While there isn’t yet a definitive cure for cancer, there are ways in which some cancers can be prevented, treated and detected earlier for better treatment results. This week on Health Watch, we’ll talk about some common forms of cancer.

Doctors don’t know what, exactly, causes most cancers, but they have determined a clear cause for most forms of cervical cancer. A virus called HPV has a clear cause-and-effect relationship with cervical cancer. Dr. John Schorge, a gynecological oncologist at
UT Southwestern Medical Center, says this knowledge means most cervical cancer can be prevented. There’s now a vaccine to protect against HPV that could prevent 70 percent of cervical cancer cases. You can also protect yourself by practicing safe sex. An annual Pap smear will detect changes in cervical cells before they become cancerous.

Visit http://www.utsouthwestern.org/obgyn to learn more about UT Southwestern’s clinical services in gynecology and obstetrics.