The Gardasil shot made its debut years ago, but Lubbock doctors and nurses said there’s still a need for more education about the vaccine in Lubbock. The shot prevents the human papilloma virus, HPV, which can cause cervical cancer.
Members of the health community have taken time out throughout the month of January, Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, to talk to patients about the importance of prevention and early detection.
Cervical cancer, or cancer of the cervix, is one of the most common types of cancer that affects a woman’s reproductive organs.
“Prevention is very important,” said Dr. Waseet Vance, a radiation oncologist at the Joe Arrington Cancer Center at Covenant Medical System.
Because HPV is the most common cause of cervical cancer, preventing this sexually transmitted disease is the best way to prevent the cancer.
Darla Porter, a nurse practitioner, said patients can prevent the disease by limiting their number of sexual partners, using condoms and, of course, receiving the vaccine.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends girls receive the shot as early as age 9. Catch-up shots are available for girls and women ages 13 to 26 who haven’t received the vaccine. The cervical cancer vaccine isn’t recommended, however, for women older than 26.
Gardasil can also be given to boys and men ages 9 to 26 to prevent genital warts.
Women who receive the vaccine are 75 percent less likely to contract cervical cancer. The vaccine is a series of three shots given over six months.
Not all cases of HPV lead to cancer. There are more than 40 strands of the virus. Only four cause cancer, but treating HPV, either through surgery or laser removal, can prevent cancer.
Cervical cancer most commonly affects women in their 30s. If caught early, the cancer is highly treatable.
“The sooner we catch something, the better,” Porter said.
Pap smear tests help doctors detect the cancer. Doctors recommend women receive regular pap smears, a collection of cells at the cervix, at age 21 or within three years of becoming sexually active.
If doctors find cancer cells, treatment may include surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy, depending on the stage of the cancer, Vance explained.
Each year, more than 10,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and nearly 4,000 die of the disease. The Mayo Clinic reports most of these deaths could have been prevented if the patient had received the recommended screening.
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