Cervical Cancer Vaccines - A General Insight

Cervical cancer has been eating away a huge number of women. To be particular about 4000 women die each year due to cervical cancer. The number is growing frivolously, but thanks to the vaccine that has been discovered to fight Virus (HPV or Human Papillovirusa). Worst part of being faced with this cancer is that it forms in teenagers or women in their early twenties. However, it is only in the later stage of life that one realises its deadliness as it is a slower killer and a smooth operator. For it begins along the cervix's lining and then connect the uterus, this process takes a good amount of years before it completely. Jade Goody, controversial realty TV star raised awareness about this cancer and people have now started seeking more and more correct information of HPV.

If you are mother of a teenage daughter, here is what you always wanted to know about cervical cancer vaccine before giving it to your daughter.

How is HPV transmitted?

It is a most common sexually transmitting virus that gets passed on by oral, anal and genital sex. If one gets infected and her immune system is strong enough, the infection can be cleared in 2 years flat. However, if her body is coupled with some other disorder chances of this infection growing at decent speed arises. In Damages caused by HPV virus causes cancer. Now couple of vaccines are available as a precautionary measure which young girls need to be consumed before they begin their coital relationship.

Diagnosis?

This cancer can be diagnosed with certain number of tests. See your doctor to get yourself tested on them.

How vaccines operate and when to take the shot?

· Currently available vaccines are Gardasil and Cervarix.

· They induct antigens which are added to the immune system and are responsible to protect the body against certain cancer causing viruses and its strains.

· It stops any cancerous viruses to do damage to your system and if they already exist in your body, then it will stop it from multiplying.

· You have to take three shots of this vaccine. Gap between the first and second should 1 month, while between second and three should be four months.

· It shouldn't be consumed by pregnant women or new mothers who are breastfeeding

Does it have any side effect?

Just like any other vaccine, HPV vaccine also shows side effects that one must be prepared to face, which include: pain and swelling around the injected area which can be relieved by apply ice. Some have suffered diarrhea and blisters around the injected area.

When to get vaccine, ideally?

Before one becomes sexually active, she should be vaccine. For in certain cases it was observed that it was too late to vaccine women for they had already acquired this dangerous cancer.

Currently, the activists and health specialists are targeting the young girls between the age group of 12-15 years, just when they are attaining their puberty. It is available in most of the clinics.

How long will the vaccine be effective?

The last updated study shows that its effect lasts for five years. It will be few years before one can mention confidently about how long the effect will last, for the vaccines are hardly half a decade old. Coming years will show how long many cervical cancer cases have been reduced by this vaccine

Will it still call for medical check up?

Of course! Remember no vaccine or medicine is full proof and hence, one always needs to undergo smears, physical examination and complete body check up to make sure that you are in a fit shape all the time. Also, it helps to detect any early beginning of a chronic disorder.

It is time to add this vaccine on your must-give-vaccines-for-your-child. To be on safer side, give her early on when she is just entering her puberty.

How to Reduce Cervical Cancer Risks

Ever heard of pap smear tests? What about cervical cancer then? Yes, cervical cancers are categorized as a malignant type of cancer, which is capable of causing death. Its threat is equal to its common cancer counterpart, the breast cancer.

Women can take several simple steps to reduce their risk of developing cervical cancer. Small lifestyle adjustments, combined with medical care, go a long way in preventing cervical cancer.

1. Get screened regularly for the disease

Getting a regular pap smear test is a highly effective way to reduce your risk of cervical cancer. There are no other ways. Do this annually and pray for your safety. You have been warned.

2. Practise safe sex, always

There are no emotions to be used as excuses here. 'HPV' (virus responsible for causing the cancer) is a common sexually transmitted virus and is the primary cause of most this cancer. You can reduce the risk of being infected by using a condom during sexual intercourse. If you ever suspect amiss, then please get the morning after pill, to be safe rather than sorry afterwards in future.

3. Limit the number of your sexual partners

Having multiple sexual partners increases your risk of being infected by 'HPV'.

4. Get immunised against 'HPV'

Vaccination against the virus will reduce the risk of infections of types 16 and 18 (responsible for 70% of all cervical cancers) by high risk 'HPV'. This vaccination can offer good protection against high risk strain for 'pre' cancerous changes to the cervix. 'HPV' vaccination is best suited for girls who are not yet sexually active. But, research has shown than the virus vaccination offers protection up to the age of 45 years of age.

7 Tips to Prevent Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is a disease that is dangerous and frightening for women. Cervical cancer is preventable but still there are thousands if not millions of women in the world diagnosed with this disease. To avoid this disease there are several ways of prevention can be taken include:

1. Do the best inspection

Many cases of cervical cancers caused by HPV infection, is a type of virus that attacks through sexual intercourse. There are about 90% of HPV recover without treatment. Conversely, if not, will be potentially the formation of cancer cells.

To detect these cells, Pap smear examination is still the standard. But some research revealed that screening for HPV can more easily stop the cancer. If the HPV test results show positive, your doctor will consider more carefully about the changes in the cervix and remove precancerous cells that may exist.

