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Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
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Risk factors
By Mayo Clinic staffThese factors may increase your risk of cervical cancer:
- Many sexual partners. The greater your number of sexual partners — and the greater your partner's number of sexual partners — the greater your chance of acquiring HPV.
- Early sexual activity. Having sex before age 18 increases your risk of HPV. Immature cells seem to be more susceptible to the precancerous changes that HPV can cause.
- Other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). If you have other STDs — such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis or HIV/AIDS — the greater your chance is of also having HPV.
- A weak immune system. Most women who are infected with HPV never develop cervical cancer. However, if you have an HPV infection and your immune system is weakened by another health condition, you may be more likely to develop cervical cancer.
- Cigarette smoking. The exact mechanism that links cigarette smoking to cervical cancer isn't known, but tobacco use increases the risk of precancerous changes as well as cancer of the cervix. Smoking and HPV infection may work together to cause cervical cancer.
References
- Warren JB, et al. Cervical cancer screening and updated Pap guidelines. Primary Care: Clinics in Office Practice. 2009;36:131.
- Molpus KL, et al. Gynecologic cancers. In: Goldman L, et al., eds. Goldman: Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/135557788-7/837587224/1492/770.html#4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-2805-5..50214-7_9477. Accessed April 30, 2009.
- Zell JA, et al. Cancer prevention, screening and early detection. In: Abeloff MD, et al. Abeloff's Clinical Oncology. 4th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Churchill Livingstone; 2008. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/135557788-9/837588846/1709/31.html#4-u1.0-B978-0-443-06694-8..50030-0_657. Accessed April 30, 2009.
- How is cervical cancer diagnosed? American Cancer Society. Accessed April 30, 2009.
- What is cervical cancer? American Cancer Society. Accessed April 30, 2009.
- Holschneider CH, et al. Invasive cervical cancer: Management of early stage disease (FIGO IA, IB1, nonbulky IIA) and special circumstances. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 30, 2009.
- Shepherd JH. Conservative surgery for carcinoma of the cervix. Clinical Oncology. 2008;20:395.
- Cervical cancer. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/cancer/cervical/pdf/cervical_facts.pdf. Accessed April 30, 2009.
- Holschneider CH. Invasive cervical cancer: Epidemiology, clinical features, and diagnosis. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 30, 2009.
- Cervical cancer. National Cancer Institute. http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/cervical/Patient/page2. Accessed April 30, 2009.
- Detailed guide: Cervical cancer treatment options by stage. American Cancer Society. Accessed April 30, 2009.
- Holschneider CH, et al. Invasive cervical cancer: Management of stages IB2, bulky IIA, and locally advanced disease. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed April 30, 2009.
- The emotional impact of a cancer diagnosis. American Cancer Society. Accessed April 30, 2009.
- Pap test. National Women's Health Information Center. http://www.womenshealth.gov/faq/pap-test.cfm. Accessed April 30, 2009.
- HPV vaccine information for young women. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.cdc.gov/std/hpv/STDFact-HPV-vaccine-young-women.htm. Accessed April 30, 2009.
- Your first gynecologic visit. American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp150.cfm?printerFriendly=yes. Accessed April 30, 2009.
- Moynihan TJ (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. May 12, 2009.
- Cervical cytology screening. Washington, D.C.: American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. http://journals.lww.com/greenjournal/documents/PB109_Cervical_Cytology_Screening.pdf. Accessed Nov. 20, 2009.
