do you get a pap smear every 12 months? - Page 14

[LizD]

Originally Posted by boodafli

just got dgx w/ dysplasia. :

Don't be too upset, diagnoses like that happen all the time and sometimes resolve themselves. Check out alotek.org; their stuff really helped me. Even if it is pre-cancerous with high-risk HPV, it is usually a very slow-growing cancer and treatment, when done early, is quite effective. You'll be fine!

[talia rose]

yes, this is a VERY treatable thing when you deal with it early and that is why paps are so important. carrot juice is the very best thing to deal with the hpv virus. when i had this i did a natural herbal treatment from Tori Hudson at the Naturopathic clinic in oregon (she has a book out - i have it but not with me and forget the name) and my midwife did the treatment. it was 5 weeks long and involved dietary changes as well as herbal applications. a great commitment of time and energy but it allowed me to process the emotional reasons behind why i had issues happening in that area of my body. which i think is important. i have had no recurrence in 12 years.....

[BookGoddess]

Yes, I do have an annual pap smear. I've read most of the posts in here and while you're more than free to take or not take this test I intend to keep having it each year at my annual checkup. To each her own...

[chlobo]

This vaccine is 98% effective for the four main strains of HPV which cause almost 100% of cervical cancers.

I was listening to NPR this week and according to what one doctor said this is not true. The doctor quoted was one who worked on the CDC committee to get the vaccine approved so obviously she is not an "anti vax" kind of person.

Apparently, the vaccine works on the strains that are responsible for 70% of cervical cancers. And once you apply whatever formula they applied, the doctor said that the vaccine is from 20-66% effective. Further, they really don't know how long the vaccine stays effective. The reason for the lack of definitive information is that it has only been studied for 4 years so far. And during that time, for those that it worked for it remained effective. However, it will need to be studied longer to determine the duration.

I'm not saying this vaccine is good or bad I'm just reporting what I heard a doctor say on NPR.

One thing I do worry about with the vaccine is that people will believe the original statistic quoted and think that once they have the vaccine they are in the clear (having "unsafe" sex). I think if they are going to give the vaccine they should use the opportunity to educate the vaccinee on how to have "safe" sex (ie condoms or whatever) to minimize the risk further.

ooops. Stepping off my soapbox.

[xenabyte]

Found this, for those opposed to routine paps; it's a blood test:
http://www.onconix.com/CSA_Test.htm

Here is a link I found several years ago (Read this link if none of the others):
http://www.larsoncenturyranch.com/li...ncer-test.html

<snip from above site>

It is called an AMAS test. Amazingly, it's an easy one to take. Your doctor takes a sample of your blood, and then screens it for a substance called Anti-Malignan Antibody. It is so accurate that if you have it done twice, the rate of false positives and false negatives is below one percent!

It's FDA approved as well, just not heard of too much!

Follow up links regarding the AMAS and how to get one done on you:

http://www.drrons.com/AMAS-test.htm
http://www.geocities.com/howetree/judy/amas.html

Regarding 'simple' urine tests:

There is a female doctor that has developed a proceedure to find 'Adam 12' markers in urine that show up in breast cancer patients. She's working on a patent and development for commercially available tests, so it's in the development stage atm:
http://www.childrenshospital.org/chn...-04/urine.html

Other than that, the only other currently 'FDA' approved urine test, is for the HPV virus, and not the actual cancer itself. It's suggested to be used in 'conjunction' with Paps:
http://www.labtestsonline.org/news/c...een030421.html

The following link is about a study in Africa that might be promising, if technology improves it's 'accuracy' rate:
http://www.scienceinafrica.co.za/200...r/cervical.htm

Personally, no I don't do yearly tests.

For one reason, I had a BAD experience for my first one, done at a hospital...let's just say I left the exam room (was 17 years old) and saw my male doctor joking around with a few fellow male docs about the size and shape of my perky, young 'c cup' breasts and my other bits that he'd just examened....(he did a breast exam, just to be sure they were 'ok' and to show me how to do one, though the reason I'd originally gone in for a 'check up' was due to some unusual cramping and itching; it turned out I had gotten my first (and only) yeast infection from sitting in hot tubs!)

He had the grace to turn beet red when he realized I was standing right behind him while he was saying all that stuff, and the other docs walked away, looking really sheepish! Then he acted all mad at me, like I shouldn't have left the room (err, and caught him saying stuff like that) since I'd not been 'dismissed'...but the nurse had already told me to dress and that I could go after he'd left the room.... Needless to say, on top of teenage mortification of having had a man looking, poking and prodding 'down there', I was horrified!

Then for my second one, YEARS later, another male doctor made me bleed and have severe cramps after his pap and 'routine' exam that was mandantory for BC pills....

So, YEARS and YEARS later, once I'd had my first son, I had one with my midwife, and no problems....Had one more before second son (never during pregnancy). So a sum total of 4 exams in almost 20 years.

After having helped my dad and two women I know with breast cancer totally recover from cancer by simply using the 'Budwig Diet', I think I'd use that on myself if it came down to it. But I do alot of preventative care on myself and my family in hopes of not getting it in the first place. /shrug

Just what works for me and my plan of action. (Cleanses, fasts, anti viral/bacterial herbals, no hydrogenated products, more alkaline foods/eating...etc)

I would love a simple urine test or blood test (along with the others they do) to be offered at well woman visits, for those of us that really detest having them done for whatever personal reasons!

/hugs to everyone, regardless of your 'stance' on this.

That AMAS test sounds promising, I think I'll see if my midwife can do a 'draw' and submit it for me.

Also remember, if you'd have suggested that cancer might be caused or exacerbated by a 'virus' a few years ago, you'd have been laughed at by most people, especially those in the 'medical' community. Now they are going to start 'pushing' a vaccine specifically to 'remedy' one very nasty type of cancer, supposedly caused by the HPV....mmmmm....

I think I'll get my Hulda Clark Zapper out and do a standard 'series' of zaps to kill off those 'harmless' virus's and bacterias that have nothing to do with all the other forms of cancer...food for thought, for those looking for some alternative ideas on cancer/disease management!

Heather