2. Avoid Smoking

Cigarette smoke can weaken the body's defenses so that HPV infection can last longer in women who smoke compared with nonsmokers. Besides that, you must also belief smoking can cause other diseases that also harmful to health.

3. Use a lubricant intimate organs

Use of organs intimate lubricant made from carrageen an, a thickener compound derived from seaweed can stop the HPV survive in healthy cells.

4. Eat broccoli and their relatives

Plant compounds in broccoli, cauliflower and so may help the cells that are infected with HPV self-destruction. This method is very natural to kill cells that are not healthy, so reducing the risk of this disease.

5. Perform routine inspection Pap smear

Always consult with your doctor. There is a possibility you are advised to undergo examination Pap smear every year or every 3 years, depending on your risk factor for cervical cancer. Consult with your doctor in more detail about what you feel and the things that must be done to reduce the risk of this disease.

6. HPV Vaccine

HPV vaccine can help prevent this disease. For more details, ask your doctor to get more detailed information about the vaccine HPV.

7. Know more about cervical cancer

Find out information about cervical cancer; you can do this by looking for information on the Internet, newspapers, television or through forums, seminars and others. By knowing more about it, you will certainly understand how the ways to avoid and prevent this disease and may help your relatives or friends they are challenged to communicate to the dangers of this disease.

Cervical Cancer - Signs, Symptoms and Treatmentsd

Despite the fact that cervical cancer has been identified as the second most common cancer among women worldwide as research has consistently shown that it kills more than 300,000 women yearly. Though it can be medically prevented, even in women at high risk, but due to the ignorance and non-challant attitude of our women and the so called health worker, the reverse is the case. However, the good news is that with modern science, a small inexpensive screening could potentially save lives. Its on record that screening in United Kingdom saves over 100,000 lives every year, with premalignant diseases detected and treated in several women.

Some of the signs and symptoms to look out for. But before i proceed, i must warn that symptoms do not usually appear until abnormal cervical cells become cancerous and invade nearby tissue and when this happens the most common symptom is abnormal bleeding which starts and stop between regular menstrual bleeding periods or may occur after sexual intercourse, douching, menstrual bleeding that last longer and heavier than usual, also to note when there is increase in vaginal discharge, bleeding after menopause may also be a symptom of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer starts as abnormality of cells on cervix and if not detected early or treated, it gradually invade normal cells of the cervix and surrounding tissues or lymph nodes which eventually spreads to other parts of the body. If these lesions have not invaded normal cells of the cervix, treatment is very simple and straightforward. Pre-cancerous changes of the cervix usually do not cause pain and are not detected unless a woman takes a pelvic examination and Pap test.

Treatments - There are many ways to treat cervical cancer.

(1) Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure {LEEP} which can be performed in the doctors office under local anesthetic, where electrically charged wire loop is used to remove the outer portion of the cervix that contains the abnormal tissue.

(2) Cryosurgery can also be performed in the doctors office and this does not require an anesthetic. This procedure freezes and kills the abnormal cells of the cervix when a silver probe is placed against the cervix.

(3)Cryosurgery Hysterectomy is another treatment that I would want to mention. Here the uterus is removed through the abdomen or vagina. This is a major surgery that requires the patient staying overnight in the hospital. It is usually performed on pre- invasive lesions and sometimes for women who have had more than one relapse and no longer have enough tissue to perform another LEEP.

Treatment of invasive cancer - The extent of tumor growth always determine the treatment required and if the tumor is small and confined to the cervix tissues, then radical hysterectomy or radiation therapy may be applied. When tumors are large or extends to adjacent tissues or lymph nodes more intensive therapy is required.

Radical Hysterectomy - This is the surgical removal of the uterus, the ligaments and connective tissues that hold the uterus in place. You can also remove lymph nodes in the pelvic area with this method, if microscopic cancer cells have spread to lymph nodes and ligaments that hold the uterus. After a radical hysterectomy operation has been carried out, a woman may no longer have menstrual periods and may not be able to bear children. However, she will continue to have the female hormone estrogen in her body and with this method the cure rate of the cervical cancer is about 90%.

Radiation Therapy - Here high energy rays are used to damaged cancer cells and stop them from growing. It is a localized treatment that means it attack cancer cells at a particular area of the body. Usually the radiation is performed externally from a large machine or radioactive materials placed directly into the cervix known as implant radiation

. Chemotherapy - This involves the use of drugs to kill cancer cells when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Chemotherapy may be given by injection into a vein or by mouth,so that the drugs flow easily through the body into the bloodstream

. Biological Therapy - is usually used to treat cancer that has spread from cervix to other parts of the body. Here we use substance to strengthen a woman s immune system to better fight her cancer. Interferon is the most common form of biological therapy used to treat cervical cancer.

Cervical Cancer Treatment Options Abroad

Understanding cervical cancer

A form of cancer, which affects the cervix (i.e. a part of the female reproductive system) is a slow growing tumor caused almost always due to an infection of Human Papilloma Virus. The other predisposing factors include early sexual activity, having multiple sexual partners, prolonged use of oral contraceptive pills, infection due to sexually transmitted diseases, and smoking. PAP smear, a screening test for detecting cervical cancer, is recommended among sexually active women. To confirm the diagnosis colposcopy, punch or cone biopsy of the cervical tissue is done. Other imaging techniques like CT scan, X ray or PET scan may be used to assess the extent of metastasis and the stage of tumor growth.

