Vim & Vigor - Summer 2018 - Parrish Medical Center - 13

Cervical cancer screenings have made a tremendous difference in survival rates since the Pap test was introduced in
the 1940s.
"Cervical cancer screening is one of the most successful
public health interventions we've ever had," Saslow says.
"Deaths dropped over 70 percent once Pap screening was
introduced. In countries without screening, cervical cancer
is one of the leading cancer killers of women."
Regular screenings can also help providers intercept the
development of cervical cancer. Pap tests screen for the presence of cancerous and precancerous cells in the cervix. HPV
tests screen for the types of HPV that have the potential to
develop into cancer.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends that
women be screened with a Pap test every three years between
ages 21 and 65. At age 30, women can switch to a Pap test plus
an HPV test every five years.
"In the U.S., hundreds of thousands of women every year
are diagnosed with advanced cervical precancers, which can be
treated or removed before they progress to cancer," Saslow says.

Life After Cervical Cancer

Treatment options for cervical cancer include surgery to remove
cancerous lesions, hysterectomy, chemotherapy and radiation.
The sooner the cancer is identified, the more conservative doctors can be with their treatment recommendations. Fortunately
for Andrews, her cancer was discovered early enough that
surgery to remove the cancerous portions of her cervix alone
was effective.
Her cancer experience strengthened her relationship with
then-boyfriend Jarret Stoll, a former NHL hockey player. The
couple married in June 2017.
"It was a huge step for my relationship with my boyfriend at
the time," she told Health magazine. "Because you don't know if
a guy is going to want to sit in with an oncologist and see, 'OK,
so this is your cervix, and this is your uterus, and we are cutting
out this part.' ... He was amazing."
With Stoll's support, Andrews decided to open up to her
co-workers and the public about her experience. The response
she received was overwhelmingly positive.
"After the trial, everyone kept telling me, 'You're so strong
for going through all of this, for holding down a job in football,
for being the only woman on the crew,'" Andrews told Sports
Illustrated. "Finally, I got to the point where I believed it, too.
'Hey, I have cancer, but dammit, I am strong, and I can do this.'"
The experience may have even helped her career.
"In a way, this all has allowed me to relate to players more,"
Andrews told the sports outlet. "I understand what it's like to
be the story." ■

HPV ISN'T
JUST A
PROBLEM
FOR GIRLS
The HPV vaccine introduced in 2006
was initially marketed as a cervical cancer
vaccine, but it's much more than that.
It also can protect against the types of
human papillomavirus (HPV) that lead to
cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, anus
and throat.
Although many parents may be reluctant
to think about their child contracting a
sexually transmitted infection like HPV, it's
imperative that the vaccine be administered
before becoming sexually active.
"What parents need to understand is
HPV is very common. It's as common as
a cold," says Eliana McKee, MD, FAAP, a
Parrish Medical Group pediatrician. It's
so common, in fact, that the Centers for
Disease Control and Prevention says nearly
all sexually active people will get HPV in
their lives.
Boys and girls should be vaccinated
with a series of shots at 11 or 12 years
old. The vaccine can be administered
up to age 26 for young adults not previously vaccinated.

APPOINTMENTS

Does Your Child
Need the Vaccine?
Children can receive the HPV vaccine at age 11. Talk to your child's
doctor and get your questions
answered. If you need a doctor,
visit parrishvigor.com/doctors
or call 321-268-6PMG (6764).

SUMME R 2018

http://www.parrishvigor.com/doctors

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