ThedaCare is encouraging more women to play an active role in helping to reduce incidents of cervical cancer across central and northeastern Wisconsin.
“Protection from cervical cancer begins with healthy lifestyle choices, early detection through regular exams and screenings, and vaccination against certain viruses,” said Dr. Emily Gonnering, ThedaCare family medicine physician. “We want women to understand the screening guidelines as well as their risk and prevention steps.”
Cervical cancer, a disease that forms in the cervix, is highly treatable when caught early, Gonnering said. In recent years, screening rates among some eligible groups have declined, leading to an increase in diagnoses.
In women ages 30-44, cervical cancer rates increased 1.7% each year from 2012 to 2019, according to the American Cancer Society (ACS). Experts say confusion around changing screening guidelines may have contributed to a drop-off in women following through on testing.
Any woman can develop cervical cancer, according to Gonnering. The disease develops in the cervix, the entrance to the uterus from the vagina.
About 99% of cervical cancer cases are linked to infection with high-risk human papillomavirus, (HPV), according to the World Health Organization. This is a common virus transmitted through sexual contact.
ACS estimated 2024 would bring the diagnosis of around 13,800 cases of invasive cervical cancer. About 4,300 women were projected to die from the disease.
The toll of the disease disproportionately affects certain minority groups, Gonnering said. The cervical cancer death rate among Black women and Indigenous women is 65% higher than in white women.
Cervical cancer is most frequently diagnosed in women between the ages of 35 and 44. It rarely develops in women younger than 20.
Once one of the most common causes of cancer death among American women, rates of the disease dropped by more than half between the mid-1970s and mid-2000s. Improved prevention and screening have helped, Gonnering said.
Though cervical cancer rates have been increasing in women ages 30-44, they’ve declined 11% each year for women ages 20-24. That likely reflects the first signs of cancer prevention from HPV vaccination.
Health experts recommend that women at normal risk for cervical cancer should begin testing at age 25. Those aged 25-65 should have a primary HPV test every five years. A primary HPV test is one that is done by itself for screening.
Women older than 65 who have undergone regular screening in the past 10 years with normal results can stop cervical cancer screening.
“It’s important to also understand that women should complete routine health care visits every year, regardless of whether they’re due for cervical cancer screening,” Gonnering said. “Staying current with your health care visits will enable your provider to better monitor your physical health over time and more effectively assist you in your efforts to reduce your cervical cancer risk.”
In its early stages, cervical cancers and pre-cancers often have no symptoms, Gonnering said. If symptoms do occur, they often include but aren’t limited to abnormal vaginal bleeding, an unusual discharge from the vagina, pain during sex and pain in the pelvic region.
Getting vaccinated against HPV, if eligible, and completing screenings are important steps in preventing cervical cancer, Gonnering noted.
The ACS recommends HPV vaccination of children, including boys, between the ages of 9 and 12.
Children and young adults ages 13-26 who have not been vaccinated, or who haven’t gotten all their doses, should get the vaccine as soon as possible.
“Through screening and vaccination, we hope to see a decrease in the number of women diagnosed with cervical cancer,” Gonnering said. “If you have any questions around whether you’re due for screening, please reach out to your health care team.”
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