Cervical Cancer: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment, and HPV Prevention | Mass General Brigham
Summary
TLDRDr. Rachel Clark Sassodia discusses cervical cancer, primarily caused by HPV. She emphasizes the importance of regular screenings like Pap smears and HPV tests, and the availability of treatments ranging from simple procedures for pre-cancers to aggressive surgeries and chemotherapy for advanced stages. The doctor highlights the effectiveness of the HPV vaccine in preventing cervical cancer and stresses the need for vaccination regardless of sex, as well as routine checks for women aged 21 and older.
Takeaways
- 🚩 Over 95% of cervical cancer cases are caused by HPV.
- 👩⚕️ Dr. Rachel Clark Sassodia is a gynecologic oncologist and associate professor at Harvard Medical School.
- 🌟 Cervical cancer begins in the cervix, which is at the bottom of the uterus.
- 🔍 HPV is so common that almost everyone who has been sexually active has been exposed to it.
- 🌈 Most women can clear HPV on their own, but some remain HPV positive and may develop cervical cancer.
- 👀 Regular PAP smears are recommended to check for HPV and pre-cancerous cells.
- 🚫 HPV can affect anyone with a cervix, including those who have not been sexually active.
- 🚭 Factors increasing the risk of cervical cancer include being immunocompromised or a smoker.
- 🤕 Symptoms of cervical cancer can include bleeding after intercourse, pelvic pain, and increased vaginal discharge.
- 🛠 Treatment for cervical cancer ranges from in-office procedures for pre-cancers to aggressive surgery and chemotherapy for advanced stages.
- 💉 The HPV vaccine is 99% effective in preventing cervical cancer and should be administered to both males and females.
Q & A
What is cervical cancer?
-Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the cervix, which is located at the bottom of the uterus and acts as a gatekeeper during pregnancy to hold the baby inside.
What is the primary cause of cervical cancer?
-The primary cause of cervical cancer is the human papillomavirus (HPV).
Is there any stigma or shame associated with HPV?
-No, there is no stigma or shame in contracting HPV as almost everyone who has been sexually active has been exposed to it.
What happens when a woman contracts HPV?
-Most women will clear HPV on their own over time, but some may remain HPV positive, leading to abnormal cell changes in the cervix.
Why are Pap smears recommended for women?
-Pap smears are recommended to allow doctors to check for HPV positivity and the presence of pre-cancerous cells in the cervix.
Are there any rare causes of cervical cancer not caused by HPV?
-Yes, there are rare causes of cervical cancer not caused by HPV, but the majority of cases are linked to HPV.
Who is at risk for cervical cancer?
-Anyone with a cervix is at risk for cervical cancer.
Can young girls and teenagers contract HPV without being sexually active?
-Yes, young girls and teenagers can contract HPV without being sexually active, including through sexual assault or unwanted sexual interactions.
What are some factors that increase the likelihood of cervical cancer?
-Factors that increase the likelihood of cervical cancer include being immunocompromised or being a smoker.
Why is cervical cancer difficult to detect?
-Cervical cancer is difficult to detect because it is often asymptomatic, and the cervix is not easily visible or palpable.
What are the common symptoms of cervical cancer?
-Common symptoms include bleeding after intercourse, painful intercourse, pelvic pressure or pain, and increased vaginal discharge.
How is cervical cancer treated?
-Treatment for cervical cancer is divided into three categories: pre-cancers, early-stage cancers, and advanced cancers, with treatments ranging from in-office procedures to aggressive surgery and a combination of chemotherapy and radiation.
Can fertility be retained after cervical cancer treatment?
-Yes, there are new techniques that allow women to retain fertility even after being treated for cervical cancer.
How can cervical cancer be prevented?
-Cervical cancer can be prevented through vaccination against HPV, which is 99% effective, and through routine Pap smears and HPV tests for women or patients with a cervix aged 21 or older.
Why is the HPV vaccine recommended for both boys and girls?
-The HPV vaccine is recommended for both sexes because boys can be carriers and can infect later partners, and they are also susceptible to penile cancer caused by HPV.
Outlines
🌟 Understanding Cervical Cancer
Dr. Rachel Clark Sassodia, a gynecologic oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital and associate professor at Harvard Medical School, discusses cervical cancer. She explains that over 95% of cases are caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). Dr. Sassodia clarifies that HPV is common and not stigmatizing, and most women can clear the virus naturally. However, some women remain HPV positive, leading to abnormal cell changes and potentially cancer. Routine PAP smears are recommended for early detection. She also addresses the unfortunate reality of sexual assault as a route of HPV transmission. Other risk factors include being immunocompromised or a smoker. Cervical cancer often has no symptoms, emphasizing the importance of regular medical check-ups. Symptoms, when present, can include post-coital bleeding, painful intercourse, pelvic pressure or pain, and increased vaginal discharge. Treatment strategies vary from in-office procedures for pre-cancers to more aggressive surgeries and chemotherapy/radiation for advanced stages. Advances in fertility preservation during treatment are also highlighted.
💉 Preventing Cervical Cancer
The second paragraph focuses on prevention strategies for cervical cancer. Dr. Sassodia emphasizes the effectiveness of the HPV vaccine, which is 99% effective in preventing cervical cancer. She urges vaccination for all eligible children, regardless of sex, as boys can also develop HPV-related cancers and can transmit the virus. For women and individuals with a cervix aged 21 or older, routine PAP smears and HPV tests are recommended. The doctor concludes with a strong statement that with the availability of vaccines, cervical cancer should be preventable. She invites viewers to watch more videos on women's health and to subscribe for updates.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Cervical Cancer
💡Human Papillomavirus (HPV)
💡Pap Smear
💡Pre-cancerous Cells
💡Immunocompromised
💡Smoking
💡Asymptomatic
💡Treatment
💡Fertility
💡Vaccine
💡Screening
Highlights
95% of cervical cancer is caused by HPV.
