DOH Recognizes January as Cervical Cancer Month

TALLAHASSEE: The Florida Department of Health (DOH) recognizes January as Cervical Cancer Month. Screening for cervical cancer is crucial because, with early detection, it is nearly 100 percent curable.

“Worldwide, cervical cancer is often the most common type of cancer among women,” Women’s Health Officer Nancy Humbert, A.R.N.P, M.S.N., said. “We are committed to supporting cervical cancer screening to reduce the effect of this disease for all. We encourage women to be proactive in its detection.”

Each year, approximately 15,000 women in the United States learn they have cancer of the cervix. The American Cancer Society reports that between 60 and 80 percent of American women with newly diagnosed invasive cervical cancer have not had a Pap test in the past five years and may have never had one. The unscreened population groups include older women, the uninsured, ethnic minorities (especially Hispanic women, African Americans and Asian Americans), and poor women, particularly those in rural areas.

Since the early 1970s, however, incidence of and mortality from cervical cancer have declined nearly 40 percent, due in large part to early detection through increased use of the Pap test. A simple, painless procedure that detects abnormal cell growth in and around the cervix, the Pap test can be performed in a doctor’s office or health clinic. Often, such cell changes can be treated before they become cancerous.

Women 21 years of age or older, and those under 21 who are sexually active, should ask that pelvic examinations and Pap tests be included in their physical examinations at least once every three years. Every woman should discuss with her doctor what testing schedule is right for her.

The Department of Health’s Florida Breast and Cervical Cancer Program was created in 1994 through a federal grant from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. For details about this program, call 800-451-2229 or log on to www.doh.state.fl.us and select Breast and Cervical Cancer Program on the pull down menu.

Information may also be obtained by visiting the National Cancer Institute at www.cancer.gov, the Centers For Disease Control and Prevention at www.cdc.gov, the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org, or the National Cervical Cancer Coalition at www.nccc-online.org.

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