Expert answers to common questions about cervical cancer.

Abnormal Pap With Negative HPV
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," My recent pap results said I have precancerous lesions with mild dysplasia. I have read that HPV causes low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions in 85% of cases. My test came back negative for HPV, so what else could have caused this? Christina S. Chu, MD, Assistant Professor of the Division of Gynecologic

Does a combination of HPV and birth control increase your chance of cervical cancer?
Dear OncoLink "Ask The Experts," I was diagnosed with HPV. I have read several studies showing that having HPV increases your chances of cervical cancer. Recently, I read that being on birth control and having HPV will increase your chances by 60%. My question is should I stop taking birth control due to the fact of having HPV? Or is the

Reducing Risk of HPV-Related Oral Cancers
Question How can you reduce the risk of HPV related oral cancers? Answer Carolyn Vachani, RN, MSN, AOCN, OncoLink Nurse Educator, responds: That is a great question - you cannot protect yourself 100% but this previous answer talks about prevention using dental dams. Answer Gloria DiLullo, MSN, CRNP, OncoLink Content Specialist, adds: While

About Gynecologic Cancer and Lymphedema
Copyright © 2002 by the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission in writing from the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania What is Lymphedema? ...

About Gynecologic Cancer and Pelvic Pain
Copyright © 2002 by the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission in writing from the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania What is pelvic pain? ...

About Gynecologic Cancer and Sexuality
Copyright © 2002 by the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission in writing from the Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania Because of the physical...

The Pap Test: Cervical Changes and Further Testing
Information about the pap test (smear), interpreting results and follow up testing, including colposcopy.

HPV and Cervical Cancer
Information about HPV and it's role in cancer development.

HPV Vaccine - A New Direction in Cancer Prevention: An Interview with Christina Chu, MD
An interview with Dr. Christina Chu regarding HPV vaccination.

Did You Know... The Facts About HPV?
HPV is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases in the world. By age 50, about 80% of women have been infected by some type of HPV. Most HPV infections do not cause any symptoms, therefore people are unaware that they are...

Useful External Websites
Eyes on the PrizeProvides information and emotional support from the survivors' perspective to women with gynecologic cancers, their families and friends, and healthcare providers. Has a helpful discussion board where you can "chat" with...

Review of presentations at professional meetings related to cervical cancer.

Factors influencing the uptake of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine to prevent cervical cancer (CC)
Presenter: J. Y. Lai, PhD; Division of Medical Oncology, British Columbia Cancer Agency, Vancouver, BC, Canada Background Cervical cancer is a major cause of cancer morbidity and mortality worldwide, with an estimated 11,270 new cases in the United States in 2009. Gardasil is a vaccine that has been developed to immunize patients against

Incidence of Human Papillomavirus (HPV)-Related Head and Neck Cancers in the U.S. from 1998-2003: Pre-HPV Vaccine Licensure
Presenter: M. SaraiyaPresenter's Affiliation: Centers for Disease ControlType of Session: ScientificBackground The majority of head and neck cancers are related to alcohol and tobacco use (75%). However, human papillomavirus (HPV) has been shown to be related to between 15-25% of head and neck cancers worldwide. In certain head and neck

Outcome of Radiotherapy Alone in HPV Associated Oropharyngeal Cancer
Authors: B. O'Sullivan, S. Huang, B. Perez-Ordonez, F. Liu, C. Massey, I. Weinreb, E. Chen, B. Cummings, J. Kim, J. Waldron Affiliations: Princess Margaret Hospital / University of Toronto, Toronto, ON, Canada Background There is a growing body of evidence that Human Papillomavirus (HPV) infection plays an important role in the pathogenesis

News stories related to cervical cancer prevention, screening, diagnosis and treatment.

ASCO: Adjuvant Bevacizumab Ups Survival in Cervical Cancer
Jun 5, 2013 - For women with chemotherapy-naive, recurrent, metastatic cervical cancer, treatment with chemotherapy plus bevacizumab is associated with improved survival, according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, held from May 31 to June 4 in Chicago.

Multiple Strategies Are More Efficient for Cervical Cancer
Apr 1, 2013 - Multiple cervical cancer screening strategies that maximize early detection of high-grade disease without excessive increases in initial testing appear to be most effective, according to a study published in the March issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Viral DNA-Based Testing Can Triage Women With Abnormal Pap
Mar 29, 2013 - DNA-based testing with Hybrid Capture 2 assay is more accurate than repeat cytology in identifying women with cervical cancer when their initial Pap smear showed atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance, according to research published online March 28 in The Cochrane Library.