Featuring Dr. Duncan Miller, BSc, MD

Cervical Cancer in Women Duration: 2 minutes, 27 seconds

Cervical cancer is a cancer involving the cervix. The cervix is the bottom part of the uterus, or the womb, and it separates the uterus from the vagina.

And cancer, of course, is an abnormal growth of cells. Cervical cancer is caused by human – it's a virus called the human papilloma virus and that's shortened as HPV. So, HPV is spread through sexual contact, so the only way to absolutely prevent cervical cancer is by never having any sexual contact.

Other ways of preventing it are by getting a vaccine against HPV, and there's two widely available, different types of vaccines that cover the different strains of the virus that can cause this disease. The other way of preventing it is by getting a regular pap smear or a Pap test.

That test is a way of sampling the cells that line the top of the cervix, and then, looking at them underneath a microscope to see if there's any cancerous changes. Another way of reducing your risk of getting cervical cancer is by not smoking, because when you smoke, it increases the risk of those cells in your cervix becoming abnormal and leading towards cancerous change.

In order to reduce your risk of cervical cancer, you can do a number of things. One is reducing the number of sexual partners that you're exposed to. You know, condoms may reduce your risk, and certainly, it can prevent, you know, other lethal diseases; but also, the vaccine, which is remarkable in that it's one of the few vaccines to prevent cancer, if that can be administered before the onset of sexual activity – usually in the preteen years.

If you have any further concerns or questions about cervical cancer, you should contact your primary healthcare provider. Just remember that treatment for your condition will vary with the individual and the condition they may have. So, always consult your primary healthcare provider for more information.

Presenter: Dr. Duncan Miller, Family Doctor, Vancouver, BC

Local Practitioners: Family Doctor