When you think of cancers that affect women, breast cancer comes readily to mind. However, another type of cancer – cervical cancer -- is another potential threat to the health of all women. 2011 statistics from the American Cancer Society estimate that more than 12,000 women will be diagnosed with invasive cancer of the cervix, which is located in the lower part of the uterus. Doctors classify cervical cancer into two classes: squamous cell carcinoma, which is the most prevalent type, and adenocarcinoma, which is diagnosed in 10 to 20 percent of women. In fewer cases, both types of cancerous cells may be present, resulting in what doctors call mixed carcinoma.

The primary risk factor for cervical cancer is infection with the human papillomavirus, the viruses that cause warts. HPV, which affects both females and males, is spread by sexual intercourse or genital contact.

Other risk factors for cervical cancer include a personal history of smoking, HIV and chlamydia infections, and long-term oral contraceptive use, as well as a history of cervical cancer in your family. Cervical cancer also is more likely to strike women of African-American or Hispanic descent.

Routine screening with a Pap test is the primary method of detecting abnormal cells that may indicate a pre-cancerous condition or an actual malignancy. According to current guidelines from the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, most healthy women over age 30 can receive a Pap smear every two to three years, depending on the results of previous tests. (All women still should see their primary care provider for an annual pelvic examination beginning at age 21 or upon becoming sexually active.)

As with other cancers, when diagnosed and treated in its early stages, cervical cancer is highly survivable. In fact, thanks to greater use of Pap testing and advances in medical research, death rates from cervical cancer have decreased dramatically in the United States over the last decade or so.

In 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first-ever vaccine to prevent infection with HPV for use in females ages 9 to 26 – a major step forward in the fight against cervical cancer. The vaccine is given in three injections over a six-month period. In 2009, this vaccine earned a second FDA approval for use in males ages 9 to 26 for the prevention of genital warts, which in turn can help stop the spread of HPV to sexual partners. A second HPV vaccine earned FDA approval in 2009 for use in females ages 9 to 25. The current recommended guidelines to vaccinate girls against HPV is at 11 to 12 years of age.

The American Academy of Family Physicians has published a list of questions to ask your doctor about cervical cancer. To help decide if the HPV vaccine is right for your daughter or son, read this informative guide from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

* Joshua Feinberg, D.O., is a family medicine physician in practice at the Crozer Health Pavilion, 145 Brinton Lake Road, Suite 201, Glen Mills, PA 19342, 610-459-1619