Cervical Cancer

While the answer may seem simple, the circumstances surrounding a hysterectomy vary from patient to patient.

You ask the Internet a lot of questions, and Roswell Park has some answers. Gynecologic oncologist Peter Frederick, MD, FACOG, sat down to answer some of the Internet's most-searched questions related to cervical cancer prevention, screening and treatment.

Routine cervical screening detects precancerous conditions before cancer develops, opening an important window of opportunity for early treatment or prevention of the disease altogether.
“I am cancer-free now, but there are no guarantees. I take each year as I can.”
“Before you begin treatment, you should feel good knowing that you have done your due diligence, you are confident that you have received the correct diagnosis, and you are comfortable with your medical team and your treatment plan,” says Dr. Frederick.

Pregnancy can be one of the most exciting and fulfilling times of a woman’s life. Although receiving a cancer diagnosis during this period of time is rare, it can, unfortunately, still happen. It is important for women to remain educated on cancer and how it relates to pregnancy.

The same screening test that helped cut the number of cervical cancer deaths in half over the past 30 years is now being offered at Roswell Park to protect people at high risk of developing anal cancer.

About 5% of all Pap tests will be abnormal. An abnormal Pap test result does not mean cancer, but it does require follow-up to rule out the possibility of cancer.

A cancer diagnosis inspires many questions, and in a search for answers, patients and family members often stumble on misleading or inaccurate information that raises even more questions, such as — is cancer contagious?

Across the board, the IUD is known to lower risk for many gynecological cancers, including endometrial and ovarian cancer, but with regard to cervical cancer, the latest research suggests the benefit can be significant.

The fact that you live in a particular country or community should not impact your ability to get good care for cancer.

The study found that more than 42 percent of U.S. adults ages 18 to 59 have a type of genital HPV and nearly 23 percent of adults are infected with strains of the virus that carry a higher risk of causing cancer. CDC and Roswell Park recommend getting adolescents and young adults vaccinated.