25 min
#10: Cervical Cancer is a known STI Simply Hormones Podcast
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- Health & Fitness
My interview with Gill Burgess tells you everything you ever wanted to know about this silent killer; cervical smears – why they’re important and much much more. Gill Burgess is the Cancer Screening Co-ordinator for Croydon PCT, specialising in Breast, Bowel and Cervical Cancers.
Gill is innovative and forward thinking – just listen to what she has to say and the full transcript appears below.
Interview with Gill Burgess on Cervical Cancer
KC: Hello everyone, it's Kathryn Colas here from SimplyHormones.com and I'm here today talking to Gill Burgess, who's a Cancer Screening Co-ordinator for Croydon PCT (NHS Primary Care Trust) and her speciality is breast, bowel and cervical cancer, and we're going to be talking to Gill this morning on cervical cancer to see if we can find out some more about it. So good morning to you Gill.
GB: Good morning.
KC: We're going to be talking about cervical cancer, and I think the first thing our listeners would like to know is what is it exactly?
GB: Well, it's the most common cancer affecting women in developing countries Kathryn, and it's caused by Human Papilloma Virus, which is an infection of the cervix. It's associated with cellular changes which can be detected early on under microscopic examination; for example the smear test. HPV infection usually clears within a few months, I think it's about 90% within 2 years. The problem is it's persistent infection beyond 12 months which is associated with the high risk of cervical cancer.
KC: And who is most at risk?
GB: It's transmissible mainly in the younger age group. You find most of it in women under the age of 30, but it's younger people that will pick up this virus. It's a very transient virus and it just goes from one to the other very very quickly, but like all viruses they move on as well, it's those, that as I said earlier, that persist that create the problem of cervical cancer. And only a very small proportion will go on to develop the cancer as well.
KC: So it's still quite rare in a sense?
GB: Yes the risk infection is soon after sexual activity begins. In some populations there is another peak among women actually at the menopause in older women, and although HPV is sexually transmitted, penetrative sex is not required for transmission. Skin to skin genital connections, penile to vulva for example, contact is a well recognised mode of transmission.
KC: That throws a different light on it, doesn't it?
GB: Yes, I think some data was brought up a while back on age specific prevalency of HPV, suggesting that there's a pattern of infection between regions and socio- economic groups. Also HIV infected individuals are at a higher risk of HPV infection. And they can be infected by a broader range of HPV types. So if you've got HIV you've got a low immune system and you're very sexually active with different partners, then you are at a much greater risk.
KC: I've also, continuing on risk, I've read some research that says the pill could increase the risk. Do you have a view on this?
GB: Yes, there are risks to the pill. It is actually one of the contributing factors alongside having a lot of children, at the early age of the first sexual activity. Cheap [...]
My interview with Gill Burgess tells you everything you ever wanted to know about this silent killer; cervical smears – why they’re important and much much more. Gill Burgess is the Cancer Screening Co-ordinator for Croydon PCT, specialising in Breast, Bowel and Cervical Cancers.
Gill is innovative and forward thinking – just listen to what she has to say and the full transcript appears below.
Interview with Gill Burgess on Cervical Cancer
KC: Hello everyone, it's Kathryn Colas here from SimplyHormones.com and I'm here today talking to Gill Burgess, who's a Cancer Screening Co-ordinator for Croydon PCT (NHS Primary Care Trust) and her speciality is breast, bowel and cervical cancer, and we're going to be talking to Gill this morning on cervical cancer to see if we can find out some more about it. So good morning to you Gill.
GB: Good morning.
KC: We're going to be talking about cervical cancer, and I think the first thing our listeners would like to know is what is it exactly?
GB: Well, it's the most common cancer affecting women in developing countries Kathryn, and it's caused by Human Papilloma Virus, which is an infection of the cervix. It's associated with cellular changes which can be detected early on under microscopic examination; for example the smear test. HPV infection usually clears within a few months, I think it's about 90% within 2 years. The problem is it's persistent infection beyond 12 months which is associated with the high risk of cervical cancer.
KC: And who is most at risk?
GB: It's transmissible mainly in the younger age group. You find most of it in women under the age of 30, but it's younger people that will pick up this virus. It's a very transient virus and it just goes from one to the other very very quickly, but like all viruses they move on as well, it's those, that as I said earlier, that persist that create the problem of cervical cancer. And only a very small proportion will go on to develop the cancer as well.
KC: So it's still quite rare in a sense?
GB: Yes the risk infection is soon after sexual activity begins. In some populations there is another peak among women actually at the menopause in older women, and although HPV is sexually transmitted, penetrative sex is not required for transmission. Skin to skin genital connections, penile to vulva for example, contact is a well recognised mode of transmission.
KC: That throws a different light on it, doesn't it?
GB: Yes, I think some data was brought up a while back on age specific prevalency of HPV, suggesting that there's a pattern of infection between regions and socio- economic groups. Also HIV infected individuals are at a higher risk of HPV infection. And they can be infected by a broader range of HPV types. So if you've got HIV you've got a low immune system and you're very sexually active with different partners, then you are at a much greater risk.
KC: I've also, continuing on risk, I've read some research that says the pill could increase the risk. Do you have a view on this?
GB: Yes, there are risks to the pill. It is actually one of the contributing factors alongside having a lot of children, at the early age of the first sexual activity. Cheap [...]
25 min