Cervical cancer

Cancer - cervix
Cervical cancer is cancer that starts in the cervix, the lower part oI the uterus (womb) that opens at the top oI the
vagina.
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
Worldwide, cervical cancer is the third most common type oI cancer in women. It is much less common in the
United States because oI the routine use oI Pap smears.
Cervical cancers start in the cells on the surIace oI the cervix. There are two types oI cells on the cervix's
surIace: squamous and columnar. Most cervical cancers are Irom squamous cells.
Cervical cancer usually develops very slowly. It starts as a precancerous condition called dysplasia. This
precancerous condition can be detected by a Pap smear and is 100 treatable. That is why it is so important Ior
women to get regular Pap smears. Most women who are diagnosed with cervical cancer today have not had
regular Pap smears or they have not Iollowed up on abnormal Pap smear results.
Undetected precancerous changes can develop into cervical cancer and spread to the bladder, intestines, lungs,
and liver. It can take years Ior precancerous changes to turn into cervical cancer. Patients with cervical cancer
do not usually have problems until the cancer is advanced and has spread.
Almost all cervical cancers are caused by HPV (human papilloma virus). HPV is a common virus that is spread
through sexual intercourse. There are many diIIerent types oI HPV. Some strains lead to cervical cancer. (Other
strains may cause genital warts, while others do not cause any problems at all.)
Risk Iactors Ior cervical cancer include:
O Having sex at an early age
O Multiple sexual partners
O Poor economic status (may not be able to aIIord regular Pap smears)
O Sexual partners who have multiple partners or who participate in high-risk sexual activities
O Women whose mothers took the drug DES (diethylstilbestrol) during pregnancy in the early 1960s to
prevent miscarriage
O Weakened immune system
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Most oI the time, early cervical cancer has no symptoms. Symptoms that may occur can include:
O Abnormal vaginal bleeding between periods, aIter intercourse, or aIter menopause
O Any bleeding aIter menopause
O Continuous vaginal discharge, which may be pale, watery, pink, brown, bloody, or Ioul-smelling
O Periods become heavier and last longer than usual
Symptoms oI advanced cervical cancer may include:
O ack pain
O one Iractures
O atigue
O Heavy bleeding Irom the vagina
O eaking oI urine or Ieces Irom the vagina
O eg pain
O oss oI appetite
O Pelvic pain
O Single swollen leg
O Weight loss
$igns and tests
Precancerous changes oI the cervix and cervical cancer cannot be seen with the naked eye. Special tests and
tools are needed to spot such conditions.
O Pap smears screen Ior precancers and cancer, but do not make a Iinal diagnosis.
O II abnormal changes are Iound, the cervix is usually examined under magniIication. This is
calledcolposcopy. Pieces oI tissue are surgically removed (biopsied) during this procedure and sent
to a laboratory Ior examination.
Other tests may include:
O Endocervical curettage (ECC) to examine the opening oI the cervix
O Cone biopsy
II the woman is diagnosed with cervical cancer, the health care provider will order more tests to determine how
Iar the cancer has spread. This is called staging. Tests may include:
O Chest x-ray
O CT scan
O Cystoscopy
O Intravenous pyelogram (IVP)
O MRI
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1reaLmenL of cervlcal cancer depends on
O 1he sLage of Lhe cancer
O 1he slze and shape of Lhe Lumor
O 1he womans age and general healLh
O er deslre Lo have chlldren ln Lhe fuLure
Early cervical cancer can be cured by removing or destroying the precancerous or cancerous tissue. There are
various surgical ways to do this without removing the uterus or damaging the cervix, so that a woman can still
have children in the Iuture.
Types oI surgery Ior early cervical cancer include:
O oop electrosurgical excision procedure (EEP) -- uses electricity to remove abnormal tissue
O Cryotherapy -- Ireezes abnormal cells
O aser therapy -- uses light to burn abnormal tissue
A hysterectomy (removal oI the uterus but not the ovaries) is not oIten perIormed Ior cervical cancer that has
not spread. It may be done in women who have repeated EEP procedures.
Treatment Ior more advanced cervical cancer may include:
O Radical hysterectomy, which removes the uterus and much oI the surrounding tissues, including
lymph nodes and the upper part oI the vagina.
O Pelvic exenteration, an extreme type oI surgery in which all oI the organs oI the pelvis, including the
bladder and rectum, are removed.
Radiation may be used to treat cancer that has spread beyond the pelvis, or cancer that has returned. Radiation
therapy is either external or internal.
O Internal radiation therapy uses a device Iilled with radioactive material, which is placed inside the
woman's vagina next to the cervical cancer. The device is removed when she goes home.
O External radiation therapy beams radiation Irom a large machine onto the body where the cancer is
located. It is similar to an x-ray.
Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill cancer. Some oI the drugs used Ior cervical cancer chemotherapy include 5-
U, cisplatin, carboplatin, iIosIamide, paclitaxel, and cyclophosphamide. Sometimes radiation and
chemotherapy are used beIore or aIter surgery.
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ational Cervical Cancer Coalition - http://www.nccc-online.org/
Ex5ectations (5rognosis)
Many Iactors inIluence the outcome oI cervical cancer. These include:
O The type oI cancer
O The stage oI the disease
O The woman's age and general physical condition
Pre-cancerous conditions are completely curable when Iollowed up and treated properly. The chance oI being
alive in 5 years (5-year survival rate) Ior cancer that has spread to the inside oI the cervix walls but not outside
the cervix area is 92.
The 5-year survival rate Ialls steadily as the cancer spreads into other areas.
!revention
A vaccine to prevent cervical cancer is now available. In June 2006, the U.S. ood and Drug Administration
approved the vaccine called Gardasil, which prevents inIection against the two types oI HPV responsible Ior
most cervical cancer cases.
Studies have shown that the vaccine appears to prevent early-stage cervical cancer and precancerous lesions.
Gardasil is the Iirst approved vaccine targeted speciIically to prevent any type oI cancer.
Practicing saIe sex (using condoms) also reduces your risk oI HPV and other sexually transmitted diseases. HPV
inIection causes genital warts. These may be barely visible or several inches wide. II a woman sees warts on her
partner's genitals, she should avoid intercourse with that person.
To Iurther reduce the risk oI cervical cancer, women should limit their number oI sexual partners and avoid
partners who participate in high-risk sexual activities.
Getting regular Pap smears can help detect precancerous changes, which can be treated beIore they turn into
cervical cancer. Pap smears eIIectively spot such changes, but they must be done regularly. Annual pelvic
examinations, including a pap smear, should start when a woman becomes sexually active, or by the age oI 20 in
a nonsexually active woman.
See also: Physical exam Irequency
II you smoke, quit. Cigarette smoking is associated with an increased risk oI cervical cancer.














