Ask a Doc

HPV is a really common virus. Nearly 80% of all women will have an HPV infection during their lifetime.  Our knowledge of how HPV acts in your body is not yet entirely clear.  It can clear up and not show up again. It can clear up and then return. And it can just hang around as a persistent infection.  In any of these cases, your best bet for reducing your risk of having the HPV infection grow into cancer are similar.  You can reduce your risk by practicing healthy lifestyle habits like eating well, exercising and not smoking. If you smoke, quit.  Smoking has been shown to significantly increase the likelihood of a persistent HPV infection turning into cancer. And make sure you follow your doctor's advice and have regular check ups. 

The answer to your question depends on why you had a hysterectomy.

·                                 If you had a hysterectomy to treat cervical cancer, you should continue to have regular Pap tests to make sure the cancer hasn’t come back.

·                                 If you had a hysterectomy to treat pre-cancerous changes in your cervix, you should continue to have regular tests for at least a few years after the surgery.

·                                 If you had a hysterectomy where your cervix was not removed (called a subtotal or supracervical hysterectomy), you should have regular tests until you are at least 70 years old. Since your cervix wasn’t removed, there is still a chance, albeit small, that you could develop cervical cancer.

·                                 If you had a total hysterectomy (the entire uterus, including the cervix was removed) for a reason other than cancer or pre-cancer, you may not need to have the Pap or HPV test any more. Check with your doctor first, since some conditions may mean that you should continue to be tested.

·                                 If you had a hysterectomy and have an immune system disease (such as infection with HIV) or are taking medicines that suppress your immune system (such as after a kidney transplant), you may be more likely to develop diseases as a result of your HPV infection. You should be tested regularly.

You should discuss your situation and your risk factors for HPV infection with your health care provider. No matter what you decide about the Pap and HPV tests, you should continue to have regular pelvic exams.

The obvious ways to make sure that your immune system is strong are to take care of your health by eating a well-balanced diet, exercising and not smoking.  Those healthful behaviors affect us in so many ways. 

Your question sounds urgent!  In its early stages, cervical cancer or early cervical pre-cancerous abnormalities usually have no signs or symptoms. That's why it's important to get Pap tests regularly. Symptoms usually do not show up until the cancer becomes invasive and grows into nearby tissue. The most common symptoms at this stage are:

• Unusual discharge from the vagina
• Blood spots or light bleeding when you're not having your period
• Bleeding or pain during sex

Additional symptoms may occur. These include:

• Anemia because of abnormal vaginal bleeding.
• Ongoing pelvic, leg, or back pain.
• Urinary problems because of blockage of a kidney or ureter.
• Bleeding from the rectum or bladder.
• Weight loss.

If these are the symptoms you are experiencing, speak to your healthcare provider right away!  Don't ignore the symptoms. Don't waste any time in contacting your physician. Ignoring the symptoms can give the cancer time to grow into a more advanced stage and lower your chance for the treatment to be effective.

However, you should realize that just because you have these symptoms doesn't mean you have cervical cancer. You can have these symptoms for other reasons. Nevertheless, it is important to check with your healthcare provider to find out what's causing them. Finding cervical cancer early means you have a better chance of the treatment being successful.