HPV Testing- more than your regular pap smear

One of my readers sent me some great information on getting tested for HPV, as well as some more background behind the virus. If you’re not on board with the vaccination and are sexually active, consider getting tested.

This site (http://www.thehpvtest.com/) has more information. Regular Pap smears are only 50 to 85 percent effective in identifying women with precancerous or cancerous cells, said Dr. Marie Savard.

Included in the information sent from this reader was a story from a cervical cancer survivor, Micheline Fornarotto. Below are some particularly outstanding parts from her story.

When my doctor asked me if I would consent to have an HPV test as part of my routine exam, I thought, “Sure, why not. I have nothing to worry about.” I’ve been with my husband for 11 years and never had any signs or symptoms of any STD. I assumed the test would come back normal.

My results came back and oddly enough my Pap test was normal but my HPV test was positive. I was totally devastated. How did I end up with HPV? My doctor helped ease my anxiety and reassured me that about 80 percent of women get HPV, but it often goes undetected for a long time. He told me there was nothing to be ashamed of: HPV is as common as a cold.

Six months later, when I returned to his office for the follow-up Pap and HPV test, my results showed I was still positive for HPV and I now had abnormal cells.

After another Pap smear and a colonoscopy came back clear, my doctor next scheduled me for a more invasive second procedure, a deep biopsy of my cervix (also known as a cone biopsy). This is when we finally found out what was really going on - I had a type of cervical cancer called adenocarcinoma.

Both my doctor and I were shocked at the diagnosis. I was even more so when I found out that the cancer was so invasive that I needed a hysterectomy. The cancer was beyond the margins of the biopsy and possibly beyond the cervix. The only lucky part of this diagnosis was that my oncologists agreed that we caught this early enough that I didn’t need any further treatments like chemo or radiation therapy, and surgery alone would be the cure.

Not all doctors will bring up HPV testing at your regular visits. Make sure to check with your doctor and get proper tests if needed. Thank you Tracy for the very informative email, and as always if any readers come across relevant information to A Sizable Apple, or questions, please feel free to email me at asizableapple@gmail.com