Cervical Cancer Surgery

The option of surgical treatment would depend only upon the stage and the location of the cancer. There are different forms of treatments available, which include hysterectomy (removal of the uterus and the cervix), Radical hysterectomy (removal of uterus, cervix, a part of the vagina and the surrounding lymph nodes), Pelvic Exenteration (removal of the cervix, uterus, vagina, ovaries, lymph nodes, lower colon, rectum, and bladder). Cryosurgery and laser surgery are options that are available for pre-cancerous conditions and smaller tumors.

Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy in treatment

In cases of extensive metastasis beyond the cervix, and when surgical intervention is considered inadequate to remove the cancer, chemotherapy and radiation therapy are recommended. The treatment is also given prior to (neo-adjuvant) and after (adjuvant) surgery to improve the surgical outcome. Both the treatments are accompanied by several side effects, like hair loss, fatigue, nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss, and increased susceptibility to infections, diarrhea, and dysuria.

Cervical Cancer treatment option Abroad

With rapidly evolving technology, international quality standards and protocols for medical and surgical care, and international accreditation with JCI, JACHO and ISO, countries like India, South Korea, Turkey, Jordan and Mexico have gained reputation as the leading destinations for treatment of cervical cancer treatment. Low cost of treatment and tremendous cost saving opportunities has resulted in an increase in the number of American patients considering the option of going abroad to seek out for high quality and low cost medical care

Detecting Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is more likely to affect women during their middle age years and beyond.

However, this disease can occur any time during a woman's child bearing years. This is why it is important for women of all ages to understand the different stages of this type of cancer. Early detection is important in order for women to have a good chance at survival.

This will allow a woman to get the proper treatments before the disease progresses to advanced stages, when the chances for survival are slim. Also, the type of treatment that a woman will receive for cervical cancer is determined by the stage of the disease in her particular situation.

There are two types of cervical cancer tumors. One classification is known as pre-invasive. This means that the lower third of the epithelium is made up of abnormal cells. The other classification of cervical cancers tumors are called invasive. In this case, the full thickness of the epithelium consists of cells that are proliferating abnormally.

This cancer occurs in the lining of the cervix. This consists of the lower region of a woman's uterus, or womb, were the opening of the vagina is located. This type of cancer does not always spread to other parts of the body. However, if it does spread, it will typically affect the rectum, lungs, bladder, liver, and vagina.

This form of cancer starts from changes that occur in the cells. A virus known as the the human papilloma (HPV) causes cervical cancer. This virus is transferred through contact with the genitals of an infected person. This is why this virus is often spread during sexual activity.

A woman who has multiple sexual partners is at an increased risk for infection from this virus. Also, women who begin having sex early in life, or who have had multiple sexually transmitted diseases are also more susceptible to developing HPV as well as HIV. Some symptoms of cervical during its advanced stages include back pain, leg pain, weight loss, and loss of appetite.

Other risk factors for developing this type of cancer include a diet that does not consist of fruits and vegetables. Also, the long term use of birth control pills can increase a woman's risk but she can reduce that risk by simply discontinuing the use of oral contraceptives. Doctors recommend that women get the HPV vaccination to reduce their risks for cervical cancer.

What is Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is a malignant cancer of the cervix uteri or cervical area. It has been found that the Human Papilomavirus (HPV) Infection is a the cause for approximately 70% all cervical cancer. Other co-factors are HIV infections, chlamyudia infection, dietary factors, hormonal contraceptions, multiple pregnancies, expose to the hormonal drug diethylstilbestrol and a family history of cervical cancer.

There is now a vaccine called gaurdasil to help prevent HPV. HPV is an infection caused by having many sexual partners or having a partner that has had many sexual partners. There are more than 250 types of HPV, of these 15 are classified as high-risk types.

How do you lower your risk for cervical cancer?
1. yearly pap smear screening can identify potentially precancerous changes. It is important to do yearly check ups as the symptoms of early stages of cervical cancer may be asymptomatic.
2. get vaccinated
3. use safe sex practices
4. healthy diet and vitamins to keep your immune system in good working order

What are the symptoms of cervical cancer
1. vaginal bleeding - contact bleeding or a vaginal mass (rarely) may indicate cervical cancer
2 painful sexual intercourse
3 vaginal discharge

In advanced disease metastases may be present in the abdomen, lungs, or elsewhere. Symptoms of advanced cervical cancer may include loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, pelvic pain, back pain, leg pain, single swollen leg, heavy bleeding from the vagina, leaking of urine or feces from the vagina and bone fractures.

Treatment of cervical cancer will depend on which stage you are diagnosed with and you should discuss with your doctor the pros and cons of the treatment. Find out all about your treatment options and the side effects of those treatments so you will know what you will need help with.

You can find more women's health issues, vitamins, and remedies at MegaMall Stores