What Your Test Results Mean

If you are Tested and Find Out You Have High-risk HPV, What Does That Mean? What Happens Next?
The most important thing to remember is that HPV infections are very common, and are usually nothing to worry about! In most women, HPV infections go away or are suppressed by the body without causing any problems that need treatment. It is only when an HPV infection stays active that abnormal cells may form.

* If the HPV test shows you have a high-risk type of the HPV virus, but your Pap is normal , then the expert guidelines recommend that both tests be repeated in 12 months. If your HPV infection is still active at that time, and/or if your Pap is now abnormal, another exam called a colposcopy is needed to help determine if any "bad cells" are present. If abnormal cells are found early, before they become cancerous, treatment is highly effective.
* If the HPV test shows you have a high-risk type of HPV, and your Pap result is abnormal or inconclusive ("ASC-US"), the expert guidelines say you should have a colposcopy exam right away.

Note that if the HPV test shows you do not have HPV, but your Pap looks abnormal, it is less likely that you have cervical disease. The presence of a high-risk type of HPV is necessary for cancer to develop. However, just to be sure, the guidelines recommend that you get a colposcopy exam of your cervix. And if you do not have HPV but your Pap results are unclear or inconclusive ("ASC-US"), both the HPV and Pap tests should be repeated in a year.

The diagram below provides a more detailed overview of the different test results possible and what they mean to you...

Questions To Ask Your Doctor about HPV

How do I know if I got an HPV test?

When and how should I expect to get my test results?

What do my test results mean?

What other tests or treatment will I need if my Pap or HPV test is abnormal?

When do I need to come back for more testing or treatment?

What should I expect during and after these tests or treatments?

Are there risks or side effects?

Will the testing or treatment affect my chance to get or stay pregnant?

Will the added tests or treatment be covered by my insurance?

Where can I get help to cover the costs?

What You Should Know About the HPV Vaccine

Young women have good reason to consider getting vaccinated against human papillomavirus (HPV). The vaccine protects against the two "high-risk" strains of HPV, which are associated with approximately 70% of cervical cancers. If you do get the HPV vaccine, be aware that it won’t protect against all cervical cancers, so you should still get regular pap tests, and HPV testing when recommended.
Why get the HPV vaccine?

Getting the HPV vaccine may reduce your risk of developing precancerous cells that could lead to cervical cancer. The vaccine protects against the two most common — but not all — high-risk HPV strains.1
Who should get the vaccine?

To be effective, the HPV vaccine must be given early. Ideally it should be given before you have become sexually active. Routine vaccination is recommended for all girls aged 11 and 12. The vaccine has been approved for girls and women between the ages of 9 and 26.
HPV vaccine limitations

Over 100 different human papillomavirus (HPV) strains have been identified. The HPV vaccine covers only 4 strains — 2 of which are associated with 70% of cervical cancers — so you should continue having regular pap tests, and HPV testing when recommended. 1 Together, the HPV vaccine along with regular screenings will make cervical cancer one of the most preventable types of cancer.

You should discuss your personal history and whether you are a candidate for the HPV vaccine with your doctor or nurse.

Gardasil – Cervical Cancer Vaccine in UAE

Monday, January 08, 2007 at 4:57:09 PM

The creation of Gardasil vaccine is a boon for the kith and kin of those people who are suffering from cervical cancer.

This vaccine is currently available in 33 countries all over the world and has been marketed by Merck Sharp & Dohme. This vaccine was formed by Professor Ian Frazer, Director of the University of Queensland’s Centre for Immunology and Cancer Research (CICR), Australia who in all likelihood could be strong contender for Nobel Prize.


In the middle East, UAE is the first country to obtain this vaccine after their Health Ministry approved the same. America, Australia and European Union have already approved and introduce this vaccine in their countries. In UAE, the average incidence of cervical cancer in 2005 has increased three fold from that in 1998.

Human Papilloma Virus causes this condition and over 2.3 million women across the globe are claimed to suffer from this disease and around 800 women die everyday due to cervical cancer. This break through vaccine is sure to lift the spirits of medical fraternity all over the world.

Source-Medindia

WHAT CAUSES CANCER?

One of the most common questions that people ask is "What causes cancer? " Most peoples' knowledge about cancer comes from either friends' experiences or what they have heard on TV or read in the papers. In this section we will try to sort out the facts from the fiction.

THE FACTS

* As cancer is not one but many diseases, what causes one type of cancer doesn't necessarily cause another. For example, smoking is the main cause of lung cancer but not of breast cancer.
* Experts agree that most cancers are caused by our bodies, or parts of them, being exposed to certain substances over long periods of time. These cancer-causing substances are called carcinogens.
* For example, people who smoke have a lot more of certain types of cancers than non-smokers. There are also differences between countries. For example, in Japan the death rate from stomach cancer is about twice that for England and Wales, while the death rate from breast cancer is about six times lower.
* These community studies, together with laboratory and other scientific experiments have shown us the causes of at least some forms of cancer in humans. Smoking is by far the most important preventable cause of cancers.

