Editor,
Twenty-four hours ago, I was not even aware of a disease called cervical cancer. I wasn't even sure what a cervix was and had no idea that it can, for reasons not completely known, become cancerous.
Yesterday my daughter called me from her home in Virginia and told me she has been diagnosed with cervical cancer. Sara turned 23 last week. It was diagnosed when she had a pap smear to determine what was causing her stomach pains. Had she not had the stomach pains, she wouldn't have had the pap smear and the cancer could have spread further than it has.
I have spent much of last night on the Internet learning all I can about this condition. The reason I am writing about this in the Daily Lobo is to urge every young woman to get periodic routine pap smear tests.
You are not too young to get this insidious disease. They don't know for sure what causes it, but there are several risk factors according to the information I gleaned on the web last night. One of them is smoking which apparently increases your risk of developing cervical cancer two or three times. This is another good reason why people, particularly women, shouldn't smoke.
If you are not familiar with cervical cancer, I would urge you to get on the Internet and find as much information as you can or ask your physician about it the next time you go in for a physical or for any other reason. Cervical cancer can be detected very early and is curable. Right now only 2 percent of all deaths are attributable to cervical cancer in this country. In other countries the rate is far higher.
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I get a physical twice a year, and I wouldn't be surprised if I was diagnosed with cancer of some sort at my age since I am in my 50s, but I was totally shocked to find out my youngest kid has cancer. Sara goes in for surgery next month to determine what stage it is in and what her treatment options are.
Do yourself and your loved ones a favor. Get periodic routine pap smear tests, no matter how young you are.
Richard "Bugman" Fagerlund, B.C.E.
Environmental Services
