Preventing cervical cancer is about so much more than the pap test. Planned Parenthood of Utah is here to help you stay healthy with expanded cervical cancer prevention services.
Planned Parenthood is here for you.
Cervical cancer is cancer of the cervix. It’s caused by some types of HPV, a common sexually transmitted infection. It can be prevented by getting the HPV vaccine, early detection, and treatment.
What’s cervical cancer?
Cervical cancer is cancer of the cervix. The cervix is the lower, narrow opening of the uterus. It leads from your uterus to your vagina. Your cervix looks kind of like a donut if you look at it through your vagina.
Cervical cancer usually takes years to develop. During this time, the cells in the cervix change and grow rapidly. The early changes that happen before it becomes full blown cancer (precancerous) are called “dysplasia” or “cervical intraepithelial neoplasia” (CIN). If these changes are found and treated, cervical cancer can be prevented. If not diagnosed and treated, cervical cancer can spread to other parts of the body and become deadly.
Cervical cancer symptoms are hard to notice, but tests can find abnormal cells before they become cancer. Regular check-ups are the best way to avoid cervical cancer.
How do you get screened for cervical cancer?
Cervical cancer screening is used to find infections or abnormal cells in your cervix that could lead to cancer. Pap tests and HPV tests are two kinds of cervical cancer screening. Both are simple and fast.
An HPV test finds high-risk types of HPV that can possibly lead to cancer. You may only get an HPV test, or you may have an HPV and a Pap test together (called co-testing). In some places where HPV tests are not as available, you may only get a Pap test.
A Pap test, sometimes called a Pap smear, finds abnormal cells caused by HPV — it doesn't directly test for cancer or HPV. If a Pap test finds abnormal cells on your cervix, your doctor can monitor or treat them so they don’t turn into something more serious. You may have an HPV and a Pap test together (called co-testing). You may also get a Pap test as a follow-up after a positive HPV test result.
Wellness exams usually include a Pap test and/or HPV test as needed. Most people only need testing every 5 years, since cancer takes a very long time to develop. Your doctor or nurse will let you know how often you should be tested.
How is cervical cancer diagnosed?
If you have an abnormal Pap test or positive HPV test result, your doctor or nurse may want to do more tests or treatments, like:
Colposcopy — a procedure to look more closely at the cervix to see if there are precancerous cells. If they do a colposcopy, they might also do a biopsy — a procedure to remove a small piece of tissue from your cervix. Your doctor will send the tissue to a lab to test it for signs of cervical cancer.
LEEP or Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure — a treatment to remove precancerous cells from the cervix with an electrical current.