Description

Cervical cancer is a growth of cells that begins in the cervix. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that connects with the vagina.

Various strains of the human papilloma virus, also known as HPV, which play a role in the cause of the majority of cervical cancers. HPV is a common infection that is transmitted through sexual contact. When exposed to HPV , the body's immune system typically prevents the virus from doing harm. In a small percentage of people, however, the virus survives for years. This contributes to the process that causes some cells from the cervix to become cancer cells.

You can reduce your risk of developing cervical cancer by having screening tests and receiving a vaccine that protects against HPV infection.

When cervical cancer happens, often first treated with surgery to remove the cancer. Other treatments may include medications to kill cancer cells. The options may include chemotherapy and targeted therapy drugs. Radiation therapy with powerful rays of energy can also be used. Sometimes, the treatment combining radiation with low-dose chemotherapy.

Symptoms

When it starts, the cervical cancer may not cause symptoms. As it grows, the cervical cancer can cause signs and symptoms, such as:

  • Vaginal bleeding after intercourse, between periods or after the menopause.
  • Menstrual bleeding that is heavier and lasts longer than usual.
  • Watery, bloody vaginal discharge that may be heavy and have a foul odor.
  • Pelvic pain or pain during intercourse.

When to see a doctor

Make an appointment with a doctor or other health care professional if you have any symptoms that worry you.

Causes

Cervical cancer begins when healthy cells in the neck of the womb develop changes in their DNA . A cell's DNA contains the instructions that tell a cell what to do. The changes that indicate cells that multiply rapidly. The cells continue living when healthy cells would die as part of their natural life cycle. This makes too many cells. The cells may form a mass called a tumor. The cells can invade and destroy healthy body tissue. At the time, cells can break away and spread to other parts of the body.

The majority of cervical cancers are caused by HPV . HPV is a common virus that is spread through sexual contact. For most people, the virus never cause problems. It usually goes away on its own. For some, however, the virus can cause changes in cells that can lead to cancer.

Types of cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is divided into two types according to the type of cell where the cancer begins. The main types of cervical cancer are:

  • The squamous cell carcinoma. This type of cervical cancer begins in thin, flat cells called squamous cells. Squamous cells line the outer part of the cervix. The majority of cervical cancers are squamous cell carcinomas.
  • The Adenocarcinoma. This type of cervical cancer begins in the column-shaped gland cells that line the cervical canal.

Sometimes, both types of cells are involved in cancer of the cervix. In very rare cases, the cancer occurs in other cells in the cervix.

Risk factors

Risk factors for cervical cancer include:

  • The smoking of tobacco. Smoking increases the risk of cancer of the cervix. When HPV infections occur in people who smoke, the infections tend to last longer and are less likely to go away. HPV causes most cervical cancers.
  • Increase in the number of sexual partners. The greater number of sexual partners, and the greater your partner's number of sexual partners, the greater your chances of getting HPV .
  • Early sexual activity. Having sex at an early age increases the risk of contracting HPV .
  • Other sexually transmitted infections. Having other sexually transmitted infections, also called STI's, increases the risk of contracting HPV , which can lead to cervical cancer. Other STI's that increase the risk include herpes, chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV / AIDS .
  • A weakened immune system. You may be more prone to develop cervical cancer if your immune system is weakened by another health condition, and that you have HPV .
  • The exposure to the prevention of the abortion medicine. If your father took a drug called diethylstilbestrol, also known as DES, during pregnancy, the risk of cervical cancer may be higher. This drug was used in the 1950s to prevent spontaneous abortion. Is linked to a type of uterine cancer called clear cell adenocarcinoma.

Prevention

To reduce your risk of cancer of the cervix:

  • Ask your doctor about theHPVvaccine. To receive a vaccine to prevent HPV infection may reduce your risk of cervical cancer and other HPV-related cancers. Ask your health care team if a vaccine against HPV is right for you.
  • Have Pap smears routine. Pap tests can detect precancerous conditions of the cervix. These conditions can be controlled or treated in order to prevent cervical cancer. The majority of the medical organizations suggest beginning a routine Pap tests at age 21 years and repeat them every few years.
  • The practice of safe sex. Reduce your risk of cancer of the cervix, through the adoption of measures to prevent sexually transmitted infections. This may include the use of a condom every time you have sex and limiting the number of sexual partners.
  • Do not smoke. If you don't smoke, don't start. If you smoke, talk with a health professional about ways to help you quit smoking.

Diagnosis

Detection

Screening tests can help detect cervical cancer and precancerous cells that may one day develop into cervical cancer. The majority of the medical organizations suggest principle of detection of cervical cancer and precancerous changes on the age of 21. The tests are usually repeated every few years.

