Survivors’ stories, statistics, highlight importance of cervical cancer elimination goal
January 13, 2011 | |
Patricia Gregory of Cary, N.C., was only 24 years old when she was diagnosed with cervical cancer. Now a mother of an 11-year-old daughter, she considers herself blessed to have a child, as cervical cancer can make women unable to bear children.
Marie Miranda, diagnosed at age 28, underwent a total hysterectomy. “I was heartbroken … It was very hard for many years,” said the now-41-year-old resident of Raleigh, N.C., who adopted two girls last year.Wanting to spare other women the uncertainty they faced, Gregory and Miranda have joined a statewide effort to raise awareness about vaccination and early screening to prevent this form of cancer. The initiative, Cervical Cancer-Free North Carolina, includes a coalition of health-care providers, organizations, educators and others who are spreading the word that cervical cancer can be eliminated in North Carolina. They are vocal especially in January, which has been designated “Cervical Health Awareness Month” by the United States Congress. The statistics are sobering:
“In a wealthy nation like the United States, it is unforgivable to have women dying from cervical cancer, a fully preventable disease,” said Noel Brewer, PhD, the initiative’s director and associate professor at the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health. “We can do better for our daughters, mothers, sisters and friends. We have to. Together we can eliminate cervical cancer in North Carolina.” Health experts recommend that parents provide their daughters with the HPV vaccine early and that women begin regular screening with a Pap test at age 21. The three-dose HPV vaccine series is recommended for routine administration to girls 11 or 12 years old, with catch-up provision to females up to age 26. Even women who have been vaccinated still need regular screening. Amy C. Denham, MD, medical director of the cancer prevention and control branch at the N.C. Division of Public Health and practicing physician in the UNC School of Medicine’s family medicine department, said that before the introduction of Pap smear screening, uterine cancer – which includes cervical cancer – was the most common cause of cancer deaths in women. “The good news is that cervical cancer is now a relatively uncommon cause of death,” Denham said. “But death rates are still too high. The cornerstones of our cervical cancer prevention efforts should be Pap smear screening at least every three years for women age 21 and older and HPV vaccination for girls at age 11 or 12.” Survivors Gregory and Miranda have turned their experiences with cervical cancer into roles as passionate advocates. Gregory serves as president of the Raleigh chapter of the National Cervical Cancer Coalition Miranda is a regular volunteer for the American Cancer Society. “We as women are the caretakers of others,” said Gregory. “We have to take care of ourselves too. It’s such a simple thing. We just have to get tested. I’d like to think that in my daughter’s lifetime cervical cancer will be eradicated.” For more information about access and eligibility for low-cost screening services, contact the N.C. Breast and Cervical Cancer Control Program at (919) 707-5300, or the NC CARE LINE, toll-free at 1-800-662-7030 (English/Spanish). HPV vaccine is available at many doctor’s offices and health departments across North Carolina and the United States. Read more at www.ccfnc.org. UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health contact: Ramona DuBose, director of communications, (919) 966-7467 or ramona_dubose@unc.edu. |