LEEP: 1 in 5 Need Procedure Again; the CBCD Highlights Limits of Localized Treatments, Urges Antiviral Remedies as First Choice
Rochester, NY (PRWEB) December 19, 2013 -- Up to 20% of women who have undergone the LEEP procedure will need the treatment again within five years, according to a new study (1). This is due to the localized nature of LEEP. That is, the procedure only removes the abnormal cells, which host the active HPV virus. It does not target the latent virus elsewhere in the body (1). As the study authors wrote “Women with initial CIN 1 had 16.7% (n = 2) recurrences; of those with initial CIN 2, 5.9% (n = 1) recurrences; and of those with initial CIN 3, 11.1% (n = 1) had a recurrence (1).”
In other words, LEEP is a short term solution. After a woman recovers from the LEEP procedure, high risk HPV can again cause cervical dysplasia, the abnormal cellular changes that must be removed (1).
LEEP is a local treatment that targets only the cells that could become cancerous. During the LEEP procedure, doctors use a wire loop heated by electric current to remove abnormal cells and tissue in a woman’s lower genital tract.
It does not target the HPV virus elsewhere.
For example, during a study of 178 women with HPV that had the LEEP procedure, “51 were HPV-positive with either the same or another high-risk HPV type both at treatment and at one or more follow-up visits.” This is according to a study published on October 12, 2013 in the Journal of Medical Virology (2).
In addition to only being effective in the short term, the LEEP procedure carries with it painful risks. According to the Johns Hopkins Health Library, the LEEP procedure can cause “infection, bleeding, changes or scarring in the cervix from removal of tissue, difficulty getting pregnant, potential for preterm birth or having a low birth weight baby (3).” Moreover, “Certain factors or conditions may interfere with LEEP. These factors include, but are not limited to the following: menstruation, acute pelvic inflammatory disease, and acute inflammation of the cervix (3).”
The CBCD does not believe LEEP should be a woman’s first choice. The CBCD urges these women and their doctors to first consider antiviral natural remedies, which were proven effective against the HPV virus. Only if these remedies fail, should a woman consider LEEP or other surgical procedures. Women should ask their doctors about such natural antiviral products or search online.
To learn more about how latent viruses such as HPV can cause major diseases, visit: http://www.cbcd.net.
References:
(1) Frequency of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade II or worse in women with a persistent low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion seen by Papanicolaou smears. Published on November 2013.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23644924
(2) Human papillomavirus type-specific persistence and recurrence after treatment for cervical dysplasia. Published on October 12, 2013.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/jmv.23806/full
(3) What is a loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP)? (Johns Hopkins Medical Library)
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The CBCD is a research center recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) non-for-profit organization. The mission of the CBCD is to advance the research on the biology of chronic diseases, and to accelerate the discovery of treatments.
The CBCD published the “Purple” book by Dr. Hanan Polansky. The book presents Dr. Polansky’s highly acclaimed scientific theory on the relationship between foreign DNA and the onset of chronic diseases. Dr. Polansky’s book is available as a free download from the CBCD website.
Hanan Polansky, Center for the Biology of Chronic Disease (CBCD), +1 (585) 250-9999, [email protected]
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