Every month of the year is dedicated to spreading awareness of various types of cancer affecting people worldwide. Most people suffer from the fear of cancer rather than the disease itself, and giving information on the illness helps remove the fear and allows them to check out for early signs to deal with cancer when it’s still early enough to save a life. The key to early preventing cancer deaths is early detection, and that’s what cancer awareness teaches people to do. Around 30% of cancer cases could be prevented by modifying lifestyle and avoiding risk factors. Cancer awareness helps people learn all there is to prevent various cancers.
January cancer awareness month is dedicated to cervical cancer. This month, the main goal is to spread awareness of the illness and eliminate its stigma and fear. Informing people about the need to get screened frequently, about once a year, is also an excellent way to spread awareness. Cancer awareness helps teach people how to make healthier lifestyle choices. Cervical cancer has caused lots of deaths in women in the US. Even though currently screening and prevention have widely helped reduce this number, almost 14,100 women have been diagnosed with cancer, and around 4280 of them succumbed to the disease in the US in 2022{1}. While January is also cancer awareness month, we also recognize that it’s when most people suffer from winter allergens. These include allergies to pet dander, dust mites, cockroaches, and other rodents. If you suffer from unending cold-like symptoms this month, it’s important to get an Allergy Test to know which allergens you need to manage in your environment.
Cervical cancer awareness month
The cervix is located under the uterus, the narrow lower part of the female reproductive system. While the uterus holds the fetus during pregnancy, the cervix connects the vagina and uterus. Cervical cancer begins when the healthy cells on the cervix surface change or become infected with HPV (human papillomavirus), which then grows out of control resulting in a tumor. A tumor can be benign or cancerous. A cancerous tumor, however, can spread to other parts of the body while benign tumors stay put. At first, the abnormal growth of cells isn’t necessarily cancerous. These are known as “atypical cells,” which can either go away without treatment or develop into cancerous cells. Sometimes, these tissues need to be removed to prevent cancer growth. While it’s possible to remove these tissues without harming normal healthy tissues. However, in some cases, a hysterectomy (the removal of the uterus) is to prevent cervical cancer. The method of treatment of these lesions, which can be precancerous, depends on certain factors. These include:
- The patients need to have children in the future.
- The size of the lesion and the changes occurring in the cells.
- The patient’s and doctor’s preferences
- The patient’s age and general health
If the precancerous cells become cancer cells and further invade the cervix and other tissues and organs, they turn into cervical cancer or invasive cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer testing
A Pap test, also commonly known as a Pap smear, is the most advanced way to check for early changes in cells that could be cancerous. A Pap test includes getting samples of cells from the cervix. After the sample is taken, it’s placed in a glass slide or bottled in a solution that preserves the cells. The sample is then sent to the lab, where a pathologist will examine it under a microscope and observe whether there are any abnormal changes. If the pathologist observes abnormal precancerous cells, they can be often treated, and you can experience a full recovery. A Pap test can also check for HPV, the most common cause of cervical cancer. There are different strains of HPV, some of which are strongly linked to certain types of cancers. You can either have your Pap test check for both HPV and cervical cancer, or you can separately have them checked.
The frequency at which you need to take a Pap test depends on your age, the results of previous tests, and other factors. However, professionals recommend women start getting tests at age 21; getting screening every three years after the first pap test shows that everything is fine. This could help with early detection.
How to manage risks of cervical cancer
Even though there is no sure way of preventing cancer, there are certain things you can do to reduce your risks of getting cervical cancer. These include:
- Get your HPV vaccine- There are three HPV vaccines (Gardasil, Gardasil 9, and Cervarix) approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The vaccine isn’t recommended for anyone over 26 years, but you can consult your doctor.
- Reduce cervical cancer risk factors- These include many sexual partners, getting sexually transmitted infections, smoking, and a weak immune system. You can manage these by engaging in safe sex, managing smoking habits, and taking care of your immune system.
- Get screened frequently- Pap smears are the most accurate ways to catch cancer in its early stages.
- Keep an eye out for symptoms of cervical cancer- There are no early signs and symptoms of cervical cancer, so doctors recommend taking a Pap test. However, later stages have signs like vaginal bleeding after sex or between periods. You can also get a watery, bloody discharge that can be heavy and pelvic pain during intercourse.
- Learn about the various types of cervical cancer- The two main types of cervical cancers include squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Even though learning about these won’t reduce your risks of cervical cancer, it’s nice to have such knowledge as it prevents fear and myths.
Final thoughts on January cancer awareness month
Since January is cervical cancer awareness month, joining campaigns by wearing a teal ribbon and handing out flyers to people in your community would be beneficial. You can also join fundraisers or support causes for cervical cancer awareness. You should also get screened for cervical cancer if you’re female, and if you’re male, spread the information and help those around you get screened. Advocating for increased knowledge of cervical health awareness could help many people, and we can all participate in it. While spreading cancer awareness is of the utmost importance, you should also be aware of winter allergens at this time of the year. If you have a stuffy nose, sneezing, and runny nose, and it seems your cold won’t end, you must suffer from winter allergies. It’s necessary to take a step in the right direction by taking one of our range of Health Tests to help you realize what could be causing you an issue in your life, and what changes you need to make.
References
- Cancer Stat Facts: Cervical Cancer. NIH. (https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/cervix.html)
