Cervical Cancer Archives | Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Combination Therapy Working Well for Patient with Cervical Cancer in Clinical Trial

Just as the COVID-19 pandemic was sending entire states into lockdown, Jill Bailey learned that her metastatic cervical cancer was beginning to break free of the grip of chemotherapy. It was March 2020. Scans showed that Bailey’s metastatic tumors, which had shrunk in response to chemotherapy and another drug, were slowly starting to grow. A … Read more

What are TILs and How Are They Used in Cancer Treatment?

A form of immune cell therapy for cancer known as tumor infiltrating lymphocyte, or TIL, therapy, involves removing immune T cells from a piece of the patient’s tumor — where the T cells have succeeded in recognizing the cancer — expanding them outside the body, and re-infusing them by the billions to fight the disease. … Read more

What You Need to Know About Pap Smears

Pap smears are an important part of a woman’s regular health care, and the procedure is very simple and quick. Here are some facts to know before getting a Pap smear. What is a Pap smear? A Pap smear, or Pap test, is a procedure that screens for cervical cancer in women. More specifically, it … Read more

Patient with Metastatic Cervical Cancer Looks at Life Through Her Own Lens

One of the reasons Fangjyh Chern loves photography is because it allows her to capture a unique moment in time. For her, the fun and challenge comes from photographing instances that can never be truly reproduced or recreated. Since her own cancer diagnosis in 2014, Chern says she has had a heightened awareness of the … Read more

Infections and Cancer: What You Should Know

Common infections, such as those that cause the common cold, do not cause cancer or make cancer more likely to occur. However, infections with specific types of viruses, bacteria, or parasites can increase an individual’s risk for certain kinds of cancer.

New Clinical Trials Test Immunotherapy for Cervical Cancer

Researchers are applying the knowledge they’ve gained in previous clinical trials as they look into how immunotherapy might provide additional treatment options for patients with recurrent cervical cancer.

Women’s Cancers: What You Should Be Screened For and When

It’s never too early or too late to work toward being your healthiest you. That’s the motto of National Women’s Health Week, an initiative developed to help women of all ages take control of their health. Following proper cancer screenings is an important part of maintaining health and well-being – and reducing your risk of … Read more

What You Should Know About Cervical Cancer [Webchat]

Unlike many gynecologic cancers, there is a vaccination and screening test for cervical cancer, an important distinction in preventing and identifying the disease, according to Ursula Matulonis, MD, medical director of Gynecologic Oncology in Dana-Farber’s Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers, and Colleen Feltmate, MD, director of minimally invasive surgery in Gynecologic Oncology at … Read more

What Are AIDS-Related Cancers?

Medically reviewed by Charles Thomas, MS, MBA People infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or AIDS are more susceptible to certain types of cancer than people who are not infected. In fact, some types of cancers are so common in people with HIV that they are referred to as AIDS-related or AIDS-defining cancers – including … Read more

Cancer Conversations Podcast – Episode #6: Cervical Cancer Research, Treatment and Prevention

Although cervical cancer incidence and death rates have decreased thanks to regular screenings, thousands of women in the U.S. are still affected by the disease every year. In this Cancer Conversations podcast episode, Ursula Matulonis, MD, medical director of the Gynecologic Oncology Program in the Susan F. Smith Center for Women’s Cancers at Dana-Farber, joins … Read more

Targeted Therapy, Immunotherapy Among Top Research Areas for Cervical Cancer

Cancers of the cervix are diagnosed in more than 12,000 women in the United States every year. Worldwide, the annual tally of new cases reaches more than half a million. The biggest advance against the disease in recent years has come in the area of prevention. Vaccination against the human papilloma virus (HPV) – two … Read more

What Are the Symptoms of Cervical Cancer?

Cervical cancer screenings, which typically include a pelvic exam and Pap smear, have significantly reduced the number of cervical cancer incidence and death rates in the United States. These screenings are especially important because symptoms of cervical cancer often go undetected until the disease is more advanced. “The vast majority of cervical cancers are early … Read more

The Latest in Cervical Cancer Treatment, Research and Prevention

Although cervical cancer is relatively rare in the United States, approximately 11,000-12,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with the disease each year. Globally, that number grows to more than 500,000 diagnoses each year, making it the fourth most common women’s cancer worldwide. As January marks Cervical Cancer Awareness Month, the Susan F. Smith Center … Read more

Cervical Cancer Screenings: Five Things You Need to Know

As a result of women having regular cervical cancer screenings, incidence and death rates from the disease have decreased by at least 80 percent in the U.S. “Cervical cancer in the U.S. has become less of a frequently diagnosed cancer because of the institution of the Pap smear,” says Ursula Matulonis, MD, medical director of … Read more

Study: Type of Cervical Cancer May Drive Treatment Choice

By Alexi Wright, MD, MPH

Although there are two main types of cervical cancer, known as adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, they’ve generally been treated as one disease, with the same approach to treatment. In a recent study, my colleagues and I surveyed the DNA in both types of cervical cancer cells to see if there were any differences. Such variations may help explain why the two types sometimes behave the way they do, and guide us toward treatments that work best in one type or the other.