Preventative health care saves lives
Cervical cancer can be prevented if detected early

When a woman finds out that she is pregnant, the event is usually a time of celebration. It should be a happy time. But, for Michelle Aguiar the good news that she was expecting was immediately followed by an announcement that terrified her and her family. Aguiar's routine pregnancy Pap test was abnormal.

Aguiar, who plans to attend UCC in the fall, is one of many American women dealing with positive Pap test results.

"When the doctor called to tell me my Pap was abnormal I was scared to death, I didn't know much about abnormal results or what they meant but just the word abnormal was enough to freak me out," said Agiuar.


Ryan Smith, a UCC student whose
fiancé Laura Holloway recently
passed away from cervical cancer,
urges other women to get tested.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, persistent HPV infections are now recognized as the cause of nearly all cervical cancers. HPV is estimated to account for approximately five percent of all cancers worldwide.

Aguiar had to go through her entire pregnancy wondering what would happen to her. When a woman has a positive result on a pap test, the test is generally repeated to confirm the results, but for a pregnant woman the test usually won't be repeated until after the baby is delivered.

Luckily, in Aguiar's case the results were a false positive. In other words the test results inaccurately showed abnormal cells on her cervix. Once the test was repeated the results were found to be normal. False positives are quite common in Pap tests; like most diagnostic tests, they are not 100% correct. False negatives can also happen occasionally. This is one reason tests should be done regularly, if something is missed, chances are it will be found on the next test. If there is a false positive the next test will usually be negative.

Each year about 12,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer, according to the CDC and about 4,000 women will die as a result of that cancer. Cervical cancer is diagnosed in nearly half a million women worldwide annually, claiming a quarter of a million lives.

HPV is the term used for the Human Papilloma viruses, a group of more than 150 related viruses referred to as papilloma viruses because some types of the virus cause warts, or papillomas, which are benign (noncancerous) tumors.

Most cases of cervical cancer are easily preventable with regular screening tests and follow-up and are highly curable when found and treated early. Vaccines are now available to protect against the types of HPV that cause cervical cancer.

Currently two vaccines licensed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration are recommended by the Centers for Disease Control. Cervarix and Gardasil. Both vaccines were found to be equally effective against types 16 and 18, which cause most cervical cancers.

CDC recommends that all girls and women who are between 11 and 26 years old get three doses of either brand of HPV vaccine. HPV vaccines have only been approved by the Food and Drug Administration since 2006.

Unlike Aguiar, Laura Holloway, a former Sutherlin resident, was not so fortunate. Her abnormal Pap test result was accurate. When she received the results she thought she would get another test that would show a normal result and everything would be fine.

Unfortunately, she did not receive her test results early enough to treat the cancerous cells on her cervix and they quickly spread to other parts of her body. Holloway fought cancer for 3 years before she finally lost the battle at the age of 26.

Ryan Smith, a UCC student, was engaged to marry Holloway and took care of her until she died on April 30, 2011 of cervical cancer. He has seen firsthand what can happen if a woman does not get tested regularly. "I strongly urge all women to get vaccinated and get regular check-ups," said Smith "It is not worth the pain and suffering that cancer causes. I know people do not have a lot of time these days and some people think they just don't need to be tested but it needs to be done. If Laura was still here, she would tell you the same thing."

Women wanting more information and preventative testing or HPV vaccines can contact their family doctor or the Douglas County Health and Social Services Department which provides clinic services that include evaluation and treatment of Sexually Transmitted Diseases.

The Douglas County Health and Social Services Department is located at 621 W Madrone Roseburg, OR 97470. They can be contacted by phone: 541-440-3521 or toll free at 1-800-234-0985.

The Mainstream is a student publication of Umpqua Community College.