FREE EXAMS FOR WOMEN; CAUSE OF HIGH CANCER RATE SOUGHT.Byline: Robert Monroe Staff Writer PANORAMA CITY - Teresa Torres got a Pap smear Pap smear or Papanicolaou smear Sample of cells from the vagina and cervix of the uterus for laboratory staining and examination to detect genital herpes and early-stage cancer, especially of the cervix. Developed by the Greek-born U.S. Tuesday because she knows it's important to her health - and it was free. So far, the 59-year-old woman has beaten increased odds that local Latinas face for cervical cancer Cervical Cancer Definition Cervical cancer is a disease in which the cells of the cervix become abnormal and start to grow uncontrollably, forming tumors. . The incidence of the preventable disease in the east San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. has surpassed the national rate. ``This is important,'' Torres said in Spanish during her visit at the Mid-Valley Comprehensive Health Clinic. ``I want to live a long time.'' The free Pap smears are being offered until Monday in a first-ots kind effort to protect the health of the women and to uncover why the cervical cancer rate is nearly three times as high among Latinas in Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. County as the national average. In addition, health officials want to make the test part of a comprehensive battery of preventive maintenance women can get every visit. The second-deadliest cancer among women, cervical cancer affects about seven out of every 100,000 women in the United States. But in the east San Fernando Valley, it strikes about 12 out of 100,000, largely because of the Latina population, according to county statistics. Among county Latinas, 20 out of every 100,000 will contract cervical cancer. Among African-Americans, the rate is 10.8 per 100,000 and among Asian-Americans, it is 9.5 per 100,000. Among white women, the rate is 6.9 per 100,000. Cervical cancer is caused by the human papilloma virus human papilloma virus n. Abbr. HPV A DNA virus of the genus Papillomavirus, certain types of which cause cutaneous and genital warts in humans, including condyloma acuminatum. and detected through microscopic examination of a swab of the cervix cervix /cer·vix/ (ser´viks) pl. cer´vices [L.] 1. neck. 2. the front portion of the neck. 3. cervix uteri. . Theories about why minorities experience high levels of cervical cancer include that they lack access to health care and education, said Gretchen McGinley, chief executive officer of Valley Care Health Center, a network that includes the Mid-Valley center. Mid-Valley's chief physician, Dr. Satwant Sithu, said she believes most Asian-American women with cervical cancer might be immigrants who are not aware of the available services. Also, older low-income women don't get Pap smears because government health care focuses on prenatal programs and others targeting women of reproductive age, Sithu said. ``Beyond that age, there is hardly any funding through the state or federal government.'' McGinley suspects that many women don't realize they always can obtain Pap smears for free or almost no cost through the county. In addition to a free Pap smear, Torres got another benefit during her visit: her first mammogram mammogram /mam·mo·gram/ (mam´o-gram) a radiograph of the breast. mam·mo·gram n. An x-ray image of the breast produced by mammography. , largely at the urging of her daughter. It's part of the county's effort to combine cervical cancer screening with other essential health services health services Managed care The benefits covered under a health contract , including an assessment for risks of HIV HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus), either of two closely related retroviruses that invade T-helper lymphocytes and are responsible for AIDS. There are two types of HIV: HIV-1 and HIV-2. HIV-1 is responsible for the vast majority of AIDS in the United States. infection, hypertension and other. So far, more than 150 women been screened at Mid-Valley. Officials said the comprehensive approach is necessary just in case there's never a second visit. ``We're trying to the greatest extent possible not to be fragmented,'' said McGinley. FREE TESTS Free cervical cancer screenings are available until Monday at the Mid- Valley Comprehensive Health Center in Panorama City, the San Fernando Health Center in San Fernando and High Desert Hospital in Lancaster. They also are available Friday only at 27 other county health locations. To schedule a free Pap smear, call (800) 793-8090. CAPTION(S): photo, box Photo: Nurse practitioner nurse practitioner n. Abbr. NP A registered nurse with special training for providing primary health care, including many tasks customarily performed by a physician. Guadalupe Allard examines Teresa Torres' chart before her free Pap smear on Tuesday. Tina Burch/Staff Photographer Box: Free tests (see text) |
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