Cervical Cancer

First Mammograms, Now Pap Smears

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecology released early Friday that the annual pap smear, given to women in their 20’s to test for abnormalities in their cervix, may not be necessary and women should plan on taking this only every other year. The news came uncomfortably close to federal officials' new statement that women over 50 should begin to have a mammogram every two years as opposed to the original annual exam for women over 40. As new recommendations begin to flood in, what will be the new norm? And what do we do in the mean time?

I Had an Abnormal Pap Smear!

No woman expects it. Most of us don’t even think about it.

Cancer Screening, Is It Really All It's Cracked Up To Be?

Late last month, a New York Times article about cancer screening started a media firestorm when it quoted an American Cancer Society (ACS) spokesperson saying they’d overstated the benefits of detecti

An Interview with the Developer of Gardasil: Merck & Co., Inc.

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Merck is the developer of the HPV vaccine Gardasil. The company has an independent website, www.gardasil.com, devoted to explaining the product, complete with social marketing tools to “help spread the word about cervical cancer and HPV.” It features responses to “Questions about what you are hearing,” as well as a vertical labeled “More for parents.”

WHITE PAPER: Gardasil, the Cervical Cancer Vaccine: Carefree Cure or Cause for Caution? By Larry Scherwitz, PhD

On June 8, 2008, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved Gardasil, a vaccine created by the pharmaceutical giant, Merck, to protect girls and young women from specific human papillomavirus (HP

Who Needs A Symptom Diary?

Until recently, doctors didn’t really give much credence to women’s long lists of complaints. And if we were indistinct, well we probably came off as PMS-afflicted harpies.

Ten Things You Can Do To Reduce Your Cancer Risk

Cancer is a disease that does not discriminate. Anyone can get cancer, and unfortunately, one of the single factors contributing to the disease is aging. But don’t get discouraged.

FDA Approves Two HPV Vaccines: Cervarix for Girls, Gardasil for Boys

October 20, 2009- Bethesda, Maryland- The FDA has approved a second vaccine to prevent cervical cancer and cervical precancers, the vaccine's manufacturer, GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), announced last week. The approval is based on data from a large clinical trial showing that the vaccine, Cervarix, prevented precancerous lesions in 93 percent of those who received the full vaccine sequence of three injections over 6 months.

The Gardasil Vaccine -- Introduction

As the nation’s attention is focused on the discussion about healthcare reform, another debate is taking place. Ironically, it crisscrosses with elements found in the larger conversation including: the right of American women – regardless of income – to have accessible health care, the role of pharmaceutical companies in the healthcare equation, parental rights, informed consent, and the influence of lobbyists. Add in the issue of teenage sexuality, and you have a confluence of factors contributing to the groundswell of dialogue taking place around the Gardasil vaccine developed by Merck & Co., Inc.

Researchers Say a Common Virus Causing Tonsil Cancer Epidemic

Doctors are diagnosing a very rare type of head and neck cancer with more frequency. Narsopharyngeal cancer, a tumor that grows behind the nose and at the top of the throat, above the tonsils, generally occurs in less than 1 of every 100,000 Americans. Researchers at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center in Ann Arbor believe this rare cancer is linked to the human papillomavirus or HPV.