TYLER, Texas (East Texas News) — Each year, more than 13,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer.
However, this disease is largely preventable through vaccination and regular screening. As awareness campaigns intensify in January, medical professionals and cancer advocates stress the essential role of prevention and early detection in saving lives.
Dawn Green lost her goddaughter Bryanna at 23 after a diagnosis of stage 3 cervical cancer.
Bryanna’s story shows how quickly cervical cancer can progress when symptoms are overlooked or misinterpreted.
For months, Bryanna experienced back pain and abnormal bleeding, but every visit to the emergency department ended with a misdiagnosis. “They thought I had a urinary tract infection, they thought I had a sexually transmitted disease,” Green recalls, “but it ultimately was cervical cancer.”
Bryanna fought cervical cancer successfully with chemotherapy and radiation; however, subsequent scans revealed that the cancer had spread to the stomach.
After Bryanna’s death, Green started Tyler’s chapter of the National Cervical Cancer Coalition. Her aim is to keep Bryanna’s story alive by advocating for prevention and educating women to take the steps needed to protect their health.
“She always said, ‘Godmother, this path isn’t for me. It’s for someone else,’” Green said.
Green revealed that Bryanna had not received the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine when she was younger, a vaccine that could have protected her from the disease that claimed her life.
According to Dr. Daren Yeager, an obstetrician-gynecologist with UT Health East Texas, HPV is the leading cause of cervical cancer.
HPV is a group of more than 200 related viruses. Some types are considered “low risk” and can cause genital warts, while others are “high risk” and can lead to various cancers, including cervical cancer. The high-risk types, particularly HPV-16 and HPV-18, are responsible for about 90% of all cervical cancer cases.
“Certain HPV subtypes infect the cervix, and women can be exposed through skin-to-skin contact,” Dr. Yeager said. The virus is transmitted mainly through sexual contact, putting any sexually active woman or anyone exposed to HPV at risk for cervical cancer.
HPV infection is common. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most adults, both men and women, will become infected with HPV at some point in their lives. In fact, the virus is so prevalent that it’s estimated that nearly 80% of people will have an HPV infection before age 50. However, most HPV infections clear on their own within one to two years as the body’s immune system fights the virus. Only persistent infection with high-risk HPV types increases the risk of cervical cancer.
The most effective way to prevent cervical cancer is through HPV vaccination. The vaccine protects against high-risk HPV types that cause the majority of cervical cancers.
The HPV vaccine is recommended for:
Adolescents: Routine vaccination is recommended starting at ages 11–12, though it can be given as early as age 9.
Young adults: Adults aged 13 to 26 who have not been vaccinated should receive the vaccine.
Adults aged 27 to 45: Healthcare providers may offer the vaccine to adults in this age group on an individual basis.
Vaccination is most effective when given before exposure to HPV. That is why the vaccine is recommended for preteens and teens. However, even adults who may have already been exposed to some HPV types can benefit from vaccination against other types they have not yet encountered.
While vaccination is the ideal form of prevention, routine screening tests are essential to detect cervical cancer in its earliest, most treatable stages.
For women, routine Pap tests are a fundamental screening tool. Dr. Yeager recommends women begin routine screening at age 21. A Pap test detects changes in cervical cells that can indicate HPV infection or early signs of cancer.
“People who undergo Pap testing typically receive not only screening but also treatment before the disease progresses to cancer,” Dr. Yeager said.
According to the National Cervical Cancer Coalition, more than 50% of new cervical cancer cases occur in women who have never been screened or who have not had a screening in the last five years. This statistic underscores the critical importance of regular screening and the need for greater awareness of its availability.
For Dawn Green, Bryanna’s legacy is a message about the power of prevention and early detection. “Friends, our only weapon against cervical cancer is prevention and early detection,” Green says.
Her words carry considerable weight: vaccination can prevent the majority of cervical cancer cases, and regular screening can detect the disease before it jeopardizes lives. Together, these two tools can save countless lives.
