LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month and local doctors say the disease can be preventable if people take the right steps.
Cervical cancer is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV). It's the third most common gynecological cancer in the United States. Last year, the National Cancer Institute projected that approximately 13,820 individuals will be diagnosed with cervical cancer and over 4,360 will die from the disease.
Dr. Carl Christie with Norton Cancer Institute said a major responsibility of the awareness month is to educate people on how to prevent it or detect it early.
"When a patient is found in their early stages of cervical cancer, you're looking at cure rates of like 90% plus, like stage one disease," Christie said. "If they wait until let's say things get to be tougher, when issues start to press inside of the pelvis, and not even spread yet, localized the pelvic area, you're looking at 60%."
Almost all cases of cervical cancer are caused by infections with high-risk strains of HPV, according to the American Association for Cancer Research. The HPV vaccine can protect against nine of the 12 high-risk HPV strains.
Typically patients need a pap test every three to five years depending on age. A pap test, also known as a pap smear, can detect cells that might indicate that cancer is present. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommends women get pap tests every three years starting at 21 years old.
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