Cervical Cancer (cont.)
Risk factors and causes of cervical cancer
When you get a diagnosis of cancer, it's natural to wonder what may have
caused the disease. Doctors cannot always explain why one woman develops
cervical cancer and another does not. However, we do know that a woman with
certain risk factors may be more likely than others to develop cervical cancer.
A risk factor is something that may increase the chance of developing a disease.
Studies have found a number of factors that may increase the risk of cervical
cancer. For example, infection with HPV (human papillomavirus) is the main cause
of cervical cancer. HPV infection and other risk factors may act together to
increase the risk even more:
- HPV infection: HPV is a group of viruses that can infect the cervix. An HPV
infection that doesn't go away can cause cervical cancer in some women. HPV is
the cause of nearly all cervical cancers.
HPV infections are very common. These viruses are passed from person to
person through sexual contact. Most adults have been infected with HPV at some
time in their lives, but most infections clear up on their own.
Some types of HPV can cause changes to cells in the cervix. If these changes
are found early, cervical cancer can be prevented by removing or killing the
changed cells before they can become cancer cells. The NCI fact sheet Human
Papillomaviruses and Cancer: Questions and Answers has more information.
A vaccine for females ages 9 to 26 protects against two types of HPV
infection that cause cervical cancer. The NCI fact sheet Human Papillomavirus
(HPV) Vaccines: Questions and Answers has more information.
- Lack of regular Pap tests: Cervical cancer is more common among women who
don't have regular Pap tests. The Pap test helps doctors find abnormal cells.
Removing or killing the abnormal cells usually prevents cervical cancer.
- Smoking: Among women who are infected with HPV, smoking cigarettes slightly
increases the risk of cervical cancer.
- Weakened immune system (the body's natural defense system): Infection with
HIV (the virus that causes AIDS) or taking drugs that suppress the immune system
increases the risk of cervical cancer.
- Sexual history: Women who have had many sexual partners have a higher risk of
developing cervical cancer. Also, a woman who has had sex with a man who has had
many sexual partners may be at higher risk of developing cervical cancer. In
both cases, the risk of developing cervical cancer is higher because these women
have a higher risk of HPV infection.
- Using birth control pills for a long time: Using birth control pills for a
long time (5 or more years) may slightly increase the risk of cervical cancer
among women with HPV infection. However, the risk decreases quickly when women
stop using birth control pills.
- Having many children: Studies suggest that giving birth to many children (5
or more) may slightly increase the risk of cervical cancer among women with HPV
infection.
- DES (diethylstilbestrol): DES may increase the risk of a rare form of
cervical cancer in daughters exposed to this drug before birth. DES was given to
some pregnant women in the United States between about 1940 and 1971. (It is no
longer given to pregnant women.)
Having an HPV infection or other risk factors does not mean that a woman will
develop cervical cancer. Most women who have risk factors for cervical cancer
never develop it.
Next: What are the symptoms of cervical cancer? »
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