OK, women of the world. Grab some paper and a pen and jot down this list of seven check-ups every woman needs. Don't just write them down, though. Make sure you take action on each and every one. They might just save your life.

1. Start with your weight, height, and BMI (body mass index). The scores you get on these simple tests are important because many conditions and diseases are associated with being overweight or underweight.

2. Check your blood pressure, and find out where you stand because hypertension is a disease with no symptoms. High blood pressure puts you at risk for cardiovascular disease -- but there are very effective treatments for this condition.

There is a new test that can identify potentially serious problems much earlier than the standard Pap smear, according to a recent large Danish study.

Think about this:

A new HPV test effectively checks women 40 and older for the virus that causes cervical cancer. The women who carry the virus are at significant risk for the disease and can truly benefit from this test. Women younger than 40 can still contract the virus but it tends to come and go and isn't as likely to lead to cancer. These under-40 women are sill better off receiving the standard Pap test, say researchers.

Source: Good Housekeeping, May 2007

Wouldn't it be great if we could find breast cancer long before something appears on a mammogram?

An FDA approved test called the Halo Breast Pap Test System might be able to do just that by collecting Nipple Aspirate Fluid (NAF). The test is designed to detect abnormal cells in the breast. The Halo system can identify benign disease as well as abnormal ductal cells that can be precursors to cancer.

Some research has suggested that ductal fluid excreted from the nipple can be used to identify a women's specific risk of breast cancer. A women with abnormal cells in the fluid has a four to five times greater risk of developing breast cancer.

Think about this:

The introduction of the HALO Breast Pap Test has been compared to the introduction of the Cervical Pap Test in the 1950s, which is widely credited with reducing cervical cancer death rates by more than 70 percent through the identification of abnormal cells in the cervix. Whether the same can be said for the breast pap test remains to be seen, but it is likely that the screen will be adopted by more OB-GYNs as oncologists push for ever earlier identification of cancer.

Women in England are not showing up for their annual pap tests. And their absence from this critical screening opportunity is increasing their risk of cervical cancer -- a cancer that is curable if detected early.

New figures reveal that 660,000 women between the ages of 25 and 29 are invited for screening in England. Nearly 80 percent of these women accepted their invitations and reported for their tests in 1995 -- but only 69.4 percent did so last year. Women aged 30 to 34 are also down in attendance -- by about 800 women per week. Essentially, this means about 2,000 women each year who have pre-cancerous cells are missing the chance for early detection and diagnosis.

The Department of Health, now investigating the falling figures, attributes the decline to perhaps a not-so-successful screening program, discomfort about the procedure, or fear that the experience will be embarrassing.

Back in the summer of 2000, a year before I was diagnosed with breast cancer, I was told I had an abnormal pap smear. Cancerous and precancerous changes in the cervical cells are often first detected by the pap test. A sample of cells are removed from the cervix and then examined under a microscope. If the pap test does come back abnormal the physician will usually schedule a colposcopy. I was advised after my abnormal pap smear to go through this procedure. A colposcopy is when the doctor will use a microscope to better see the cervix and find abnormal cells that he can then remove and further evaluate. This procedure was not any more uncomfortable than a normal gynecological visit, except for the mild cramping afterward.

Unfortunately upon further evaluation I was diagnosed with cervical dysplasia which lead to me getting the LEEP procedure, loop electrosurgical excision procedure, an outpatient surgery. I was very scared since I had never been put under general anesthesia. I came out of the surgery and again all that happened was more cramping throughout the next few days. Since that time I have had normal pap smears and never miss my yearly appointment to get this test done.

A phase II clinical trial suggests that daily treatment of Celebrex (celecoxib) may effectively treat high-grade precancerous changes to the cervix. The results were published in the journal Gynecologic Oncology. Celebrex belongs to the class of drugs known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Researchers took 25 patients with high grade precancerous changes of the cervix and treated them with either Celebrex 200mg twice a day or a placebo.

The results showed that cervical abnormalities improved in 75 percent of patients treated with Celebrex and 31 percent of patients treated with the placebo. A complete disappearance of detectable cervical abnormalities was experienced by 33 percent of patients treated with Celebrex and 15 percent of patients treated with placebo.

The researchers conclude that Celebrex could offer a noninvasive approach to treating precancerous cervical changes. Larger studies are needed to confirm these findings.

Even though the LEEP procedure was not that terrible, it would have definitely been better to take a pill instead. I do hope this proves to be successful in the treatment of cervical dysplasia.

Cervical cancer screening in the UK may be changing in our near future. When women have the smear test there is a one in ten chance that the test can be unreadable. When women receive a phone call from their doctors telling them they have to repeat the test it can cause anxiety.

Laboratories using the new method are reporting huge drops in their inadequate slides. Instead of the old method (scraping off some cells from the cervix and smearing them onto a slide) the new method uses a plastic brush to transfer the sample in to a vial of fluid.

Another advantage of having the new test is that they can also test for infections and Chlamydia with the same sample. The new test is called liquid based cytology (LBC).

There are some questions out there regarding if this new test can pick up abnormalities better than the old method. Some say yes and some say it does not. Dr. Anne Szarewski, clinical consultant and Honorary Senior Lecturer at Cancer Research UK Centre for Epidemiology said "Even if LBC is not better at picking up abnormalities, just reducing the number of inadequate smears makes the change worthwhile".

Right here in Gainesville, Florida -- at the University of Florida to be exact -- the vaccine for cervical cancer is now available for college students. This vaccine -- called Gardasil -- could prevent women from contracting the human papillomavirus (HPV) which can cause cervical cancer and genital warts. Almost 30 of the more than 100 different strains of HPV are sexually transmitted -- and sometime in their lives, 50 percent of sexually active men and women will contract genital HPV infection. Many will not know they have it and will spread it unknowingly to sexual partners. Protection can come in the form of Gardasil which is approved for use in women between the ages of 9 and 26.

Women who are not sexually active are the best candidates for this vaccine because it is clear that they have not yet been infected. The vaccine is not effective for women who already are infected with HPV. And those who don't know if they are infected can determine if they have HPV through a routine Pap smear. If they do not have HPV, the vaccine is indicated. Once the vaccine is indicated, it is delivered in three separate doses over a six-month period of time. Each dose costs $120 -- which may discourage students from this option.

About 9,700 women in the United States will develop cervical cancer in 2006 and this cancer will kill 3,700 of these women. This vaccine -- if received well by young women who can afford it -- should prove a breakthrough in cancer research and prevention.