A study released last month by the Penn State College of Medicine has added yet another negative effect to smoking -- a potential for an increased level of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) in women already infected.
"Our study is the first to show that there is a biological marker between tobacco smoke and the virus that causes cancer," said Craig Meyers, researcher and professor in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology at the College of Medicine at the Hershey Medical Center.
The study was conducted to discover the effect of smoking on women specifically, according to a Penn State Live statement posted Thursday. The study was released in the January 2008 issue of the Journal of Virology, part of the American Society of Microbiology.
Results showed that exposure to cigarette smoke containing cancer-causing carcinogen can increase the HPV levels in cervical mucus by up to 10 times. The three most commonly associated types of HPV all showed elevated levels when exposed to the carcinogen. HPV can lead to women's cervical cancer, which is the third-leading type of cancer in women.
"If a woman with the initial signs of HPV continues to smoke, it is likely that she will be back at the Ob-Gyn for surgery. But if she stops, she may never have to be seen again," Meyers said.
The study re-created the actual human condition and then added in the carcinogen to observe its effects. In most cases, it either increased the amount of infectious virus made or increased the amount of viral genomes in the tissue, Meyers said.
"My advice for women is one, don't smoke. Not just cervical cancer, but half of all cancers are connected to smoking, and two, we are not 100 percent that the vaccine will be long term, but it will help for now to get vaccinated, get a yearly check-up and lastly, don't trust men," Meyers said.
Students looking for more information on cervical cancer, HPV and the effects of smoking are encouraged to visit the University Health Services Web site or talk to an advice nurse, said Beth Collitt, marketing manager of UHS.
UHS also offers the vaccination, Gardasil, which can protect against multiple types of the HPV virus. The vaccine is given as three injections over a six-month time period and costs $160 for the injection and visitation fees at UHS.
