Cervical Cancer

Lots of things inspired me to pursue a career in the field of medicine. One of the issues that motivated me was the research and development of cervical cancer. I, as a woman am very concerned about this cancer spreading amongst us. This subject first concerned me when my aunt in Peru talked about this with me. She is a gynecologist and has told me so much about cervical cancer. I also heard of cervical cancer through commercials on television, where they were talking about a new vaccine. This made me want to find out more about this cancer.

It is the second most common cancer among women. The medical researchers have found that human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is responsible for more than 90% of the cases of cervical cancer. Having several sexual partners is a major risk factor for developing HPV. Some early signs and symptoms are vaginal bleeding, moderate pain during sexual intercourse and vaginal discharge, but there may not be any symptoms at all. Symptoms of advanced cervical cancer may be loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue, pelvic pain, back pain, leg pain, a single swollen leg, heavy bleeding from the vagina, and bone fractures.

One thing that really caught my eye was a new vaccine to prevent HPV, called Gardasil. This vaccine is targeted at girls and women of age 9 to 26 because the vaccine only works if given before infection occurs. That is why they are targeting girls before they begin having sex. The new vaccine can also mean that the cases of cervical cancer may decrease. This new development made me think about the long term effects and of how medical researchers can develop a cancer vaccine.

The new research and development of cervical cancer really has inspired me to pursue a career in the field of medicine. This is because researchers are doing the best that they can to figure out the causes of cancers, viruses, diseases, and many other illnesses so they can try to find a way to cure and prevent this from happening. This is very important for the well being of people. I would like to pursue a career in medicine so I can also be apart of the leaders who made a great impact on peoples lives.