Originally Published MX September/October 2005

TOPSPIN

Patients informed through direct-to-consumer campaigns can effect changes in standards of care.

Pamela Rasmussen

Pamela Rasmussen is vice president for corporate communications at Digene Corp. (Gaithersburg, MD).

The development of the Pap test more than 50 years ago dramatically improved our ability to prevent cervical cancer; in fact, the number of women in the United States affected by the lethal disease has dropped 75% since the Pap test was introduced. Still, the American Cancer Society projects that, during this year, about 10,370 women will develop cervical cancer and slightly more than 3700 will die of it.¹