Cervical Cancer News and Research

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Cancer is a disease in which cells in the body grow out of control. Cancer is always named for the part of the body where it starts, even if it spreads to other body parts later. When cancer starts in the cervix, it is called cervical cancer. The cervix is the lower, narrow end of the uterus. Also known as the womb, the uterus is where a baby grows when a woman is pregnant. The cervix connects the upper part of the uterus to the vagina (birth canal).

Cervical cancer is highly preventable in most Western countries because screening tests and a vaccine to prevent HPV infections are available. When cervical cancer is found early, it is highly treatable and associated with long survival and good quality of life.

Cigarette smoking and high HPV concentrations associated with greater risk of cervical cancer

Cigarette smoking and concurrent infection with high levels of the virus associated with cervical cancer can increase cancer risk by as much as 27 times, according to a study published in the November 2006 issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

19 Nov 2006

40% of U.S. women ages 18 to 75 know about human papillomavirus

Forty percent of U.S. women ages 18 to 75 have heard about human papillomavirus and of those women, 20% are aware that it can cause cervical cancer, according to the National Cancer Institute's 2005 Health Information National Trends Survey, which was presented on Sunday at the American Association for Cancer Research's Frontiers in Cancer Prevention Research Meeting in Boston, Reuters Health reports.

14 Nov 2006

Cervical cancer vaccine to be included in school vaccination program in the U.S.

The U.S. government has added a new vaccine which protects girls and women from from cervical cancer to their subsidized vaccine program for schoolchildren.

2 Nov 2006

HPV test is a better long-term predictor of cervical cell abnormalities than pap smear

The best initial cervical cancer screening tool for younger women is still the traditional Pap smear. However, a large Danish study has found that for older women (age 40 and older), a test for human papillomavirus (HPV) is a much more effective way to screen for potential cancer.

1 Nov 2006

Utah receives poor marks for adolescent vaccination, women's cancer screenings

Fewer adolescents in Utah get vaccinated than their counterparts in other states, and Utah women receive fewer screenings for breast, colorectal and cervical cancer compared with women nationwide, according to findings released Thursday at the State of Our Health program forum, the Salt Lake Tribune reports.

30 Oct 2006

New York State Court of Appeals upholds contraceptive coverage law

The New York State Court of Appeals on Thursday voted 6-0 to uphold rulings by the New York Supreme Court and the Appellate Division to leave intact a state law that requires employers -- including the Roman Catholic Church and other religious organizations -- who offer prescription drug plans to provide coverage for FDA-approved contraceptives for women, the New York Times reports.

22 Oct 2006

Sanofi Pasteur begins selling Gardasil in six E.U. countries

Sanofi Pasteur, a joint company of Merck and Sanofi-Aventis, recently began selling Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil in Austria, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Sweden and the United Kingdom, Reuters reports (Reuters, 10/17).

19 Oct 2006

A pill a day gives renewed hope for breast cancer victims

A new breast cancer 'wonder drug' could be available to British women within a matter of months.

9 Oct 2006

Michigan Senate approves bills that would require girls to receive HPV vaccine before entering sixth grade

The Michigan Senate on Wednesday voted 36-1 to approve two bills (SB 1416, SB 1417) that would require girls in the state entering the sixth grade in the 2007-2008 school year and beyond to have received Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil, the AP/Detroit Free Press reports (AP/Detroit Free Press, 9/20).

26 Sep 2006

HPV vaccine Gardasil approved for sale in EU

The European Commission on Friday approved Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil for sale and marketing in the European Union, London's Guardian reports (Batty, Guardian, 9/22).

26 Sep 2006

Cell detachment model for an antibody-based microfluidic cancer screening system

In the quest to detect more types of cancers at ever earlier stages, researchers have been stymied by a lack of cell surface markers that distinguish in a clear-cut manner between healthy and malignant cells.

19 Sep 2006

Breast cancer incidence is lower for Latinas

Breast cancer incidence is lower for Latinas than for non-Latina white women, but Latinas diagnosed with the disease are more likely to die than white women, according to a report released by the American Cancer Society, Long Island Newsday reports.

18 Sep 2006

Michigan Bills introduced that would require girls to receive HPV vaccine before sixth grade

Michigan Sen. Beverly Hammerstrom (R) last Tuesday introduced two bills (SB 1416, SB 1417) that would require girls in the state entering the sixth grade in the 2007-2008 school year and beyond to have received Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil, the Detroit News reports.

18 Sep 2006

Black women living in South Carolina are more likely to develop cancers

Black women living in South Carolina are more likely to develop and die from breast and cervical cancers, compared to white women, according to a study published in the Journal of the South Carolina Medical Association, the AP/WHNS reports.

18 Sep 2006

Women in Government back cervical cancer vaccine for sixth graders

Girls in Michigan as young as eleven years could be the first required to be vaccinated against cervical cancer under proposed mandatory legislation.

18 Sep 2006

Fewer deaths from cancer in the U.S.

According to a new report fewer Americans are dying of cancer even though the rates of new cancers remains the same.

7 Sep 2006

Cervical cancer vaccines offer broader cancer protection

Researchers now believe the first ever cervical cancer vaccine may provide even more protection against the killer disease than first thought.

4 Sep 2006

Some parents have difficulties gaining access to insurance coverage for HPV vaccine Gardasil

Some parents seeking to vaccinate their daughters with Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil have experienced difficulty in obtaining it or getting it covered by health insurance, the AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports (Tanner, AP/Seattle Post-Intelligencer, 8/29).

1 Sep 2006

Antiretroviral drug Lopinavir selectively kills HPV-infected cells in lab tests

The protease inhibitor lopinavir - the primary component of Abbott Laboratories' antiretroviral drug Kaletra - selectively killed the human papillomavirus in laboratory tests, according to a study scheduled to be published next month in the journal Anti-Viral Therapy.

From The University of Manchester 30 Aug 2006

Challenges parents, physicians face in addressing HPV vaccine

The AP/Washington Post on Sunday examined the challenges parents and physicians face in addressing the issues associated with Merck's human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil (Irvine, AP/Washington Post, 8/27).

30 Aug 2006