Cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is a cancer that starts in the cervix, that is the lower part of the uterus that opens at the top of the vagina. Cervical cancer can often be cured when it's found early. A Pap test is the best way of detecting cervical cancer.

Causes

Most cervical cancers are caused by a virus called human papillomavirus, or HPV. HPV is a common virus that is spread through sexual intercourse. Not all types of HPV cause cervical cancer; some of them cause genital warts, but other types may not cause any symptoms at all.

Risk factors for cervical cancer include:

• