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Is a PCR test for HPV DNA as specific as Digene hc2
for detecting high grade disease ?
There are no standardized and well
characterized PCR test protocols available for picking up high grade
lesions clinically relevant from cancer management point of view. All
that PCR does is to identify presence or absence of HPV in the
specimen but that may or may not be clinical use.
How
does HPV cause precancer lesion and cervical cancer?
HPV infection can appear as visible
warts over lower ano-genital area or prolonged duration of infection
on the cervix, known as Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN),
observed as abnormal Pap result. So it is recommended to take Pap
test at least once in 3 years for women above 30 years of age.
Mild symptoms due to HPV may occur within months but may also take
years. Most often however, such symptoms are not noticed or cared by
most women. This may lead to the cancer of the cervix. It is seen
mainly in women aged between 30 to 65.
Who
should take the HPV DNA test?
HPV infection is very common after
beginning of sex life. If you are falling under the below mentioned
groups of women, you should take DNAwithPap test in order to avoid
life time risk of being an unfortunate victim of Cervical Cancer
and consult your gynecologist if the test is POSITIVE for clinical
advice.
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If you became sexually
active at an early age,
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If you are above the
age of 30 or above,
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If your Pap smear test
had ever been abnormal results,
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If you have symptoms of
abnormal discharge or intermenstrual or post-coital leeding or
menorrhagia or simply pelvic pain,
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If you are having
continuous back-aches or pain in lower abdomen or thigh or legs,
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If you are feeling loss
of appetite with age leading to loss of weight
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If you are on oral
contraceptives OR
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If you are (or anyone
in your close family) unfortunate victim of Cancer of Cervix, your
doctor can advice HPV DNA test to make sure therapeutic procedures
used to treat cancer have removed the causative HPV virus almost
completely.
How
are HPV infections detected early?
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The DNAwithPap test has
been approved by the US FDA for early diagnosis of pre-clinical HPV
infections. It detects the DNA of the virus from cervical sample
concurrent to your Pap test results years before virus can cause
disease or cervical cancer that may spread to other organs of your
reproductive system.
How
will I or my doctor use the HPV DNA Test results?
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The results of your HPV
DNA test will provide you and your doctor not only the information
about current status of HPV infection if you have active disease but
also future risks of your probability of progression to cervical
cancer within next 10 to 15 years. Remember, early detection of HPV
is the key to prevent cervical cancer.
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If the HPV DNA results
show that you have persistent infection due to one of the high risk
HPV types that are linked to the development of cervical cancer or
precancer stages, called CIN 1, 2 or 3 depending upon the size of
the lesion, your doctor will probably schedule further examination
called Colposcopy, a procedure which uses a special microscope to
view the cervix. At the same time, your doctor may take a small
cervical tissue sample for biopsy examination to arrive at a
clinical decision on the status of your disease and to decide to
operate it at OPD itself or if major surgery needed.
Do positive HPV test results mean
that I have cervical cancer?
-
NO. A positive HPV test
result means that you are probably carrying the HPV virus and that
you are at increased risk of developing cervical cancer. Your doctor
will further examine for any precancerous or invasive cancerous
changes on the cervical or vaginal tissue.
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If precancer changes
are noticed by your doctor, you can be easily treated by any of the
very simple ablative (destructive) or excisional (removal)
procedures at OPD without hospitalization. You can be saved from
progressing to cervical cancer.
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Only when advanced
invasive cancer stages are noticed, you may require some radical
surgical treatments that may be expensive, laborious, traumatic and
may also require longer hospital stay with poor success rate.
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When detected early,
cervical cancer has a very high rate of cure, unlike many other
cancers.
Is the HPV test very expensive?
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No. For the sensitivity
and specificity of HPV DNA test, a repeat Pap test would be
necessary at least 5 times to arrive at a similar clinical
significance. Considering “Once-a-Lifetime” HPV DNA test above the
age of 30 HPV Test is most cost economic for its clinical
significance
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Personal Hygiene,
Genital Hygiene, Menstrual Hygiene
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Avoid multiple
partners. (Remember, condoms are largely insufficient to prevent HPV
infection)
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Seek advice of your
Family Physician or Gynaecologist.
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Undertake HPV DNA Test
at least once in 10 to 15 years or Pap test every year.
HPV DNA Testing - Essential Facts
•
HPV is the major etiological (causative) agent for of cervical cancer
•
HPV detection is associated with minimum 100-folds increased risk of
high-grade CIN (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia)
•
Essentially all women with high grade CIN have detectable HPV DNA
•
The higher the grade of neoplasia, greater the association with
carcinogenic HPV
•
HPV DNA positive, Pap smear normal women are at an increased risk of
subsequent CIN within few years. |
