What is Cervical Cancer?
It is a type of cancer that begins in the cervix. However, the cervix is a hollow cylinder that interacts the bottom part of a woman’s uterus with her vagina. Severe cervical cancer start in cells on the surface of the cervix.
However, cervical cancer was once a main in cells on the surface of the cervix. That has substituted since screening tests became widely available.
Symptoms of cervical cancer
However, severe women with cervical cancer don’t notice they have the disease early on because it usually does not create symptoms until the end stages. When symptoms appear, they’re easily mistaken for familiar conditions, including menstrual periods and urinary tract infections (UTIs). Typical symptoms of cervical cancer are:-
- Unusual bleeding, like in between periods, after sex, or after menopause
- Vaginal flow that looks or smells different than usual
- Pain in the pelvis
- Requiring to urinate more often
- Pain during urination
However, if you see any of these symptoms, see your consultant for an exam.
Cervical cancer causes
However, severe cervical cancer cases are caused by the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV). This is the alike virus that causes genital warts. However, only certain kinds of HPV cause cervical cancer. The two kinds that most familiarly cause cancer are HPV-16 and HPV-18.
Being contaminated with a cancer-causing strain of HPV doesn’t mean you’ll get cervical cancer. Your immune system reduces the vast majority of HPV infections, often within two years. HPV can also create other cancers in women and men. These may include:-
- Vulvar cancer
- Vaginal cancer
- Penile cancer
- Anal cancer
- Rectal cancer
- Throat cancer
However, HPV is a very familiar infection.
Cervical cancer prevention
However, one of the possible ways to prevent cervical cancer is by getting screened regularly with a Pap smear and/or hrHPV exam. Hiding picks up precancerous cells, so they can be preventing before they turn into cancer.
However, HPV infection creates severe cervical cancer cases. The cancer is treatable cervical cancer cases. Vaccination is severely useful before a person becomes sexually active. Boys and girls (both) can be vaccinated against HPV.
Cervical cancer treatment
This cancer is more treatable if you catch it early. However, the four major treatment methods are:-
- Surgery
- Radiation therapy
- Chemotherapy
- Targeted therapy
Surgery
However, the purpose of surgery is to stop as much cancer as possible. Sometimes the consultant can stop just the area of the cervix that contains cancer cells. For cancer that’s severe widespread, surgery may involve stoping the cervix and other organs in the pelvis.
Radiation therapy
This therapy support to kills cancer cells using high-energy X-ray beams. However, it can be transferred through a machine outside the body. Also, it can be transferred from inside the body using a metal tube put down in the uterus or vagina.
Chemotherapy
However, this therapy uses drugs to kill cancer cells throughout the body. Health consultants give this treatment in cycles. You will get this therapy for a period of time. You will then remove the treatment to give your body time to recover.
Targeted therapy
Bevacizumab (Avastin) is a newer drug that efforts differently from chemotherapy and radiation. It stops the growth of new blood vessels that support cancer growth and survival. This drug is set together with chemotherapy.
Cervical cancer stages
After you have been treated, your health consultant will assign your cancer a stage. The stage informs whether cancer has increased, and if so, how far it’s spread. Staging your cancer may support your consultant find the right treatment for you.
Cervical cancer has four stages these may include:-
- First: First-stage cancer is small. It may have increased to the lymph nodes. However, it has not increased to other parts of your body.
- Second: Second-stage cancer is larger. It may have increase outside of the uterus and cervix or to the lymph nodes.
- Third: Third-stage cancer has increased to the bottom part of the vagina or the pelvis. However, it may be stoping the ureters, the tubes that use urine from the kidneys to the bladder.
- Fourth: Cancer may have increase outside of the pelvis to organs such as your lungs, bones, or liver.
Cervical cancer test
A pap smear test consultants use to diagnose cervical cancer. To perform this exam, your consultant collects a sample of cells from the surface of your cervix. These cells are then transferred to a lab to be tested for precancerous or cancerous changes.
If these changes are found, your consultant may recommend a colposcopy, a procedure for testing your cervix. During this test, your consultant might take a biopsy, which is a sample of cervical cells.
