Three years ago, Bridgette *, the wife and mother of two young children, was surprised when a routine Pap smear identified abnormal cells. Bridgette was devastated when other tests confirmed she had HPV-related cancer.
HPV (human papilloma virus) is a sexually transmitted virus that infects 85% of the sexually active people in their lifetime. For most people, the infection clears itself, but it’s not always like that, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
For some, the virus can remain in the body and can cause certain HPV-related cancers and diseases later in life, according to the CDC. There is no way to predict who will or will not remove the virus.
As a nurse who was used to caring for others, being patient was a challenge for Bridgette. “It took me a while to figure it all out,” he says.
It is approaching an action plan
Bridgette’s journey began with an abnormal Pap smear on a routine gynecologist visit. He continued with a biopsy that showed he had cervical cancer. Bridgette, now about 30 years old, was diagnosed at a much younger age than the average onset of HPV-related cervical cancer, which is about 49 years old, according to the CDC. For some people who do not clear the virus, a diagnosis of cervical cancer can occur years or decades after they become infected and cervical cancer can be diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 80. For Bridgette, a diagnosis of HPV-related cancer raised many questions and it was difficult to understand her new reality. “I knew HPV could cause cancer,” he says, “but I also thought it couldn’t happen to me.”
A few weeks later, he met with a gynecologic oncologist to develop a treatment plan, which included radiation therapy and chemotherapy. When detected at an early stage, the five-year survival rate for women with invasive cervical cancer is approximately 90%. “After seeing the gynecological oncologist, he gave us hope because we were able to have a plan and we knew what we had to do,” Bridgette says.
Bridgette’s treatment was successful, and she has been cancer-free and grateful for the support of her family and care team on her path to recovery.
Lessons from your journey against cancer
Bridgette recognizes the importance of having a strong support system during cancer treatment. “If I could go back in time and tell myself something when I was first diagnosed, I would say ask for help and then get sick,” he says. “I thought I could conquer the world, but just letting myself rest when I needed to rest and knowing that people would help me was very important.”
When Bridgette was diagnosed with HPV-related cervical cancer, she was in complete shock; he never thought it could happen to him. Learn more about her experience with HPV-related cervical cancer in this video, courtesy of My history of HPV cancer.
No matter what, Bridgette remains committed to sharing her story and educating others. Not everyone realizes that HPV can cause cervical cancer, he says, and “not only are women at risk for HPV-related cancers, but men are also at risk.”
Bridgette also learned to live the moment. “Being diagnosed with cervical cancer allowed me to spend a moment and know that life is beautiful and that we shouldn’t rethink things,” he says. “We should just not be in such a hurry. I have learned to enjoy my children and my husband because that is what really matters. “
What you may not know about HPV-related cancers and diseases
Because HPV often has no visible signs or symptoms, someone with the virus could transmit it without knowing it. For most people, HPV is eliminated on its own. But for some women, HPV can ultimately cause some cancers and diseases like cervical cancer, as Bridgette did. People should talk to their healthcare provider about their potential risk of HPV-related cancer.
“Most patients I see have some idea and understanding of HPV, but there’s still a lot of misinformation about it,” says Pari Ghodsi, MD, an OB-GYN certified by the Los Angeles-based board. “The more people talk about HPV among themselves and also with their doctors, the more we can open up the conversation and hope that everyone can get the right knowledge.”
Here are four CDC HPV-related cancer-related statistics:
The estimated number of people in the U.S. who are diagnosed with HPV-related cancer each year, according to 2013-2017 data.
An HPV-related cancer can take years, even decades, to develop after a person has an HPV infection. For most, HPV clears on its own.
The estimated number of new HPV-related cervical cancer cases in the United States annually (1998-2017).
HPV is believed to be the cause of more than 90% of cervical cancer cases.
What can you do?: According to Dr. Ghodsi, the first step is to realize that HPV-related cancer can affect you. Start a conversation with your doctor about what you can do to stay up to date on your health, such as doing routine Pap tests to detect cervical cancer. You can also take steps to learn more about the link between HPV and certain cancers and diseases by visiting My History of HPV Cancer.
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