Risk Factors
When you get a diagnosis of cancer, it's natural to
wonder what may have caused the disease. Doctors
cannot always explain why one woman develops
cervical cancer and another does not. However, we do
know that a woman with certain risk factors may be
more likely than others to develop cervical cancer. A
risk factor is something that may increase the chance
of developing a disease.
Studies have found a number of factors that may
increase the risk of cervical cancer. For example,
infection with HPV (human papillomavirus) is the
main cause of cervical cancer. HPV infection and other
risk factors may act together to increase the risk even
more:
- HPV infection: HPV is a group of viruses that can
infect the cervix. An HPV infection that doesn't go
away can cause cervical cancer in some women.
HPV is the cause of nearly all cervical cancers.
HPV infections are very common. These viruses are
passed from person to person through sexual
contact. Most adults have been infected with HPV at
some time in their lives, but most infections clear up
on their own.
Some types of HPV can cause changes to cells in
the cervix. If these changes are found early, cervical
cancer can be prevented by removing or killing the
changed cells before they can become cancer cells.
The NCI fact sheet Human Papillomaviruses and
Cancer: Questions and Answers has more
information.
A vaccine for females ages 9 to 26 protects against
two types of HPV infection that cause cervical
cancer. The NCI fact sheet
Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Vaccines: Questions and Answers
has more
information.
-
Lack of regular Pap tests: Cervical cancer is more
common among women who don't have regular Pap
tests. The Pap test helps doctors find abnormal cells.
Removing or killing the abnormal cells usually
prevents cervical cancer.
- Smoking: Among women who are infected with
HPV, smoking cigarettes slightly increases the risk
of cervical cancer.
- Weakened immune system (the body's natural
defense system): Infection with HIV (the virus that
causes AIDS) or taking drugs that suppress the
immune system increases the risk of cervical cancer.
- Sexual history: Women who have had many sexual
partners have a higher risk of developing cervical
cancer. Also, a woman who has had sex with a man
who has had many sexual partners may be at higher
risk of developing cervical cancer. In both cases, the
risk of developing cervical cancer is higher because
these women have a higher risk of HPV infection.
- Using birth control pills for a long time: Using
birth control pills for a long time (5 or more years)
may slightly increase the risk of cervical cancer
among women with HPV infection. However, the
risk decreases quickly when women stop using birth
control pills.
- Having many children: Studies suggest that giving
birth to many children (5 or more) may slightly
increase the risk of cervical cancer among women
with HPV infection.
- DES (diethylstilbestrol): DES may increase the risk
of a rare form of cervical cancer in daughters
exposed to this drug before birth. DES was given to
some pregnant women in the United States between
about 1940 and 1971. (It is no longer given to
pregnant women.)
Having an HPV infection or other risk factors does
not mean that a woman will develop cervical cancer.
Most women who have risk factors for cervical cancer
never develop it.
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