Cervical Cancer Prevention Week
What is Cervical Cancer Prevention Week?
� The week aims to help raise awareness of cervical cancer and how it can be prevented through a range of initiatives and awareness events throughout the UK.
� Every year in the UK, over 2,800 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer and nearly 1,000 women will die from the disease. After breast cancer, cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women aged 35 and under.
� Cervical cancer is not thought to be hereditary.
� Cervical cancer, in 99.7% of cases, is caused by persistent infection with a virus called human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a very common virus transmitted through skin to skin contact in the genital area. Up to 80% of people of reproductive age will be infected with HPV at some point in their lives. However, for the majority of women this will not result in cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is rare while HPV infection is common.
� Cervical cancer forms in tissues of the cervix (the organ connecting the uterus and vagina). It is usually a slow-growing cancer that may or may not have symptoms but can be prevented through regular screening (a procedure in which cells are taken from the cervix and looked at under a microscope).
What is cancer?
� Cancer isn’t just one illness. There are over 200 types of cancer and they can occur in any part of the body.
� Our bodies are made up of millions of tiny cells and for our bodies to grow and work normally, old cells must be replaced by new ones. Normally this process of making and replacing cells happens in a controlled way, but sometimes it gets out of control and bad cancerous cells are made that crowd out healthy cells and they may spread to other parts of the body.
� The two main types of cancer are solid cancers, where the bad cells form a lump or tumour and leukaemias and lymphomas where tumours aren’t formed.
What causes cancer?
� We don’t know how all cancers are caused, but the most common causes are factors such as smoking, sun damage, diet or viruses.
� Less commonly we can also get it when genetic faults are passed down from our relatives.
How is cancer treated?
� Some tumours are harmless and often don’t even need treatment.
� Common types of treatment include chemotherapy (drugs), radiotherapy (radiation), surgery or a transplant such as a bone marrow transplant.
� A patient might have one kind of treatment or a combination of treatments.
� Treatments for cancer often cause unpleasant side effects such as feeling sick or very tired, diarrhoea and hair loss. This is because the treatment that kills the cancer cells also damages the healthy normal ones. These side effects often stop or at least lessen when the treatment is finished.
How can we reduce the risk of catching cancer?
Good lifestyle habits at a young age will help you stay healthy and fight disease, so:
� Stop smoking
� Take regular exercise
� Drink and eat healthily
� Be careful in the sun
� Be body aware – know your body and be aware of any changes to it, because the earlier a cancer is found, the sooner it can be treated and the better the chance of recovery.
Useful Contacts
www.jostrust.org.uk 0808 802 8000
www.macmillan.org.uk 0808 808 2020 (9am-9pm M-F)
youthline@macmillan.org.uk 0800 808 0800 (9am-9pm M-F)
www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk 0845 46 47
www.samaritans.org.uk 08457 90 90 90
www.teencancer.org 0207 387 1000
www.mariecurie.org.uk 0800 716 146
www.childline.org.uk 0800 1111
www.crusebereavementcare.org.uk 0844 477 9400(Day by Day Helpline) 0808 808 1677(Young persons Helpline)
www.clicsargent.org.uk 0800 197 00689 (9am-5pm M-F)
www.click4tic.org.uk/Home TIC (Teen Info on Cancer)
01978 358900 (based at Info)
[2 North Arcade, Chester Street, Wxm] www.youngwrexham.co.uk
