Can vaccination prevent cervical cancer? How often should cervical cancer be screened?

To be precise, the so-called cervical cancer vaccine should be the HPV vaccine. HPV, or human papillomavirus, is closely related to the occurrence of cervical cancer. More than 90% of cervical cancers are caused by high-risk HPV infection. Vaccination to prevent high-risk HPV infection is to prevent cervical cancer. HPV vaccine is often called the "cervical cancer vaccine".

HPV is a small DNA virus that mainly invades the basal cells of squamous epithelium and metaplastic cells of the cervical transformation zone. More than 100 types of HPV have been found, of which more than 40 are related to genital tract infections. According to the degree of threat to humans, HPV can be divided into high risk, suspected high risk and low risk. The first two are related to cervical cancer and high-grade vulvar, vaginal and cervical squamous epithelial lesions, and the latter is related to genital warts and low-grade vulvar, vaginal and cervical squamous epithelial lesions.

How to screen for cervical cancer?

The development of cervical cancer is a long process, and signs of cervical cancer can be discovered in two ways!

1. By understanding the changes in the morphology of cervical epithelial cells, the examination methods include: Pap smear and TCT examination.

2. HPV virus testing is a etiological test to find the pathogen. The combination of these two links can basically reveal the true nature of cervical precancerous lesions (CIN)!

TCT testing is more advanced and more accurate than pasteurized coating. Pasturized coating and TCT testing have the same principle, but what is the difference?

1. Traditional cytology - Pap smear. The doctor uses a cylindrical brush or a small scraper to scrape off the exfoliated cells in the cervix and endocervical canal (without harm), and then smears them on a glass slide for Pap staining. The cytopathologist then observes the shape of the exfoliated cells under a microscope to determine whether there is a lesion before cervical cancer (CIN).

2. With the development of production technology, TCT examination has emerged. TCT examination also uses a columnar brush to obtain cervical exfoliated cells, and then puts the brush into a collection bottle and rinses it repeatedly, so that the cells on the brush head are completely shed into the fixative at the bottom of the bottle, and then automatically scanned by a computer and judged by a microscope of a cytopathologist.

The "three-step" process for diagnosing cervical cancer and precancerous lesions

Does TCT examination and HPV positive test mean cervical precancerous lesions? Of course not. TCT examination and HPV test are just a screening, and colposcopy and cervical tissue biopsy are needed to make a clear diagnosis. This is what we call the "three-step" procedure for diagnosing cervical precancerous lesions and cervical cancer:

1. Screening: cervical cytology examination (Pap smear, TCT test) + HPV test;

2. Assistant: If the screening shows abnormalities, we will further perform colposcopy. Colposcopy uses acetic acid and iodine to stain the cervix and observe whether there are suspicious lesions on the cervix;

3. Confirmation: If suspicious lesions are found under colposcopy, a biopsy of the area will be taken for cervical tissue pathology examination for final confirmation.

How long does it take to screen for cervical cancer?

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends annual screening for women aged 21 to 64. Let's take a look at the screening guidelines recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG):

1. Women under 21 years old have strong immune resistance, and even if they are infected with HPV, they can clear it by themselves. It is usually a one-time infection, so it is not recommended for women to be screened at this stage;

2. Females aged 21 to 29 years old should undergo a cytology test (Pap smear or TCT test) every 3 years;

3. Women aged 30 to 65 should be screened for HPV every five years and tested once every three years for cervical cytology or cytology;

4. Women over 65 years old do not need to continue screening. However, if the patient has ever had CIN II, CIN III or carcinoma in situ, they should continue to be screened for at least 20 years after treatment;

5. Women who have undergone hysterectomy do not need to be examined because they do not have a cervix. However, there is a prerequisite that the patient has not had CIN II, CIN III, carcinoma in situ or cervical cancer in the past 20 years; ⑤ Women who have been vaccinated with HPV should not take it lightly. The screening recommendations that need to be followed are the same as those for unvaccinated women, and screening should be carried out according to age groups.