Three years ago, Bridgette *, a wife and mother of two young children, was shocked when an ordinary pap smear detected abnormal cells. Bridgette was devastated when additional tests confirmed she had HPV-related cancer.
HPV (human papillomavirus) is a sexually transmitted virus that infects 85 percent of sexually active people during their lifetime. According to the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC), the infection itself is clean, but it is not always the case.
For some people, the virus can stay in the body, and it can later cause HPV-related cancers and diseases, the CDC says. There is no way to predict who will or will not remove the virus.
As a nurse who was used to caring for others, it was a challenge for Bridgette to be patient. “It took a while before I could understand it all,” she says.
Draw up an action plan
Bridgette’s journey began with an abnormal pap smear during a visit to gynecologists. It continued with a biopsy showing that she had stage 1 cervical cancer. Bridgette, who is now in her late thirties, was diagnosed with the average onset of HPV-related cervical cancer, which is about 49, at a much younger age, according to the CDC. For some people who do not clear the virus, a cervical cancer diagnosis can occur years or decades after infection, and individuals can be diagnosed with cervical cancer, from their 20s to 80s of age. For Bridgette, an HPV-related cancer diagnosis raised many questions, and it was difficult to gauge her new reality. “I knew that HPV could possibly cause cancer,” she says, “but I also thought it could not happen to me.”
Within a few weeks, she met with a gynecological oncologist to come up with a treatment plan that included radiation and chemotherapy. At an early stage, the five-year survival rate for women with invasive cervical cancer is about 90 percent. “After seeing the gynecological oncologist, it gave us hope because we could have a plan and knew what we had to do,” says Bridgette.
Bridgette’s treatment was successful and she was cancer free and grateful for the support of her family and care team on her path to recovery.
Lessons from her cancer journey
Bridgette recognizes how important it is to have a strong support system while going through cancer treatment. “If I could go back in time and say something to myself when I was first diagnosed, I would have said to ask for help and allow myself to be sick,” she says. “I thought I could conquer the world, but it was very important to let myself rest if I had to rest and to know that people would help me.”
When Bridgette was diagnosed with HPV-related cervical cancer, she was completely shocked; she never thought it could happen to her. Learn more about her experience with HPV-related cervical cancer in this video, thanks to My HPV cancer story.
No matter what, Bridgette remains committed to sharing her story and educating others. Not everyone realizes that HPV can cause cervical cancer, she says, adding, “and not only are women at potential risk for HPV-related cancers, but men are also at risk.”
Bridgette also learned to live in the moment. “Because I was diagnosed with cervical cancer, I was able to take a moment and know that life is precious and that we should not think things through,” she says. “We just have to allow ourselves not to be so rushed. I learned to enjoy my kids and enjoy my husband, because that’s really what matters. ”
What you may not know about HPV-related cancers and diseases
Since HPV often has no visible signs or symptoms, someone with the virus may be able to transmit it without knowing it. For most people, HPV repairs on its own. But for some women, HPV can eventually cause cancer and diseases like cervical cancer, as it did for Bridgette. Individuals should talk to their healthcare provider about their potential risk for an HPV-related cancer.
“Most patients I see have an idea and understanding of HPV, but there is still a lot of misinformation about it,” says Pari Ghodsi, MD, a Los Angeles-based board-certified OB-GYN. “The more people talk to each other about HPV and also to their doctors, the more we can open the conversation and hopefully pass on the right knowledge to everyone.”
Here are four HPV-related cancer statistics from the CDC:
The estimated number of people in the U.S. who are diagnosed with HPV-related cancers each year, according to data from 2013-2017.
An HPV-related cancer can take years, even decades, to develop after a person gets an HPV infection. For most, HPV cleanses itself.
The estimated number of new HPV-related cervical cancer cases in the US annually (1998-2017).
HPV is thought to be the cause of more than 90% of cervical cancer cases.
What can you do ?: According to dr. Ghodsi is step one simply the realization that HPV related cancer can affect you. Start talking to your doctor about what you can do to be aware of your health, such as having routine pap smears examined for cervical cancer. You can also take steps to learn more about the link between HPV and certain cancers and diseases by visiting My HPV Cancer Story.
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