CERVICAL CANCER

Course overview

CERVICAL CANCER IS THE FOURTH MOST COMMON CANCER AMONG WOMEN WORLDWIDE. PRIMARY PREVENTION AND SCREENING ARE BY FAR THE MOST EFFECTIVE MODALITIES FOR DECREASING THE HEALTHCARE BURDEN AND MORTALITY ATTRIBUTABLE TO CERVICAL CANCER. IN THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, MOST SCREENING AND DIAGNOSTIC EFFORTS ARE DIRECTED TOWARDS EARLY IDENTIFICATION OF HIGH-RISK HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV) LESIONS THROUGH HPV TESTING AND PAP SMEARS. INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM MEMBERS MUST RECOGNIZE THAT CERVICAL CANCER IS A PREVENTABLE DISEASE. IT IS LARGELY PREVENTABLE EVEN IN WOMEN WHO ARE SEXUALLY ACTIVE IF THEY RECEIVE EARLY HUMAN PAPILLOMAVIRUS (HPV) VACCINATION. THE POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR PREVENTION OF CERVICAL CANCER VIA EARLY HPV VACCINATION IS ONE THAT INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM MEMBERS AND THEIR PATIENTS CANNOT AFFORD TO MISS. SINCE 2006, HPV VACCINATION HAS BEEN AVAILABLE FOR THE PREVENTION OF CERVICAL CANCER. INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM MEMBERS HAVE A MORAL OBLIGATION TO EDUCATE THEIR YOUNG FEMALE PATIENTS ABOUT THIS THE OPPORTUNITY TO PREVENT CERVICAL CANCER. THE POTENTIAL OPPORTUNITY FOR PREVENTION OF CERVICAL CANCER VIA EARLY HPV VACCINATION IS ONE THAT INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM MEMBERS AND THEIR PATIENTS CANNOT AFFORD TO MISS. THIS ACTIVITY REVIEWS THE EVALUATION AND MANAGEMENT OF CERVICAL CANCER AND HIGHLIGHTS THE ROLE OF THE INTERPROFESSIONAL TEAM IN PROVIDING HPV VACCINATION TO WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE SO THAT THESE WOMEN WILL NOT DEVELOP WHAT CURRENTLY STANDS AS THE 4TH MOST COMMON CANCER IN FEMALES WORLDWIDE.