1 Why do we choose Lhls Loplc for presenLaLlon?
O ecause Lhls Loplc ls an lmporLanL lssue esspeclally for woman As we know Cervlcal Cancer
kllls so many women ln Lhe world afLer breasL cancer
O WlLh Lhls arLlcle we hope woman can deLecL cervlcal cancer wlLh so many sympLoms as
soon as posslble
O We hope we can lnform how Lo prevenL cervlcal cancer
O We hope Lhls lnformaLlons can add our knowledge


2 WhaL are Lhe lnLeresLlng polnLs from Lhls arLlcle?
1 Lhe causes of cervlcal cancer
2 8lsk facLors of Lhls case
3 1he sympLoms of cervlcal cancer
4 LesL Lo deLecL cervlcal cancer








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O Cervlcal cancer ls Lhe Lhlrd cancer whlch aLLacL Lhe women ln Lhe world Cervlcal cancer ls
a Lumor ln Lhe border of vaglna and uLerus1he maln cause of cervlcal cancer ls 9I
(uman 9apllloma Ilrus) 1here are Lwo sLage of Lhls cancer Lhey are precancerous sLage
called dysplasla and cancer sLage ln precancerous sLage usually woman dosenL have a
serlous complalnL abouL her condlLlon buL ln Lhe cancer sLage woman has so many serlous
complalnLs abouL her healLhy because Lhe cancer has spread and become severe cancer
Woman wlLh cervlcal cancer usually doesnL know how Lo deLecL precancerous sLage
earller 1he sympLoms of cervlcal cancer are unusual vaglnal bleedlng afLer lnLercourse or
afLer menopauseabnormal leucorrhoea , and abnormal menstruation periods.they
are the symptoms in the early cervical cancer. Whereas the symptoms in severe
cervical cancer are back and pelvic pain, serious bleeding from vagina, fatigue,
bone fractures, leaking urine from the vagina, weight loss,single swollen leg, and
loss of appetite. For detecting precancerous and cancer we should Lake a LesL called pap
smear uL 9ap smear LesL musL be done frequenLly and Lhls LesL ls noL for dlagnoslng
cervlcal cancer ome LesL can dlagnose Lhls cancer for example colposcopy, MRI, ECC.
Therapies Ior this cancer are oop electrosurgical excision procedure (EEP) uses electricity to
remove abnormal tissue,Cryotherapy Ireezes abnormal cells, aser therapy uses light to burn
abnormal tissue and etc.