Cervical Cancer Question?

Question

What is the risk of a woman in her early 20s who happens to be a virgin (no sexual contact whatsoever) of developing cervical cancer?

Answer 1

Here are the risk factors of developing Cervical Cancer. I have pasted this below.

Cervical Cancer


Overview

This section has been reviewed and approved by the PLWC Editorial Board, 06/05

Cervical cancer starts in a woman's cervix, the lower, narrow part of the uterus. The uterus holds the growing fetus during pregnancy. The cervix connects the lower part of the uterus to the vagina and, with the vagina, forms the birth canal.

Cervical cancer develops when normal cells on the surface of the cervix begin to change, grow uncontrollably, and eventually form a mass of cells called a tumor. A tumor can be benign (noncancerous) or malignant (cancerous).

At first, the changes in a cell are simply abnormal, not cancerous. Researchers believe, however, that some of these abnormal changes mark the first step in a series of slow changes that can lead to cancer. Some of the abnormal cells go away without treatment, but others begin to become cancerous. This phase of the disease is called dysplasia (an abnormal growth of cells). The precancerous tissue needs to be removed to keep cancer from developing. Often, the precancerous tissue can be removed or destroyed without harming healthy tissue, but in some cases, a hysterectomy (removal of the uterus and cervix) is needed to prevent cervical cancer. Treatment of a lesion (a precancerous area) depends on the following factors:
How big the lesion is, and what type of changes have occurred in the cells


If the woman wants to have children in the future


The woman's age


The woman's general health


The preference of the woman and her doctor
If the precancerous cells change into true cancer cells and spread deeper into the cervix or to other tissues and organs, the disease is then called cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer is divided into two main types, named for the type of cell where the cancer started.
Squamous cell carcinoma, which make up about 85% to 90% of all cervical cancers


Adenocarcinoma, which make up 10% to 15% of all cervical cancers
In addition, there are a few other rare types of cervical cancer.

Statistics

In 2006, an estimated 9,710 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer in the United States and an estimated 3,700 women are expected to die of the disease. The number of new cases of cervical cancer is decreasing as screening with the Pap test becomes more prevalent. The number of cervical cancer deaths continues to drop at an average of 4% per year.

The one-year relative survival rate (percentage of patients who survive at least one year after the cancer is detected, excluding those who die from other diseases) of women with cervical cancer is 88%. The five-year relative survival rate (percentage of patients who survive at least five years after the cancer is detected, excluding those who die from other diseases) for all stages of cervical cancer is 73%. When detected at an early stage, invasive cervical cancer has a five-year relative survival rate of 92%.

Cancer statistics should be interpreted with caution. These estimates are based on data from thousands of cases of this type of cancer in the United States each year, but the actual risk for a particular individual may differ. It is not possible to tell a woman how long she will live with cervical cancer. Because the survival statistics are measured in five-year (or sometimes one-year) intervals, they may not represent advances made in the treatment or diagnosis of this cancer.

Statistics adapted from the American Cancer Society's publication, Cancer Facts & Figures 2006.
Medical Illustrations



Larger image
Risk Factors

A risk factor is anything that increases a person's chance of developing a disease, including cancer. There are risk factors that can be controlled, such as smoking, and risk factors that cannot be controlled, such as age and family history. Although risk factors can influence disease, they do not cause cancer. Some people with several risk factors never develop the disease, while others with no known risk factors do. Knowing your risk factors and communicating with your doctor can help guide you in making wise lifestyle and health-care choices.

The following factors can raise a person's risk of developing cervical cancer:

Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. The most important risk factor for cervical cancer is infection with HPV. HPV is passed from one person to another during sexual intercourse. Factors that raise the risk of being infected with HPV include becoming sexually active at an early age, having many sexual partners (or having sex with a man who has had many partners), and having sex with a man who has penile warts.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Infection with HIV, the virus that causes acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), is also a risk factor for cervical cancer. When a woman is infected with HIV, her immune system is less able to fight off early cancers. Women whose immune systems have been suppressed by corticosteroid medications, kidney transplantations, or therapy for other cancers or AIDS are also at greater risk.

Herpes. Women who have genital herpes are at greater risk for developing cervical cancer.

Smoking. Women who smoke are about twice as likely to develop cervical cancer as women who do not smoke.

Age. Girls younger than 15 rarely develop cervical cancer. The risk goes up between the late teens and mid-30s. Women over 40 remain at risk and need to continue having regular Pap tests.

Race. Cervical cancer is more common among blacks, Hispanics, and American Indians.

Exposure to diethylstilbestrol (DES). Women whose mothers were given this drug during pregnancy to prevent miscarriage are also at increased risk for cervical cancer. DES was given for this purpose from about 1940 to 1970.

Please check out the website http://www.plwc.org and click on Cancers then on Cervical Cancer to find out more information.

Hope this information helps you. Take Care and Have a great Week! :)

Answer 2

The risk is very low. Most of the time the cancer can be cause from an STD which has been untreated, or in older women or women with a family history. Your yearly PAP smear at the GYN will show abnormal results, which isn't always cervical cancer, but sometimes is.

Answer 3

I think that you are referring to the cervical cancer that is caused by HPV. If you are a virgin, I would say that you have a zero percent chance of getting the cancer caused by HPV because it is sexually transmitted. However, I am not sure if there are other types of cervical cancers out there, so have your yearly just to be on the safe side.

Answer 4

Yes, definitely. Treating the infected cells does not remove the virus, just like blowing your nose when you have a cold does not get the cold virus out of your body. HPV has a life span of 9 months to two years, so if it has been two years or less since he left her, you could have HPV. Just be sure you stay up to date on your paps so that you can catch any abnormal cervical cells sooner rather than later. And don't worry too much; just because the virus reacted and caused abnormal cells for her does not mean it will for you.

Answer 5

It really doest have much to do with sex expect for the fac that the HPV virus can be spread through sexual contact, like an STD, and it can cause cervical cancer.

Answer 6

Actually, Ben is quite wrong.

HPV (human papilloma virus, I believe) is now found to be one of the main causes of cervical cancer, and, you guessed it, HPV is a sexually transmitted disease (STD).

Any woman can get it (cervical cancer), virgin or not, depending upon pre-disposition genetically, and then added risk factors such as multiple, unprotected sex partners, don't help any.

Answer 7

the I would believe little.. unless there is a strong family background of cervical cancer
Scientists now believe that Human Papilloma Virus causes cervical cancer.. HPV is only transmitted via sexual intercourse with a guy

Answer 8

It has nothing to do with sex but that is not one of the common forms of cancer.

Answer 9

very low....HPV is highly indicated in many cases (not all), and there are now vaccines for the virus...go to the doctor and get the vaccine ASAP.

Answer 10

Almost nil.