Cervical Cancer Testing and Treatment

The leading test that has been approved by the United States Food & Drug Administration is the digene HPV (human papilloma virus) Test. It detects whether the high-risk kinds of the HPV virus are present. When this test is used in conjunction with a Pap smear, it is more accurate in identifying those at risk for developing cervical cancer than a Pap smear alone would.

Pap Smear Test

The Pap smear does not diagnose HPV; it only addresses pre-cancerous and cancerous cells. These cells could indicate the presence of HPV or some other kind of vaginal infection. 

The cells collected during the Pap smear will be transferred to a slide. A cytotechnologist will stain the slide with a technique developed by Doctor Papanicolaou (Pap is a shortened name of the doctor). The acids and alcohol dyes will selectively be retained by the abnormal cells if they are present. Then the cytotechnologist looks at a sample of the cells through a microscope to determine whether there are any abnormalities present.

The HPV Test

The digene HPV Test can usually be analyzed by the laboratory using the same cells that are used for the Pap test. Molecular technology is used to detect if any high-risk kinds of HPV are present. 

Women over the age of thirty are at a higher risk for cervical cancer. Interestingly, studies have shown that with the combination of the Pap smear and the digene HPV test identifies 95% to 100% of advanced disease of the cervix. If HPV is present, it does not necessarily indicate cervical disease. An additional exam must be done to determine whether the disease exists.

Recommendations are that women between the ages of 20 to 30 years only receive an HPV test if their Pap smear results are considered ‘inconclusive’ or ‘borderline.’ The HPV test will assist their nurse or physician in determining whether additional testing is required.

A series of tests that are performed to diagnose cervical cancer:

• The Pap smear is usually the first test and is followed by the HPV test if the patient is over 30 years old. 
• Then a colposcopy, which is when the physician uses a magnifying, lighted instrument to examine the cervix.
• A biopsy is done. A biopsy is when the physician removes a tissue sample to be examined in the laboratory. 

Treatment of Cervical Cancer

The treatment options will depend on several different things. The stage the cancer is in and the tumor’s size. Treatment choice also depends the patient’s age and if the patient wants to conceive in the future.

Possible Treatments

The uterus is surgically removed

• This procedure is a Hysterectomy. 

For a younger woman with relatively small tumors, a minimally invasive procedure may be used to preserve the patient’s ability to conceive. 

• The procedure utilized is called the ‘radical vaginal trachelectomy’ with a ‘laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy.’

Radiation therapy is a procedure where x-rays as well as other kinds of radiation assist in destroying cancer cells.

• A special machine is situated outside one’s body. It bombards the cancer cells.
• With the use of a radioactive substance that is in a catheter, wire or some another device and is placed within the body close to the area infected with cancer.

Chemotherapy 

• The use of medications to halt the cancer cells growth. 

The Prognosis

Recovery will depend on a few factors:

• What stage the cancer is in.
• Whether the cancer has infected other places throughout the body will also determine the treatment options.
• How much of the cervix is affected.
• The tumor’s size is also a factor.

HPV Vaccine

There is a vaccine available to prevent HPV called Gardasil. The vaccine is available for both males and females. Gardasil is given to males and females from the ages of nine to twenty six years. Gardasil is administered by a series of three injections over a six-month period.