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According to the Los Angeles Times, about 25% of the nation's teenage girls received the cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil last year. 2007 was the first full year of distribution of Gardasil. This was concluded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Gardasil's manufacturer, Merck & Co., released data which showed that only about 1% of Hispanic teenagers are receiving the vaccine.
The CDC recommends that girls get the cervical cancer vaccine when they are 11 or 12 years old.
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Cervical Cancer
Study Shows that Cervical Cancer Drug Can Protect for Over Six Years
A recent study indicated that the cervical cancer vaccine, Cervarix, can remain effective against two high-risk types of HPV for over six years in girls and women between 15 and 25 years. For free information about cervical cancer, see the cervical cancer attorneys of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.Chemotherapy and Radiation Combination Improves Survival for Cervical Cancer Patients
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women. Combining chemotherapy and radiation improves survival for women with cervical cancer. Free information about cervical cancer is available from the cervical cancer malpractice attorneys of Pennsylvania.New Guidelines for Cervical Cancer Tests
If your cervical cancer was missed or misdiagnosed, or not properly treated, you have come to the right place. Our attorneys specialize in cervical cancer cases.New DNA Test Outperforms Pap Smears for Detecting Cervical Cancer
According to the results of a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, a new DNA test for the virus that causes cervical cancer shows that a single screening with the DNA test beats all other methods at preventing advanced cervical cancer and death.
Cervical cancer is caused by a few of the 150 strains of the human papillomavirus, or HPV. Cervical cancer was a leading cause of death for American women in the 1950’s and continues to kill approximately 4,000 women each year.
An eight-year study in India of 130,000 women, ages 30 to 59, divided them into four groups. The first group, the control group, received the typical rural clinic care, the second got Pap smears, the third got “visualization” treatment, and the fourth received the new DNA test.
After eight years, the visualization group had about the same rates of advanced cancer and death as the control group. The Pap smear group had about three-fourths the rates, and the DNA test had about half.
Not only could the new test for HPV save lives, but scientists say that women over 30 could drop annual Pap smears and instead have the DNA test just once every 3, 5 or even 10 years.
January is Cervical Health Awareness Month
According to the American Cancer Society, 3,870 mothers, daughters, and wives will die from cervical cancer in 2008. Over 11,000 new cases of cervical cancer will be diagnosed by year's end.The most important risk factor in developing cervical cancer is human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. Although most HPV infections do not cause cervical cancer, nearly all cervical cancers (99%) are related to HPV, according to the American Cancer Society. HPV infections are common, but some strains can cause dangerous changes in the cells of the cervix that can lead to the development of cervical cancer. Additional risk factors include smoking, poor diet, family history, and not getting an annual pap test.
Cervical cancer is preventable when it is detected early. Regular pap tests can find changes in the cervix before cancer develops. It can also find early cervical cancer in its most curable stage.
If you believe your cervical cancer was missed or not diagnosed as soon as it should have been, you should contact the lawyers at Berger & Lagnese for a free consultation. The attorneys at Berger & Lagnese specialize in medical malpractice cases involving the failure to diagnose and treat cervical cancer.
New Test for Cervical Cancer is More Accurate than Pap Smear
According to a new study published in Lancet Oncology, a new test for cervical cancer is more accurate than the Pap smear or Pap test. This new test detects the presence of a protein, called P16INK4A. The presence of this protein indicates that the woman has pre-cancerous cells on her cervix.The researchers first tested the patients for the presence of human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is the cause of most cervical cancers. Then, the researchers tested for the presence of the protein P16INK4A. These two tests combined found 88% of cancer causing lesions, and there were far fewer false positives than the Pap test. Also, the protein test found 50% more of the dangerous lesions than the Pap test.
If you would like more information about cervical cancer, contact Berger & Lagnese. If you believe that your cervical cancer was missed or misdiagnosed or improperly treated, our lawyers and doctors will evaluate your case for free.
25% of Teens Get Cervical Cancer Vaccine
New MRI Technique May Identify Cervical Cancer Early
Using high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with a special vaginal coil, a technique to measure the movement of water within tissue, researchers may be able to identify cervical cancer in its early stages, according to a new study being published in the November issue of Radiology.The new technique offers better imaging of smaller tumors and may also improve surgical options when fertility-sparing procedures are being considered.
"Small lesions are often difficult to image, but imaging their full extent is important in surgical planning," said study author Nandita deSouza, F.R.C.R., professor and co-director of the Cancer Research UK Clinical Magnetic Resonance Research Group at The Institute of Cancer Research in London, U.K. "By adding this technique to image the diffusion, or movement, of water within tissue, we can improve the accuracy of detecting small tumors."
The American Cancer Society estimates that 11,070 American women will be diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer in 2008. Largely attributable to increased use of the Pap test, cervical cancer death rates declined 74 percent between 1955 and 1992 and continue to decline by nearly 4 percent annually.
