D - Prevention, Detection and Treatment of Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is a preventable disease and the availability of vaccines and reliable screening tests should ensure that patients do not unnecessarily die from HPV related cancers. With the prophylactic vaccination (administered at age 9-45 years) and cervical cytology and HPV testing to detect disease, we should be seeing a decrease in the number of deaths each year. Unfortunately, even with these advances, since 1990, there has been an uptick from 65 deaths/year to now 75 deaths/year, a 15% increase. Many of these women have seen physicians, but they have not received the vaccine or appropriate screening for cervical cancer. This presentation will highlight the recommended best practices for prevention and detection of issues before they become cancer. With this knowledge, physicians can make an impact on this terrible disease by validating the importance of vaccination and screening for women in Oklahoma.