical cancer BEFORE changes happen... BEFORE it becomes invasive and necessary for TRULY invasive procedures like a hysterectomy, chemo, and radiation. Knowing your HPV status is critical in taking control of your cervical health. If you find out you have HPV, you can work with your doctor to be monitored more closely, boost your immune system, and ultimately catch the celluar changes at an early stage - thus preventing invasive cervical cancer. Now THAT is empowering.

I talk about this all the time. Why? Because I am a woman that thought I was doing everything right. I always went in for my pap, every year since I was 18. Then, at 31, I was diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer with extensive lymphatic invasion. The pap failed me. It told me every single year that I was fine. I wasn't. I had to have everything - hysterectomy, radiation, chemo, and internal radiation. I don't want one other woman to go through that..... it doesn't have to happen. That's why I talk about it all the time.

So please, women, talk to one another. Talk to your doctor. Go in for your annual visit and ask - "are you giving me the very best? are you giving me a liquid pap? are you giving me the HPV test? I want to use every tool available to prevent cervical cancer." Why? Because you can.

So go tie that string around your finger ladies. Trust me - it's worth it.

Posted at 6:57PM on Oct 20th 2006 by christine baze

2. As an internist and patient empowerment expert, I wanted to thank you for encouraging visitors to your site to seek out preventative medical screening tests. However, it is also important to educate women about the importance of the human papillomavirus (HPV) test – the cause of cervical cancer – for use in combination with the Pap test.

Multiple studies have shown that the Pap alone isn’t fool-proof, but by administering an HPV test along with the Pap in women age 30 and older (those most likely to have a high-risk form of HPV that if persistent can cause cervical cancer), screening accuracy can be improved to nearly 100 percent. Once doctors know a woman is infected with a persistent, high-risk type of HPV, intervention can be initiated sooner rather than later – well before cancer has a chance to develop.

This is information every woman needs to know today to assure that she does not become a victim to one of the few types of cancers that can actually be prevented. So next visit, ask your doctor about the HPV test along with the Pap test - and give your doctor a self-addressed stamped envelope to send you a copy of your own test results too.

Thank you,
Dr. Marie Savard
www.drsavard.com

Posted at 10:34AM on Oct 24th 2006 by Marie Savard MD