"Cervical cancers increasingly are being picked up at an earlier stage," deSouza said. "This procedure causes no more discomfort than a Pap test and the diffusion-weighted imaging itself only takes 84 seconds." The entire procedure takes approximately 15 minutes.
In the 22-month study period, 59 women, ages 24 to 83, were accepted for inclusion into the study and placed into two groups. Group 1 consisted of 20 women awaiting biopsies due to abnormal cervical tissue development at screening and 18 women who had invasive cervical cancer confirmed by biopsy. Group 2 consisted of 21 women in whom it was necessary to evaluate the presence of the invasive disease.
The patients underwent high-resolution MRI with the addition of a ring coil inserted into the vagina and positioned around the cervix. The coil was designed specifically to image the cervix and enabled measurement of diffusion of water within the tissue cells. The researchers found that the diffusion of water was reduced in cancerous tissue compared to normal tissue.
"Measurement of water diffusion enabled us to differentiate cervical cancers from the normal glandular lining of the cervix," deSouza said. "Use of these measurements in conjunction with conventional MRI makes detection of early stage cervical cancer easier. I am hopeful that this technique will be used routinely in the future in patients with suspected small tumors."
For more free information about cervical cancer, or if you believe you may have had a delay in diagnosis of cervical cancer, contact the lawyers at Berger & Lagnese.
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Cervical Cancer Vaccine Protects Men Too
Merck announced today that its Gardasil vaccine, which protects women and girls from cervical cancer caused by the HPV virus, may protect men too.According to the study, Gardasil was 90 percent effective in preventing lesions, mostly sexually transmitted warts, caused by the virus in men. It was about 45 percent effective in preventing infection with the four strains of human papilloma virus (HPV) it targets.
Gardasil is only approved for use in girls and women. Merck is now going to apply for approval to use it in males. It will also be interesting to find out whether vaccinating men protects female sexual partners. That has not yet been studied.
For more information about cervical cancer, see the cervical cancer attorneys of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Gardasil Cervical Cancer Vaccine evaluated in New Study
100% of cervical cancers are caused by high risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV types 16 and 18 cause approximately 70% of cervical cancer cases throughout the world.In 2006 a vaccine called Gardasil, manufactured by Merck, was approved for use in the United States. Gardasil has been shown to be highly effective in preventing girls and women from becoming infected with HPV.
A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine evaluates the cost effectiveness of the vaccine against cervical cancer for certain groups of women. This study was authored by two researchers at Harvard's School of Public Health. In such a study, the researchers first determined the costs of giving the vaccine and providing lifelong protection against cervical cancer to all girls age 12; to girls 13 to 18 years of age, and to girls and women ages 13-21. Next, they determined the economic costs of not giving them the vaccine by evaluating the costs associated with the numbers of women who would get cervical cancer because they did not get the vaccine. The researchers concluded that the vaccine was cost effective for girls age 12, for girls 13 to 18 years of age, and for girls and women ages 13-21. This study concluded that the vaccine was not economically cost effective for the group of girls and women ages 13-26.
Like all cancers, the earlier cervical cancer is diagnosed and treated, the more likely it is cured.
If you suspect that your cancer was misssed, or not timely and properly diagnosed or treated, please call our team of lawyers and doctors at 412-471-4300, toll free at 800-350-6161, or email us. At Berger & Lagnese, our attorneys specialize in medical malpractice, and work on cases in Pittsburgh, Greensburg, Beaver, Uniontown, Erie, Washington, and all courts in Western Pennsylvania.
Cancer Malpractice Lawyer -- Cervical Cancer Screening (PAP)
Here are 9 things to remember about PAP tests:1. PAP tests (a.k.a. PAP smears) are not not always 100% accurate.
2. If you were born between 1940 and 1971 and your mother took a synthetic form of estrogen called diethylstilbestrol (DES) when she was pregnant with you, you may require additional PAP testing for a rare form of cancer.
3. HPV testing can be done at the same time you get your PAP testing.
4. If your PAP result is "ASC-US" (atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance), this means that some cells from the lining of the outer cervix do not appear normal.
5. If your PAP result is "ASC-H" (atypical squamous cells, cannot exclude HSIL), this means that cervical cells do not appear normal and a high-grade lesion may be present, but the cell changes are too minor to know for sure.
6. If your PAP result is "LSIL" (low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion), this means that squamous cells are abnormal but are usually not precancerous.
7. If your PAP result is "HSIL" (high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion), this means that the lesion is precancerous and without treatment may turn to invasive cancer.
8. If your PAP result is "AIS" (adenocarcinoma in situ), this means there is a precancerous lesion in the glandular tissue of the cervix.