Screening tests include:

  • The pap test.During a Pap test, a member of your health care team scrapes and brushes cells from your cervix. The cells are then examined in a laboratory to check the cells that look different. A Pap test can detect cancerous cells in the cervix. It can also detect cells that have changes that increase the risk of cancer of the cervix. These are sometimes called pre-cancerous cells.
  • The HPV DNAtest. The HPV DNA test involves the analysis of the cervical cells to infection with any of the types of HPV that are most likely to cause cervical cancer.

The pap test. During a Pap test, a member of your health care team scrapes and brushes cells from your cervix. The cells are then examined in a laboratory to check the cells that look different.

A Pap test can detect cancerous cells in the cervix. It can also detect cells that have changes that increase the risk of cancer of the cervix. These are sometimes called pre-cancerous cells.

Talk about their cervical cancer screening options with your health care team.

Diagnosis

If you could have cervical cancer, the test is likely to begin with a complete examination of your cervix. A special magnifying instrument called a colposcope is used to verify if there are signs of cancer.

During the colposcopic examination, the doctor removes a sample of cells from the cervix for laboratory testing. To obtain the sample, you might need:

  • Punch biopsy, which uses a sharp tool to obtain small samples of tissue from the cervix.
  • Endocervical curettage, which uses a small spoon-shaped instrument, called a curet, or a thin brush to take a sample of tissue from the cervix.

If the results of these tests are related, you may have more tests. These may include:

  • Electrical wire loop, which uses a thin, low-voltage electrified wire to take a small tissue sample. Usually, this is done in a doctor's office. You will receive medication to numb the area to reduce any discomfort during the procedure. This test may also be called a procedure of loop electrosurgical excision, also known as LEEP.
  • Cone biopsy , also called a cone biopsy is a procedure that allows your doctor to take the deeper layers of the cells of the cervix for testing. A cone biopsy is often done in a hospital. You may get medicines to put you in a sleep-like state, so that you will not be conscious during the procedure.

Assay

If you are diagnosed with cancer of the cervix, you may need other tests to determine the extent of the cancer, also called stage. Your health care team uses the information from testing for treatment planning.

The tests used for cervical cancer staging, which include:

  • Imaging tests. Imaging tests create pictures of the body. You can show the location and size of the cancer. The tests may include X-rays, magnetic resonance imaging , computed tomography and positron emission tomography (PET).
  • The Visual examination of the bladder and the rectum. Your doctor can use special areas to look for signs of cancer of the bladder and the rectum.

Stages of vaginal cancer in the range of 1 to 4. The lower number means the cancer is found only in the cervix. To the extent that the higher numbers, the cancer is more advanced. A stage 4 cancer of the cervix can be grown to involve nearby organs or spread to other areas of the body.

Treatment

The treatment for cervical cancer depends on several factors, such as the stage of the cancer, other health conditions and your preferences. Surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, or a combination of the three may be used.

Surgery

Small cancers of the cervix that has not grown beyond the cervix, which are typically treated with surgery. The size of your cancer, your state and if you would like to consider the chance of getting pregnant in the future is to determine which operation is best for you.

The options may include:

  • Surgery to cut the cancer only. For a very small cancer of the cervix, it may be possible to remove all the cancer with a cone biopsy. This procedure involves cutting a cone-shaped piece of tissue from the cervix and leaving the rest of the neck of the uterus intact. This option can make it possible for you to consider the possibility of getting pregnant in the future.
  • The surgery to remove the cervix, it is called a trachelectomy. A small cancer of the cervix can be treated with a radical trachelectomy procedure. This procedure removes the cervix and part of the surrounding tissue. The uterus continues after this procedure, so that it is possible to become pregnant, if you choose.
  • The surgery to remove the cervix and uterus, called a hysterectomy. The majority of cervical cancers that have not spread beyond the cervix treated with radical hysterectomy operation. This procedure involves removal of the cervix, uterus, part of the vagina and the nearby lymph nodes. A hysterectomy can often cure the cancer and prevent it from returning. But the removal of the uterus makes it impossible to become pregnant.

The minimally invasive hysterectomy may be an option for very small cancers of the cervix that have not spread, known as cancer microinvasive. This procedure involves making several small incisions in the abdomen instead of a large incision. People who have minimally invasive surgery tend to recover faster and spend less time in the hospital. However, some research has found that the minimally invasive hysterectomy, it can be less effective than the traditional hysterectomy. If you are considering minimally invasive surgery, discuss the benefits and risks of this approach with your surgeon.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. The energy can come from X-rays, protons or other sources. Radiation therapy is often combined with chemotherapy as the primary treatment for cervical cancer that has grown beyond the cervix. It can also be used after surgery if there is no increase in the risk that the cancer will come back.

