Cervical Cancer Screening

Every year, about 12,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer. Most cases of cervical cancer are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) which is passed from person to person through sexual contact. HPV infection usually goes away on its own, but if it does not, it can lead to cervical cancer if left untreated.

In 1991, the CDC created the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (NBCCEDP). Since the start of the program, more than 28,000 women have had cervical cancers or precancerous lesions detected through this free or low-cost screening. Also, in 1991, the FDA approved the first diagnostic test for the detection of high-risk, or cancer-causing, HPV types.

Prevention of cervical cancer became possible in 2006 when the FDA approved the first HPV vaccine. A second vaccine was approved in 2009. NIH National Cancer Institute researchers are the first and second inventors on government-owned patents for HPV vaccines licensed to drug companies. As a direct result of their work, vaccines now can prevent high-risk HPV infections. In 2013, CDC researchers reported the rates of high-risk HPV have fallen by 56% among U.S. girls ages 14 to 19. 

 

Protect Yourself: Breast Cancer Screening

Every woman has a story or connection to breast cancer.  After skin cancer, breast cancer is the most common cancer affecting women, regardless of race or ethnicity.  Getting a mammogram is the best way to reduce the impact of breast cancer, because tumors caught early are easier to treat.

The best way to find breast cancer early is with a mammogram, a low-dose x-ray of the breasts. Mammograms can sometimes find cancer up to three years before it can be felt. Monthly self-breast exams are important but mammograms are much better at finding a cancer early. Your Women’s Health Care PC doctor will do additional tests if there is anything wrong on your mammogram because an abnormal finding often does not mean a cancer diagnosis. Here’s the good news: Even if it is cancer, most women survive breast cancer when it’s found and treated early.

You might be wondering when you should get a mammogram. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends women 50 to 74 years old get a mammogram every two years. If you’re under 50, talk with your Women’s Health Care PC doctor about when to start getting mammograms and how often you should get them. You might need mammograms sooner or more often if breast cancer or ovarian cancer runs in your family. Talk about the risk factors with your doctor, always report any changes you notice with your breasts, like new lumps, changes in shape or size, or any unusual fluid coming from your nipple. If you are at high risk for breast cancer because of your family history, there are medications you can take that have been shown to lower risk. Your Women’s Health Care PC doctor can tell you more about that, too.

Take control of your health — talk with your Women’s Health Care PC doctor about when you should start getting mammograms and how often. Encourage a woman in your life to do the same.

Osteoporosis

Osteoporosis is a disease of the bones that causes bones to become weak and break easily. Osteoporosis affects mostly older women, but prevention starts when you are younger. No matter your age, you can take steps to build bone mass and prevent bone loss. Broken bones from osteoporosis cause serious health problems and disability in older women.

Of the estimated 10 million Americans with osteoporosis, more than 8 million (or 80%) are women. Osteoporosis is most common in older women. In the United States, osteoporosis affects one in four women 65 or older.

What are the symptoms of osteoporosis?  Called a “silent” disease, you may not have any symptoms of osteoporosis until you break (fracture) a bone. Fractures are most common in the hip, wrist, and spine (vertebrae). Vertebrae support your body, helping you to stand and sit up.  Fractures in the vertebrae can cause the spine to collapse and bend forward. If this happens, you may get any or all of these symptoms:

• Sloping shoulders

• Curve in the back

• Height loss

• Back pain

• Hunched posture

What causes osteoporosis? Simply, it is caused by bone loss. Most often, the reason for bone loss is very low levels of the hormone estrogen. Estrogen plays an important role in building and maintaining your bones. The most common cause of low estrogen levels is menopause. After menopause, your ovaries make very little estrogen. Some women lose up to 25% of bone mass in the first 10 years after menopause.  Also, your risk for developing osteoporosis is higher if you did not develop strong bones when you were young. Girls develop 90% of their bone mass by age 18.

If an eating disorder, poor eating, lack of physical activity, or another health problem prevents you from building bone mass early in life, you will have less bone mass to draw on later in life.

How is osteoporosis diagnosed? Your Women’s Health Care PC doctor will order a bone density test to see how strong or weak your bones are. A common test is a central dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA). A DXA is a special type of x-ray of your bones. This test uses a very low amount of radiation. Your doctor may also use other screening tools to predict your risk of having low bone density or breaking a bone.

Do I need to be tested for osteoporosis? Your Women’s Health Care PC doctor may suggest a bone density test for osteoporosis if you are 65 or older or are younger than 65 but have risk factors for osteoporosis. Bone density testing is recommended for older women whose risk of breaking a bone is the same as, or greater than that of a 65-year-old white woman with no risk factors other than age. Ask your doctor or nurse whether you need a bone density test before age 65.