Every year, about 12,000 women in the United States receive a cervical cancer diagnosis, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. Cervical cancer is a severe disease, and the Women’s Health Specialists of Dallas provide medical treatment and support every step of the way. In two locations in Dallas and Rockwall, Texas, the team helps women navigate this difficult time and utilizes the best screenings, diagnostic testing, and treatment methods.
Various strains of HPV, or human papillomavirus, can cause cervical cancer. HPV strains that are sexually transmitted can develop into cervical cancer if left untreated.
When you’re exposed to HPV, your immune system usually stops the virus from hurting you, but in some cases, the virus survives and contributes to cervical cancer forming.
To protect yourself from the sexually transmitted strains of HPV, you should:
Experts believe environmental factors also play a role in causing cervical cancer
There are two tests that can either prevent cervical cancer or find it early:
If the cells collected from your cervix during your Pap test look abnormal, it doesn’t necessarily mean you have cancer, but it tells your doctor that other tests need to be done for confirmation, such as a colposcopy.
The Pap test only screens for cervical cancer and does not screen for any other gynecological cancer.
Your Women’s Health Specialist can treat cervical cancer in the early stages with a hysterectomy, a surgery to remove the uterus.
Surgery that preserves fertility might be an option, depending on how much cancer has spread and if lymph nodes are involved.
Your doctor may recommend other treatment options, such as radiation or chemotherapy, as well as medications to relieve associated pain.
8160 Walnut Hill Lane
Suite 200
Dallas, TX 75231
1020 W Ralph Hall Pkwy
Suite 101
Rockwall, TX 75032