Cervical Cancer Detection

While cervical cancer is typically curable when detected early, there is often a barrier to this. "Many people with cervical cancer do not have symptoms," said Jill Purdie, M.D., a board-certified OBGYN and medical director at Northside Women’s Specialists, part of Pediatrix® Medical Group. Though many times it is asymptomatic, there are some signs that are often be dismissed as normal, including watery discharge. “This may be missed because it is mistaken for something else, such as infection or normal physiological discharge," said Dr. Purdie. Other signs include an abnormal pap smear. Dr. Purdie shared she has diagnosed two cases of cervical cancer in her 15 years of practice, and both patients hadn't seen a gynecologist in more than a decade.

View the full story on Parade