VIRUSES: Viruses are tiny particles which can reproduce only inside living cells. They can spread between people in a number of ways – in the ar or in the blood, for instance.

Cancers where viruses are thought to play a role include cervical cancer, cancer of the liver and a skin cancer that can develop in people with AIDS. Cervical cancer is associated with a virus that can be transmitted through sexual intercourse. Cancer of the liver can develop in a person who has had an attack of hepatitis B – a virus which can be transmitted through sexual intercourse or using infected needles, e.g. illegal drug use.

Experts have estimated that more than 80% of cancers may be avoidable through changes that can be made in lifestyle and in the environment. In the following pages this booklet shows you the kind of changes that you can make reduce your risk of getting certain cancers.

Cervical Cancer Prevention in the Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine Era

Globally, cervical cancer is second only to breast cancer as the leading cause of cancer in women, with a global prevalence of 2.3 million. It is the third most common cause of female cancer-related mortality worldwide, and 82% of new cervical cancer cases occur in developing countries. As stated by WHO, "without screening programs, cervical cancer is detected too late and leads to death in almost all cases." However, even in Europe, the United States, and Canada, where most women have access to routine screening, approximately 30,000 women die each year. Infection with oncogenic types of HPV 16 and 18 is the most significant risk/causative factor in cervical cancer etiology, and worldwide HPV positivity in cervical carcinoma has been documented to be 99.7%. In 2006 Merck's quadrivalent vaccine was approved by FDA. It targets four HPV types (6, 11, 16, and 18) that are involved in cervical cancer, high and low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions, and anogenital warts. Results from combined Phase II/III studies show that the efficacy of vaccine was 95–100% against LGSIL and HGSIL related to HPV 16 and 18 and vaccine use led to a 99% reduction in the incidence of genital warts (related to HPV 6 and 11). Due to morbidity associated with infection with HPV types 6, 11, 16, and 18, a prophylactic quadrivalent HPV vaccine targeting these four HPV types is expected to substantially reduce the burden of HPV-related disease.

Saad Ghazal-Aswad
a Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Tawam Hospital, Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
Address for correspondence: Dr. Saad Ghazal-Aswad, Chair, Dept of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Tawam Hospital, P.O. Box 15258, Al Ain, UAE. Voice: +00971-3-7677 444. saswad@tawam-hosp.gov.ae
Copyright © 2008 New York Academy of Sciences
KEYWORDS
HPV (human papilloma virus) • cervical cancer • quadrivalent vaccine

Cervical cancer awareness drive launched in UAE

DUBAI — On an average 43 women in the UAE died due to cervical cancer in each of the years 2005 and 2006, according to the annual report published by the Preventive Health Department in the Ministry of Health (MoH).

This number is second only to breast cancer which claims the lives of 100 women every year, said Dr Ali Ahmed bin Shukr, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Support Services in the MoH.

The details were announced yesterday at the launch of an educational network by the ministry, the Emirates Cervicare Network (ECN), to raise awareness of cervical cancer and its prevention.

The network has been launched in collaboration with the Health Authority Abu Dhabi and the Emirates Medical Association.

"Cervical cancer is among the leading causes of death amongst women in the UAE. According to recent WHO reports, cervical cancer is the second largest disease amongst women in the United States," Dr Bin Shukr said.

He explained that the UAE campaign for cervical cancer prevention is seeking to spread awareness of the diseases and ways to prevent the spread of the disease and support women who are living with cervical cancer.

Dr Bin Shukr called on the society for additional support to the awareness initiatives by the MoH and private sector groups.

Dr Haifa Hamad Fares, family medicine specialist in the MoH, insisted on the importance of regular check-ups and advice from gynaecologists on early diagnosis for cancer.

The spokesperson for Emirates Cervicare Network (ECN), Dr Mouzah Ghubash, emphasised on the need to correct the misconceptions about the disease to save the lives of thousands of women.

Cervical cancer is cancer in the cervix, the lower, narrow part of the uterus (womb) and is caused by repeated infection with the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) which is usually transmitted through sexual contact.

"Public health networks, such as ECN, are valuable and greatly needed in the UAE today so that important messages may be spread in each community," said Dr Amira Ismail Aladab, a representative of the Emirates Medical Association.

Dr Awatif Al-Bahar, consultant gynaecologist and head of the department at the Canadian Specialist Hospital, said cervical cancer is preventable.

"All women are at risk of contracting cervical cancer and they may not be aware that they have a cervical HPV infection because these infections are generally painless and without symptoms," said Dr Awatif adding that, "regular screening and vaccination can save a woman's life."

Every year 500,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer worldwide and nearly 250,000 women die each year as a result of this disease, says WHO.