Cervical Cancer? Is it really a major risk?

[DREDIOCK]

I dont know about you folks but every time I turn on the TV I see an advertisement for this vacination against cervical cancer. Or am hearing about it on one show or another

I see it and hear about itso often I got to thinking.
Is it really that much of a threat? or are the Drug companies just trying to scare women into throwing more money at them.
so I looked it up.

According to the "National Cervical Cancer Coalition (NCCC)"

" In the United States, About 10,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year"
http://www.nccc-online.org/

sounds like alot doesnt it?

Then I looked up How many women there are in the USA

According to  WIKI Answers
"depends on whether you count illegal aliens and tourists, and if they have to be over 18. A good estimate would be 150 million"

So thats 10 K out of 150 million
Someone else can work the odds and percentages out but.
Suddenly that 10K doesnt seem as big does it?

So is this a real significant threat to our women folk?
Or are the drug companies just playing terrorist to make a quick buck on our fears?

[Treize69]

My mom was diagnosed with cervical cancer in '98. Quick outpatient prcedure and it was taken care of. You might be better off preventing than treating it, but its not like pancreatic or lung cancer that spells instant death sentance- its easily treatable.

[bustr]

Dred,

Because of the feminisation of our culture, any health risk to do with women is considered an epidemic even if the hard numbers shows it to be as expected for normal mortality.

The drug companies are evil if they do and evil if they don't. So they are pushing this along with the CDC the same way that the Vilolence against Women act got pushed through and now turns a father into a criminal through manditory orders of restraint without his knowlege and presume him guitly untill he either capitulates to the courts or has millions to fight back. Remember the constitution says innocent until proven guilty by a jury of your peers.  The VaW bill created its on courts with its own judges and you only get to bring your lawyer if they allow you to.

So anytime more than one woman succumbs to anything, the media claims an incident of epidemic proportions and requires government intervention along with unlimited amounts of money FOR the WOMEN.

Where have you been for the last 20 years? Not watching television I hope....

[kamilyun]

Originally posted by DREDIOCK
So is this a real significant threat to our women folk?
Or are the drug companies just playing terrorist to make a quick buck on our fears?

I'm sure it's a very serious deal for those who have it in the way that any diagnosis of cancer is very serious.  However, you have every right to be suspicious of drug companies...I know from personal experience.

It's a tough call as to what to make of advertising drugs like this.  Doctors are perfectly aware of the treatments available for any serious illness, particularly if they are specialists.  However, they may be under pressure from insurance companies to not prescribe certain drugs.  In that case, it is the patients job to be an advocate for themselves.  The only way Jane Q. Public would know about a drug that can prevent cervical cancer, is from an advertisement on the internet or TV.

I think it was the state of Texas that now requires vaccination...that is also a tough call.  We get vaccinated against other preventable diseases, why not this?  It's the link to transmission/multiple partners that makes this more controversial and should be a personal choice...not mandated by the nanny state, IMHO.

[FrodeMk3]

My wife was diagnosed with it-She had what is known as a 'coning' procedure, and then wound up having a complete hysterectomy. It's all internal medicine; It's not something you can see, like skin cancer.

However, after she had her hysterectomy, she still had problems-another doctor we saw, because of a change in our insurance, said that she had a cyst on her ovaries. She had those removed too, and later, when I got yet another insurance plan, and was able to have her see her original OB/GYN, He said that her Ovaries could have been treated without removal. So anymore, I wonder about the reality of medicine...

[Chairboy]

The odds of being diagnosed with this aren't too far from the chances of being killed in a car accident.

I choose to wear a seatbelt.

[DREDIOCK]

Originally posted by kamilyun
I'm sure it's a very serious deal for those who have it in the way that any diagnosis of cancer is very serious.  However, you have every right to be suspicious of drug companies...I know from personal experience.

Oh I agree.
15 years ago I had Hodgkins disease. which is statistically the least diagnosed disease in the USA
The incidence or number of cases of Hodgkin's lymphoma (about 7880 cases, 4330 men and 3550 women in the United States this year)

And yea. for me it was a very serious deal. terrifying in fact. Even with its high cure rate.

But. The drug companies and media are on cervical so much one could easily be led to beleive it was a rampant epidemic.

The numbers just dont support the exitement and paranoia.
they make it sound as if its not an if a woman is going to get it. But "will" if she doesnt get the vacination.

Im not saying that cervical cancer isnt serious.
Its just not the epidemic we are being led to beleive.
Yes its more of a risk then Hodgkins.
 But like hogkins it is very unlikely one will get it.
even without the vaccination

[DREDIOCK]

Originally posted by Chairboy
The odds of being diagnosed with this aren't too far from the chances of being killed in a car accident.

I choose to wear a seatbelt.

your comparing dyeing  from lack of seatbelt to being diagnosed with cervical.

If we were to compare apples and apples
the women actually dying from cervical cancer is less then half of the chance of the ones getting it

Out of 10,000 women who will be diagnosed
3,700 women die in the USA each year from this disease.

3,700 out of 150 million

now re compute the risk.

If given a choice of one or the other. Wearing a seatbelt or getting vaccinated. considering the odds. which would you choose?

You actually have a greater risk of drowning
4000 per year in the USA
Do you wear a life jacket every time you go swimming?

I do understand your point. I agree with it to an extent as well.

what Im saying is it isnt the HUGE threat the drug companies and media are making it out to be

[Sandman]

I have zero chance of getting cervical cancer.

I'm feeling pretty good about it too.

[john9001]

to put numbers in prespective, auto deaths 42,000, deaths from flu 36,000 a year.

36,000 a year from the flu?

[Sandman]

Originally posted by john9001

36,000 a year from the flu?

Not surprising... infants and elderly mostly, I think.

[AWMac]

Wifey had it... was never getting her tests.  
It wasn't until she became pregnant with my Son in '98 that it was detected.  She had a D&C after giving birth and 2 Months later had to have a full hyster.  If it wasn't for her getting pregnant she would not be here today.

The threat is Real.

[Marshal]

Yes the threat is real.
      My wife was diagnosed with cervical cancer in May of 2005. She went through all kinds of procedures, Radiation treatments and chemotherapy. She was "cured" twice, so the doctors said. Unfortunatley I lost my wife on Dec. 25, 2006.
      Cervical Cancer starts out as a virus. The shot they are advertising on tv is given so women do not get the virus which leads to cervical cancer.
      I for one will be taking my daughter to the doctor to get this shot as soon as she gets old enough and I fully investigate the drug. She is only 11 years old, so I have a little time.
     If nothing else maybe this post will save someone the pain of losing a loved one to cervical cancer.

[SteveBailey]

ANY  cancer is a major risk, to answer the topic question.

[SD67]

I asked my other 1/2 if she wanted to get it, she saidno.
Personally I'd like her to get it since she's already got one life threateneing condition already, and smokes quite a bit to boot, (which also doesn't help the aforementioned conditon, but it's her choice.