The Debi and Gary Fournier Cervical Cancer Research Fund has been designed to support ongoing cancer research efforts with an objective of discovering a cure for cervical cancer. More than 500,000 women around the world receive cervical cancer diagnoses every year, while more than 250,000 deaths are attributed to the disease on an annual basis. For women, cervical cancer represents one of the most common types of cancer, with most cases developing as a result of the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV), specifically HPV 16 and HPV 18.
Making regular OB/GYN visits is highly important for early detection and treatment, as medical professionals can use a PAP test to check for HPV and can sometimes detect abnormalities associated with cervical cancer early on in the development of the disease. Moving forward, doctors must determine exactly which form of cervical cancer an individual has in order to determine the best course of treatment.