13 - Cervical CA Flashcards
When is squamous metaplasia most active?
During adolescence and pregnancy
Greater risk for abnormal change during this time because the cells are transitioning (the more copies you make on a photocopier, the higher the chance of there being errors)
What is the region between the original columnar epithelium and the squamous epithelium called? (Cervix)
The transformation zone
Where does nearly all cervical neoplasia develop?
Within the transition zone o the SCJ
MCC of vulvar, vaginal, and anal neoplasia?
HPV
How does old age lead to cervical dysplasia?
Older age -> decreased immunocompetence -> allows genetic mutations over time -> cancer
What is Diethylstilbestrol?
A known cause of cervical CA
Anyone exposed to it between 1938 and 1971 has increased risk for clear cell adenocarcinoma of the vagina and cervix
Risk factors for cervical neoplasia
Poor, older minorities
Early age coitarche, multiple partners, smoker, poor diet
HPV infection, COCP’s, parity, immunosuppression, inadequate screening
What is cervical intraepithelial neoplasia?
Squamous epithelial lesions that are potential precursors of invasive CA
CIN 1
Mild dysplasia
Abnormal cells in lower third of the squamous epithelium
Manifestation of HPV
Most are transient, unlikely to progress
CIN 2
Moderate dysplasia
Abnormal cells extend from basement membrane to middle third
Mixture of low and high grade
~40% regress spontaneously within 2 yrs
Considered “precancerous”
CIN 3
Severe dysplasia
Abnormal cells extending from basement membrane to upper third
Risk of invasive CA -> 30% in 30 yrs
Possible downsides of doing cervical CA screenings:
Finding out you’ve got an STD
Anxiety caused by a (+) test
Possibly txt’ing a lesion that may have just resolved on its own
Bleeding from txt / add’l painful procedures
What is the MC’ly transmitted disease in the US?
HPV
It’s a double-stranded DNA virus
There’s more than 150 types
~40 types of HPV infect the lower genital tract
Prevalence of HPV in women aged 14-59
1 in 4
Prevalence of HPV in women age 20-24
45% !!!!
HPV types 6 and 11 are considered:
Low risk for cancer
6 and 11 are more likely to cause warts, laryngeal papillomas; rarely - if ever - are they oncogenic
HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 45, and 58 are considered:
High risk for cancer
Need to have a persistent infection of one of the HR strains for cervical CA development
These strains account for ~95% of cervical CA’s worldwide
Which HPV strain is most oncogenic?
16
Followed by 18
16+18 = 70% of cervical CA’s worldwide
Are lesbians less likely to get HPV?
Sorry, gals - women who have sex with women have the same rate of HPV infection as women who have sex with men
If so many young women get infected with HPV at some point why isn’t everyone getting cervical CA?
Most women clear the infection, and it needs to be a PERSISTENT infection in order to turn into CA
This is especially true in young women, which is why we changed the initial PAP age to 21 yrs
HPV isn’t like herpes - you don’t necessarily have to have it for life
How long do you need to have a persistent 16/18 HPV infection for squamous intraepithelial lesion to develop?
> 6 months
How do we test for HPV?
Pap exam - detect HPV nucleic acids by various tests
When do we screen for HPV?
Women over 30yrs
Triage or surveillance of certain cytology abnormalities
Post-treatment surveillance
Different HPV vaccines
Cervarix - 16/18
Gardasil - 6/11/16/18
Gardasil 9 - 6/11/16/18/31/33/45/52/58
Give at age 9 through 26
Instructions to patient before pap?
No sex, no douching, no tampon use, no intravaginal creams for 2 days prior to test
Screening age 21 - 29
Pap Q 3 yrs
Screening age 30 - 65
Pap with HPV (co-testing) q5 yrs
Or pap alone q3 yrs