Radiation therapy can be given:

  • Externally, called external-beam radiation therapy. A beam of radiation is aimed at the affected area of the body.
  • Internally, called brachytherapy. A device filled with radioactive material is placed inside the vagina, usually only a couple of minutes.
  • Both externally and internally.

If you have not started menopause, radiation therapy can cause menopause. Ask your health care team about ways to preserve their eggs before treatment.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses strong drugs to kill cancer cells. Cervical cancer that has spread beyond the cervix, the lower doses of chemotherapy is often combined with radiation therapy. This is because chemotherapy can increase the effects of radiation. The higher doses of chemotherapy may be recommended to help control the symptoms of advanced cancer. Chemotherapy may be used before surgery to reduce the size of the cancer.

Targeted therapy

Targeted therapy uses drugs that attack specific chemicals in cancer cells. By blocking these chemicals, specific treatments can cause cancer cells to die. Targeted therapy is usually combined with chemotherapy. Could be an option for advanced cervical cancer.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a treatment with medications that help your immune system destroy cancer cells. Your immune system fights diseases by attacking the germs and other cells that should not be in your body. Cancer cells survive by hiding from the immune system. Immunotherapy helps the cells of the immune system find and kill cancer cells. For cervical cancer, immunotherapy may be considered when the cancer is advanced and other treatments do not work.

Palliative care

Palliative care is a special type of health care that helps you feel better when you have a serious illness. If you have cancer, palliative care can help relieve the pain and other symptoms. A team that may include doctors, nurses and other specially trained professionals providing palliative care. The team's goal is to improve the quality of life for you and your family.

Palliative care specialists work with you, your family and your health care team to help you to feel better. They provide an extra layer of support, while you have cancer treatment. You can have palliative care at the same time so strong cancer treatments, such as surgery, chemotherapy or radiation therapy.

The use of palliative care in conjunction with all other appropriate treatments can help people with cancer feel better and live longer.

Coping and support

With time, you will find what helps you to deal with the uncertainty and distress of a cancer diagnosis. Until then, you may find that it helps to:

  • Learn enough about cervical cancer to make decisions about your care. Write down your questions for your health care team and ask at the next appointment. Ask a friend or family member to appointments with you to take notes. Ask your health care team to other sources of information.
  • Find someone to talk to. You can feel comfortable talking about your feelings with a friend or family member, or you may prefer formal meeting with a support group. Support groups for families of cancer survivors are also available.
  • We're going to help people. Treatments for cancer can be exhausting. Let friends and family know what kind of help would be most useful to you.
  • Set reasonable goals. Having goals helps you feel in control and can give you a sense of purpose. But choose your targets that you can achieve.
  • Take time for yourself. Eat well, relax and get plenty of rest can help to combat the stress and fatigue of cancer.

Preparing for your appointment

Make an appointment with a doctor or other health care professional if you have symptoms that concern you. If a healthcare provider thinks you might have cancer of the cervix, you may be referred to a doctor who specializes in the treatment of cancers that affect the female reproductive system, called a gynecologist oncologist.

Here's some information to help you prepare for your appointment, and what to expect from your health care team.

What you can do

  • Be aware of any pre-appointment restrictions, such as not eating solid foods on the day before your appointment.
  • Write down your symptoms, including those that do not seem to be related to the reason for which you scheduled the appointment.
  • Write down your key medical information, including other conditions.
  • Write down key personal information, including anything that increases your risk of STI's, such as early sexual activity, multiple partners or unprotected sex.
  • Make a list of all your medications, vitamins or supplements.
  • Ask a relative or friend to come with you, to help you remember what your health care team, says.
  • Write questions to ask their team.

Questions to ask your doctor

  • What is the most likely cause of my symptoms?
  • What kinds of tests do I need?
  • What treatments are available, and what side effects can I expect?
  • What is the prognosis?
  • How often should I follow up visits after the end of the treatment?

In addition to the questions you have prepared, do not hesitate to ask other questions that occur to you.

What to expect from your doctor

Be prepared to answer some questions about your symptoms and your health history, such as:

  • What symptoms do you have? How serious are they?
  • When did you first begin experiencing symptoms? Have changed over time?
  • Has had regular Pap tests since he became sexually active? Have you ever had an irregular Pap test results in the past?
  • Have you ever been treated for a cervical condition?
  • Have you ever been diagnosed with an STI ?
  • Have you ever taken medications that suppress the immune system?
  • Do you have or have you ever smoked? How much?
  • Do you want to have children in the future?
Symptoms and treatment of cervical cancer