Cervical Cancer Risk Factors

What Are the Risk Factors for Cervical Cancer?

Infection of the cervix with human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common cause of cervical cancer. However, not all women with HPV infection will develop cervical cancer.

Routine Pap testing is the best way to detect abnormal changes to the cervix before they develop into cancer. Because of this, women who do not regularly have a Pap test are at increased risk of developing cervical cancer. Other risk factors include:

• Sexual History – Certain types of sexual behavior increase the risk of HPV infection, including sex before age 18, sex with multiple partners and sex with someone who has had multiple partners. Studies also show a link between chlamydia infection and cervical cancer.
• Smoking – A woman who smokes doubles her risk of cervical cancer.
• Weakened Immune System – In most people with healthy immune systems, the HPV virus clears itself from the body within 12-18 months. However, people with HIV or other health conditions or who take medications that limit the body’s ability to fight off infection have a higher risk of developing cervical cancer.
• Oral Contraceptive Use – Women who take oral contraceptives for more than five years have a higher risk of developing cervical cancer, but this risk returns to normal within a few years after the pills are stopped.
• Pregnancy – Women who have had three or more full-term pregnancies, or who had their first full-term pregnancy before age 17, are twice as likely to get cervical cancer.
• Family History – Women with a sister or mother who had cervical cancer are two to three times more likely to develop cervical cancer.
• Diethylstilbestrol (DES) – Women whose mothers took DES, a drug given to some women to prevent miscarriage between 1940 and 1971, have a higher risk of developing cervical cancer.

NOTE: Anything that increases your risk of getting a disease is called a risk factor. Having a risk factor does not mean that you will get cancer. Not having risk factors does not mean that you won't get cancer. If you think you may be at risk, you should discuss it with your doctor.

Understanding HPV and Cervical Cancer Risk

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a leading risk factor for cervical cancer. However, not all types of HPV cause cancer and having HPV does not mean you will get cancer. The majority of women who contract HPV clear the virus or have treatment so the abnormal cells are removed.

HPV is a skin infection, spread through skin-to-skin contact with a person who has the virus.

Here are some additional facts about HPV:

• There are more than 100 types of HPV, 30-40 of which are sexually transmitted.
• Of these, at least 15 are high-risk HPV strains that can cause cervical cancer. The others cause no symptoms or genital warts.
• Up to 80 percent of women will contract HPV in their lifetime. Men get HPV, too, but there is no test for them.
• A healthy immune system will usually clear the HPV virus before there is a symptom, including the high-risk types of HPV.
• Only a small percentage of women with high-risk HPV develop cervical cancer.

The Cervical Cancer Vaccine

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved two vaccines to prevent HPV infection, Gardasil^® and Cevarix^®. Both vaccines prevent infection with two high-risk HPV strains, which cause nearly 70 percent of cervical cancers. Gardasil also prevents infection with two HPV strains that cause nearly 90 percent of genital warts.

The vaccines are given in a series of three injections over six months. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the vaccine for girls ages 11 to 12. This allows the immune system to develop antibodies before likely exposure to HPV.

There is currently debate about whether the vaccine is beneficial for women over age 18, who have likely been exposed to HPV. The CDC recommends “catch-up” vaccines for girls and women up to age 26. The American Cancer Society recommends catch-up vaccines for girls up to age 18.

The vaccine does not prevent about 30 percent of cervical cancers. As a result, routine Pap testing is important for all women. Talk with your doctor about what type of prevention and screening methods are right for you.

Next Topic: Cervical Cancer Symptoms