More Than One-Third Of Canadian Women Believe HPV Vaccines Prevent Ovarian Cancer, Survey Finds

More than one-third of Canadian women believe that human papillomavirus vaccines prevent ovarian cancer, and about 25% of women believe routine Pap tests detect ovarian cancer, a survey commissioned by Ovarian Cancer Canada found, Toronto's Globe and Mail reports. HPV vaccines can prevent infection of some human papillomavirus strains that can lead to cervical cancer, and Pap tests are conducted to detect early signs of cervical cancer, according to the Globe and Mail. The survey indicated confusion among women about gynecological cancers, Elizabeth Ross, CEO of Ovarian Cancer Canada, said (Picard, Globe and Mail, 9/4).

The American Cancer Society, Gynecologic Cancer Foundation and the Society of Gynecologic Oncologists in June announced recommendations for identifying symptoms that could signal the early stages of ovarian cancer. Experts from the groups called on women who experience the symptoms -- which include bloating, pelvic or abdominal pain, difficulty eating or feeling full quickly, and a frequent or urgent need to urinate -- every day for two to three weeks to see a gynecologist.

According to the specialists, women who have the symptoms should visit a gynecologist for a pelvic and rectal exam. If the exams suggest a possibility of ovarian cancer, the next step would be a transvaginal ultrasound and a blood test to detect CA125, a substance that is often elevated in women who have ovarian cancer (Kaiser Daily Women's Health Policy Report, 6/14). According to the Globe and Mail, 20% of women in the Canadian survey believed the CA125 test is used to screen for ovarian cancer, but it actually is used to mark ovarian cancer tumors.

"It is critical that young women know that the HPV vaccine and Pap tests for cervical cancers are not catchalls for diseases below the waist," Barbara Vanderhyden, the Corinne Boyer chair in ovarian cancer research at the University of Ottawa, said. Vanderhyden added that she is concerned many girls and young women will believe gynecological exams are not necessary if they have received an HPV vaccine. Ross said that the best way for women to detect ovarian cancer is to be aware of the symptoms.

An estimated 2,400 Canadian women will be diagnosed with ovarian cancer this year, and 1,700 will die of the disease, the Globe and Mail reports (Globe and Mail, 9/4).

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