Cervical Cancer
What is Cervical Cancer ?
Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers that affect a woman’s reproductive organs. various strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection, play a role in causing most cases of cervical cancer.
When exposed to HPV, a woman’s immune system typically prevents the virus from doing harm. In a small group of women, however, the virus survives for years before it eventually converts some cells on the surface of the cervix into cancer cells. Half of cervical cancer cases occur in women between ages 35 and 55…
Symptoms of Cervical Cancer
You may not experience any cervical cancer symptoms — early cervical cancer generally produces no signs or symptoms.
As the cancer progresses, these cervical cancer symptoms and signs may appear : -
Vaginal bleeding after intercourse, between periods or after menopause Watery, bloody vaginal discharge that may be heavy and have a foul odor Pelvic pain or pain during intercourse
Causes of Cervical Cancer
In general, cancer begins when healthy cells acquire a genetic mutation that turns normal cells into abnormal cells. Healthy cells grow and multiply at a set rate, eventually dying at a set time. Cancer cells grow and multiply out of control, and they don’t die. The accumulating abnormal cells form a mass (tumor). Cancer cells invade nearby tissues and can break off from an initial tumor to spread elsewhere in the body (metastasize).
Cervical cancer most commonly begins in the thin, flat cells that line the bottom of the cervix (squamous cells). Squamous cell carcinomas account for about 80 percent of cervical cancers. Cervical cancer can also occur in the glandular cells that line the upper portion of the cervix. Called adenocarcinomas, these cancers make up about 15 percent of cervical cancers. Sometimes both types of cells are involved in cervical cancer. very rare cancers can occur in other cells in the cervix.
Risk factors of causes of Cervical Cancer
Many sexual partners : – The greater your number of sexual partners — and the greater your partner’s number of sexual partners — the greater your chance of acquiring HPV.
Early sexual activity : – Having sex before age 18 increases your risk of HPV. Immature cells seem to be more susceptible to the precancerous changes that HPV can cause.
Other sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) : – If you have other STDs — such as chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis or HIV/AIDS — you have a greater chance of also having acquired HPV.
A weak immune system : – most women who are infected with HPV never develop cervical cancer. however, if you have an HPV infection and your immune system is weakened by another health condition, you may be more likely to develop cervical cancer.
Cigarette smoking : – The exact mechanism that links cigarette smoking to cervical cancer isn’t known, but tobacco use increases the risk of precancerous changes as well as cancer of the cervix. Smoking and HPV infection may work together to cause cervical cancer.
Diagnosis
If you experience signs and symptoms of cervical cancer or if a Pap test has revealed cancerous cells, you may undergo further tests to diagnose your cancer.
To make a diagnosis, your doctor may : -
Examine your cervix : – During an exam called colposcopy, your doctor uses a special microscope (colposcope) to examine your cervix for abnormal cells. If your doctor identifies unusual areas, he or she may take a small sample of cells for analysis (biopsy).
Take a sample of cervical cells : – During a biopsy procedure your doctor removes a sample of unusual cells from your cervix using special tools. During one type of biopsy — punch biopsy — your doctor uses a circular knife to remove a small circular section of the cervix. Other special types of biopsy may be used depending on the location and size of the unusual area of cells.
Remove a cone-shaped area of cervical cells : – A cone biopsy (conization) — so called because it involves taking a cone-shaped sample of the cervix — allows your doctor to obtain deeper layers of cervical cells for laboratory testing. Your doctor may use a scalpel, laser or electrified wire loop to cut away the tissue.
Complications
Treatments for invasive cervical cancer often make it impossible to become pregnant in the future. For many women — especially younger women and those who have yet to begin a family — infertility is a distressing side effect of treatment. If you’re concerned about your ability to get pregnant in the future, discuss this with your doctor.
For a specific subgroup of women with early cervical cancer, fertility-sparing surgery may be a treatment option. A surgical procedure to remove your cervix and surrounding lymphatic tissue only (radical trachelectomy) may preserve your uterus. Early studies of radical trachelectomy suggest that cervical cancer can be cured using this technique, though it isn’t appropriate for every woman and there may be added risks to this surgery. Future pregnancies may be possible, but are considered high risk because removing the cervical tissue can lead to a higher incidence of miscarriage and premature birth…
Treatments of Cervical Cancer
Treatment of cervical cancer that’s confined to the outside layer of the cervix typically requires treatment to remove the abnormal area of cells. For most women in this situation, no additional treatments are needed..
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