WV to be part of 4 state cervical cancer prevention initiative

The goal of the new initiative is to reduce cervical cancer incidence and mortality in West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and Virginia by targeting three risk factors associated with the disease.

“We know that smoking tobacco products, HPV infection and lack of timely cervical cancer screening play a significant role in these exceptionally high rates,” said Dr. Electra Paskett, a professor at The Ohio State University College of Medicine and College of Public Health and the program lead.

Researchers from Ohio State, West Virginia University, the University of Kentucky and the University of Virginia have been working together for approximately 12 to 13 years to research cervical cancer incidence and develop best practices, Paskett said.

“This project is a culmination of what we’ve learned before. We’re putting it into practice in terms of teaching clinics how to implement risk reduction interventions for their patients,” she said.

The partnership also includes 10 health systems throughout the four-state region, including two in West Virginia.

Of the West Virginia participants, one health system is located in the north central region and one in the southern region, according to Dr. Stephenie Kennedy-Rea of WVU.

In all, between four and seven clinics will participate and receive training on how to implement the project measures, she said.

West Virginia has the highest smoking rate in the nation, according to Kennedy-Rea.

The new program will promote nicotine replacement therapies and tobacco cessation counseling, she said.

At home testing for human papilloma virus, more commonly known as HPV, also will be offered for patients who are not up to date on screenings, Kennedy-Rea said.

The virus is believed to be responsible for 91 percent of cervical cancers, according to information from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The virus is spread through intimate skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity, according to the CDC.

Encouraging vaccination against HPV also will be part of the project.

“We’re in the mid-range compared to other states, but we can significantly improve our vaccination rates,” Kennedy-Rea said. “We need to think of HPV vaccination as a cancer prevention vaccination.”

According to the state report on cervical cancer, up to 93 percent of cases can be prevented with screening and HPV vaccination.

Researchers will test the effectiveness of the measures implemented with a goal of tweaking the program and then disseminating it to additional clinics within the region for widespread implementation.

“We’re testing a novel, multi-level intervention for the prevention of cervical cancer, so we’re going to be contributing to the science base,“ Kennedy-Rea said.

At the same time, the clinic staff will be adding to their knowledge base and patients will be benefiting from the services, she said.