HJBR Sep/Oct 2019

CERVICAL cancer 20 SEP / OCT 2019 I  Healthcare Journal of BATON ROUGE   self-evident. Through risk mitigation and lowering barriers preventing access to health care, Louisiana’s women should be able to achieve results on par with coun- terparts nationwide. Preventing Cervical Cancer Obviously, health care disparities that affect the economically disadvantaged are significantly problematic. In order to opti- mize screening and prevention of cervi- cal cancer, many interventions can have a meaningful impact. Education regarding sexual health and safe sex practices before onset of sexual activity is transparently important. Con- sistent and correct use of condoms is par- tially protective against HPV transmission. Affordable access to cervical cancer screen- ing is critical, but making sure that women avail themselves of these services is equally vital. Widespread vaccination against HPVwill have the biggest impact on lowering disease rates. Guidelines for HPV vaccine adminis- tration for adolescent boys and girls should be adhered to. Education for parents and young adults relating to the safety and effi- cacy of HPVvaccination should be a priority. Other impactful strategies would discour- age high-risk sexual behaviors and cigarette smoking. Tactics for tracking patients who miss follow-up appointments for abnormal Pap results and are late for completion of their HPV vaccine series can help with over- all compliance with public health guidelines. Resources to help with provision of these services for impoverishedwomenwith chal- lenges to healthcare access are essential. Room for Improvement For women who find themselves in the unfortunate situation of having been diag- nosed with invasive cervical cancer, timely implementation of appropriate therapy is crucial to success. Patient and nurse navi- gators can help assure adherence to treat- ment plans. Even the best, most modern therapy cannot have the impact it should if patient noncompliance thwarts its appro- priate administration. Louisiana has room for improvement in implementation of measures that could reduce or eliminate cervical cancer in our state. Patient education and affordable access are important components of a suc- cessful program for prevention of cervical cancer. For those diagnosed with invasive cancer of the cervix, therapeutic compliance is critical for optimizing curability. n Anthony Evans, MD, PhD is the medical director of gynecologic oncology at the Breast & GYN Can- cer Pavilion, where he specializes in diagnosis and treatment of cancers of the female reproductive sys- tem. With more than 20 years of experience treat- ing gynecologic cancers, Dr. Evans understands the importance of engaging his patients in their treat- ment plan and providing a thorough understand- ing of their condition and care options. A native southerner, Dr. Evans grewup in Georgia, where he received a medical degree and a Ph.D. in endocri- nology fromMedical College of Georgia in Augusta. He also earned a bachelor’s andmaster’s degree in chemistry fromEmory University in Atlanta. He com- pleted a residency in obstetrics & gynecology and a Fellowship in gynecologic oncology fromDuke Uni- versity inDurham, North Carolina. Board certified in obstetrics & gynecology and gynecologic oncology, he is also active in the latest cancer clinical trials. Louisiana Tumor Registry Incidence Rates* of Cervix Uteri Cancer in the U.S. All Races, Females, 2010-2014 Age Adjusted Annual Incidence Rates (Cases per 100,000) Quantile Interval 4.6 to 6.3 > 6.3 to 7.1 > 7.1 to 7.6 > 7.6 to 8.6 > 8.6 to 12.9 Data Not Available US (SEER + NPCR) Rate (95% C.I.) 7.5 (7.5 - 7.6) *Only Invasive Cases