9. If your PAP result is "Cancer", this means there are cancer cells present in the cervix.
If you've been diagnosed with cervical cancer or some other cancer, such as breast cancer, and you want to find out whether your cancer was diagnosed as soon as it should have been call us at 412-471-4300 or toll free at 800-350-6161, or email us. At Berger & Lagnese, our attorneys specialize in medical malpractice, and work on cases in Pittsburgh, Greensburg, Uniontown, Beaver, Erie, Washington, and all courts in Western Pennsylvania. Our team of lawyers will find out what happened with your medical care and will get you the answers to your questions.
New Rapid Test for HPV Which Causes Cervical Cancer
A new rapid test for the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer, has proven to be 90 percent accurate in a trial involving women in rural villages in eastern China.The findings were published in The Lancet Oncology, and researchers said it could help pave the way for effective screening to prevent cervical cancer in rural and resource-poor settings.
The rapid test, careHPV, is a product of Qiagen NV and was designed to detect 14 high-risk types of HPV in about 2.5 hours. It can be operated by staff with minimal training and without any running water.
"If women 30 years and older could be screened at least once in their lifetimes with such a test, and appropriate treatment administered at the same visit, public health programmes would be affordable and deaths from cervical cancer would be reduced by a third," said one of the researchers, John Sellors, professor of family medicine at the McMaster University in Canada.
Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer affecting women worldwide. It causes 300,000 deaths a year, with 85 percent of these occurring in the developing world.
Screening using Pap smear is routinely done in the United States and Europe, where it has led to a 50 percent reduction in mortality. But implementing such tests in developing countries is not as easy, where taking smears and reading them can be problematic.
Although there are now vaccines against HPV, they are useless in women already exposed to the virus. For these older women, screening and early detection remain the best hope.
The trial involved 2,388 women in Shanxi in eastern China who were given instruments and instructions to collect specimens themselves. Midwives also collected other swab samples from the women. These were all run through careHPV tests.
Results were then compared against digital colposcopies done by a gynecologist at the site. Colposcopy examines the cervix and surrounding tissues for precancerous lesions.
"The ability of the careHPV test to detect precancerous cells was found to be 90 percent; 84.2 percent of the women without precancerous disease were identified as negative by the test," the researchers said in a statement.
For more information about cervical cancer, contact the cervical cancer malpractice lawyers in Pennsylvania. If your cancer was missed or misdiagnosed, we will get your medical records, hire the top experts to review your case, and find out what really happened.
Few Adverse Reactions to Cervical Cancer Vaccine
Girls and young women given Merck and Co's Gardasil vaccine to prevent cervical cancer were not any more likely than usual to faint, have an allergic reaction, blood clot, or other adverse reaction, federal officials said on Wednesday.The vaccine does not cause any more cases than usual of eight different adverse events, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.
The report to the Advisory Committee of Immunization Practices was based on 375,000 doses of the vaccine given from August 2006 to July of 2008.
"As with all approved vaccines, CDC and FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) will continue to closely monitor the safety of the HPV vaccine," the CDC said in a statement.
Gardasil protects against the four types of human wart virus, also known as human papilloma virus or HPV, that are most likely to cause cervical cancer.
Because HPV is sexually transmitted and very common, most people are infected as young adults and to protect them, the vaccine must be given before girls are sexually active. This has led to some controversy.
The CDC said it received 10,326 reports of adverse events following HPV vaccination in the United States.
"Of these reports, 94 percent were reports of events considered to be non-serious, and 6 percent were reports of events considered to be serious," the CDC said. These included 27 deaths.
Such reports do not necessarily show that a vaccine has caused a disease or event -- they simply show that someone fainted, became ill or had an allergic reaction around the time they also received the vaccine.
"Reports of non-serious adverse events after HPV vaccine have included fainting, pain and swelling at the injection site (the arm), headache, nausea and fever," the CDC said.
"Fainting is common after injections and vaccinations, especially in adolescents."
Some of the serious events included Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a rare disorder that causes muscle weakness. It can be caused by a number of infections.
"There has been no indication that the HPV vaccine increases the rate of GBS in girls and women above the rate expected in the general population, whether or not they were vaccinated," the CDC said.
Eleven of the deaths were traced to diseases such as diabetes or meningitis and unrelated to the vaccine, while the others were being investigated or did not provide enough information to assess, the CDC said.
GlaxoSmithKline has an HPV vaccine called Cervarix, which is used mostly in Europe.
For more free informaton about cervical cancer, please contact the lawyers at Berger & Lagnese, LLC in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.HPV Caused 25,000 Cancers, including Cervical Cancer
According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), HPV caused 25,000 cancers in the U.S. from 1998-2003. This includes cervical cancer, cancer of the head and neck, anal cancer, and others.This shows that it is important to be tested for HPV and it is important to be tested for cervical cancer by getting the Pap test (pap smear), and by getting the vaccine to prevent getting HPV.
If your cervical cancer was missed or misdiagnosed, see the Pennsylvania cervical cancer attorneys.
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