Global Deaths From Cervical Cancer Rise, Researcher Says

Cervical cancer is resulting more frequently in deaths worldwide, especially among Hispanic women who are failing to get regular examinations, a researcher says.

Yet Dr. Richard Schlegel of the National Cancer Institute said cervical cancer is one of the most easily treated and curable cancers when detected early by the Pap smear, a simple check for abnormal cells in the cervix.

Sociological studies indicate that many women of Latin-American origin are opposed to the Pap test, and, in some instances, Hispanic mothers have frowned on recommending the test to their daughters for fear their hymens will be punctured and their technical virginity lost, Schlegel said.

An estimated 15,000 women will contract cervical cancer this year in the United States, and 5,000 to 6,000 will die of the disease, Schlegel said in a report released at an American Cancer Society conference.

Linked to Promiscuity

“We know a lot of what leads to cancer of the cervix, primarily that the disease is associated with early onset of sexual activity and promiscuity of both women and their male sexual partners,” Schlegel said.

Scientists have associated cervical cancer to papilloma viruses found frequently in biopsies of women with the disease.

“The viruses exhibit several features of a venereally transmitted disease,” Schlegel said. “They have been found on the male penis as well as the cervix of women.”

Studies of women who suffer from cervical cancer that spread to other parts of the body indicate the presence of viruses in areas where cancer is found, primarily portions of the body comprised of squamous, or scale-like, cells, Schlegel said.

Herpes Link Discounted

Earlier studies had indicated a possible link between the herpes virus and development of cervical cancer. However, studies at the National Cancer Institute indicate no presence of the virus in cervical tumors or in cancer cells elsewhere in the body when cervical cancer spreads, Schlegel said.

“I would not totally rule out the herpes virus as playing a role of some kind in cervical cancer,” he said.

Research is also under way at the National Cancer Institute to see if any other factors play a role in the spread of cervical cancer, Schlegel said.