Dr. Rachel Clark Sassodia is a gynecologic oncologist at Massachusetts General Hospital.
Almost everyone who has been sexually active has been exposed to HPV.
Most women will clear HPV on their own over time.
Pap smears are recommended to check for HPV and pre-cancerous cells.
Rare causes of cervical cancer exist that are not caused by HPV.
Anyone with a cervix is at risk for cervical cancer.
Children and teenagers can get HPV even without being sexually active.
One out of four young girls and women are victims of unwanted sexual interactions.
Being immunocompromised or a smoker increases the likelihood of cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer is often asymptomatic, making routine checks crucial.
Symptoms of cervical cancer include bleeding after intercourse and pelvic pain.
Pre-cancers of the cervix can often be treated with a simple in-office procedure.
Early stage cervical cancers can be cured with aggressive surgery.
Advanced cervical cancers are treated with chemotherapy and radiation.
Techniques exist to allow women with cervical cancer to retain fertility.
Vaccines are 99% effective in preventing cervical cancer.
Routine Pap smears and HPV tests are crucial for women over 21.
Dr. Rachel Clark Sassodia believes no patient should get cervical cancer in the U.S. due to vaccine availability.
Transcripts
more than 95 percent of cervical cancer
is due to human papillomavirus also
known as hpv
hi i'm dr rachel clark sassodia i'm a
gynecologic oncologist on staff at the
massachusetts general hospital i'm an
associate professor at harvard medical
school and the senior medical director
for mass general brigham and this is
understanding cervical cancer
so what is cervical cancer well cervical
cancer is a cancer that begins in the
cervix which is at the bottom of the
uterus the cervix sort of behaves as a
gatekeeper for when a woman is pregnant
and helps hold the baby inside cervical
cancer is primarily caused by human
papilloma virus one of the first things
i always tell my patients is
almost everyone who has ever been
sexually active has been exposed to hpv
there's no stigma in it there's no shame
in it full stop
once a woman contracts hpv most women
will clear it on their own over time
some women for reasons that we don't
understand will continue to be hpv
positive and slowly that makes the cells
in the cervix become more and more
abnormal and in a small fraction of
women this will ultimately make a cancer
and that's why we recommend getting pap
smears so that your doctor can
continually check you to see if you're
hpv positive and if so if you've made
pre-cancerous cells
it is important to note that some more
rare causes of cervical cancer are not
caused by hpv but overwhelmingly the
majority are
anyone with a cervix is at risk for
cervical cancer
and one of the most important things
that i highlight particularly to the
parents of young girls and children is
that your child doesn't have to be
sexually active your teenager doesn't
have to be sexually active to get hpv
which causes cervical cancer an
unfortunate reality is that one out of
four young girls and women in this
country are sexually assaulted or the
victim of an unwanted sexual interaction
and they could contract hpv then
other reasons that someone could get
cervical cancer or that increase your
likelihood of cervical cancer is if
you're immunocompromised or if you're a
smoker
cervical cancer is dangerous because
it's sneaky right you can't see your
cervix it's really hard to actually even
feel your cervix so you could be
developing pre-cancerous cells or even a
cancer and not know it's there so
unfortunately the majority of cervical
cancer is asymptomatic which is what
makes it hard to detect if you're not
coming in for routine checks so all of
this highlights how important it is to
see your physician your care provider or
your ob gyn for care
but if a patient is going to have
symptoms they would be the following
bleeding after intercourse
painful intercourse especially if it's
new and painful
a sensation of pelvic pressure or
fullness or pain
or increased vaginal discharge
when thinking about the treatment for
cervical cancer i often think of it in
three broad buckets
first pre-cancers then early stage
cancers and then more advanced cancers
so for a pre-cancer of the cervix the
good news is that a woman or patient
with a pre-cancer of this cervix or
dysplasia can come into the office and
generally we can fix it with an easy
in-office procedure that's quick and
relatively pain-free for early stage
cancers generally we can still cure
those but it's important to know that
surgery gets pretty aggressive pretty
quickly and that's what's required to
cure your cancer for more advanced
cancers those tend to be harder to cure
and these women are almost always
treated with a combination of
chemotherapy and
radiation the final thing that i would
highlight is that we've made amazing
advances in the ability to retain
fertility even if you have cervical
cancer
there's many new techniques that we can
employ to allow a woman or a patient
who's had cervical cancer to be able to
retain fertility be treated for their
cervical cancer and still complete a
family if that's what they want so how
do we prevent cervical cancer well there
are two great ways to prevent cervical
cancer and the good news is is we
actually cured cervical cancer with a
vaccine vaccines are 99 effective in
preventing cervical cancer the problem
is we've just done a bad job of getting
them into all the people who are
eligible
reasons people still get cervical cancer
are number one that they weren't
vaccinated or number two
that they weren't able to get routine
pap smears and hpv tests
as a gynecologic cancer doctor i
recommend that you get all your children
vaccinated for hpv regardless of sex
oftentimes parents will say to me well i
have a boy should i get my boy
vaccinated absolutely you should boys
should be vaccinated because not only
are boys carriers of hpv which can
infect later partners but boys are also
susceptible to penile cancer which is
also caused by hpv
in addition to vaccines women or
patients with a cervix age 21 or older
should get routine pap smears and hpv
tests
so it's worth repeating that the best
news about cervical cancer is that we've
already cured it vaccines are 99
effective and in a country like the
united states where there's widespread
availability of vaccines i truly believe
that no patient ever needs to get
cervical cancer again
thanks for watching i'm dr rachel
clarksonia for more videos on women's
health check out here and don't forget
to subscribe right here
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