Tag Archives: HPV

Cervical Cancer

Malignant (cancerous) cells growing in the tissue of the cervix are known as cervical cancer. The cancerous cells grow slowly over time; as the malignant cells expand, they can spread to surrounding tissue. Only women can get cervical cancer. The cervix is the lower, narrow end of the uterus that leads into the vagina. Before cancer appears in the cervix, the cells go through changes known as dysplasia — the appearance of abnormal cells. Cervical cancer does not usually have any noticeable signs in the early stages. However, the abnormal cells can be detected with a yearly check up, including … Continue reading →

Cervical Cancer Vaccine

The Food and Drug Administration recently approved Gardasil — a vaccine that targets four strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV). Two of the four viruses are responsible for approximately seventy percent of all cervical cancers. The other two virus strains are to blame for approximately ninety percent of all cases of genital warts. HPV is most often spread through sexual contact. The virus is a very common sexually transmitted disease; approximately twenty million people in the United States are infected. According to the Centers for Disease Control, at least eighty percent of women will have had the virus by age … Continue reading →