Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer involves cancer that begins in the cervix, which is the lower part of the uterus that opens into the vagina. Many cervical cancer patients are also infected with human papilloma virus, indicating a link between the two.

Throughout the world, cervical cancer is the third most common type of cancer among women. It is considerably less common in the US because women have Pap smears which prevent cervical cancer. The cancer begins at the lining or surface cells of the cervix.. There are two types of cells of the cervix, including squamous cells and columnar cells. By far and away, squamous cells are the cause of the cancer.

Cervical cancer develops very slowly. It begins with dysplasia, which is a precancerous condition. It can be found on Pap test and can be treated completely. This is why Pap tests are so important to have during regular doctor's visits. Most women who have cervical cancer have not been good about getting regular pap tests or have not followed up on previous abnormalities.

When cervical cancer spreads, it usually spreads to the intestines, bladder, lungs and liver. It can take years before the precancerous changes turn into cervical cancer. Problems tend not to occur until the cancer has spread and is already at an advanced stage.

Nearly all cervical cancers are caused by human papilloma virus or HPV. It is a sexually transmitted virus that is passed from partner to partner. HPV is a common sexually transmitted disease. Not all types of human papilloma virus cause cervical cancer. HPV is commonly known as genital warts.

Other risk factors for cancer of the cervix are having sex when one is young, having multiple sex partners, having been exposed to DES in utero, having a sexual partner who has had multiple sex partners, having a weakened immune system and being poor.

The symptoms of early cervical cancer are none in most cases. Some women will have bleeding after menopause, periods that are long and heavier than normal, abnormal vaginal bleeding between periods or after intercourse, and having a continuous vaginal discharge, which can be clear, cloudy, brown, bloody or malodorous.

Once the cervical cancer has become advanced, you can get weight loss, fatigue, loss of appetite, pain in the back or pelvis, pain in the leg, a swollen leg from lymphedema, heavy vaginal bleeding, leakage of urine or stool from the vagina and fractures of the bone.

Cervical cancer cannot usually be seen with the naked eye unless it is extremely severe. Doctors need to test for cervical cancer by doing Pap tests and eventually a colposcopy. A colposcopy uses a microscopy to look inside the cervix and identify places that need a biopsy. Biopsies are then taken and examined under the microscope. Doctors may also do an endocervical curettage that scrapes the inside of the cervix or a cone biopsy that cuts out a cone shaped section out of the entire cervix.

Staging of cervical cancer is done to see the extent of the disease. The staging tests include a CT or MRI of the abdomen, a chest x-ray and a cystoscopy of the bladder. An IVP can tell if the cancer has infiltrated the bladder or the rest of the urinary tract.

Treatment of cervical cancer is dependent upon the stage of the disease and on the age and general health of the individual involved. You can cure early cervical cancer by cutting out the cancer using a LEEP procedure which uses electricity to remove abnormal tissue. You can use laser therapy or cold therapy (cryotherapy) in order to destroy cancer cells and remove the tumor. A simple hysterectomy can be done for cervical cancer that hasn't spread beyond the uterus.

Advanced cervical cancer needs a radical hysterectomy, including the tubes and ovaries, along with surrounding lymph nodes and the upper aspect of the vagina. A more extreme procedure involves a pelvic exenteration, in which involves removal of the pelvic organs in total, including the bladder and the rectum.

Radiation therapy can be used on recurrent cancer or cancer that has spread beyond the border of the pelvis. It can be internal or external radiation.

Chemotherapy is used along with surgery and radiotherapy. It can include 5-FU, cisplatin and cyclophosphamide, among others. Chemotherapy can be used before or after surgery as an adjunctive therapy.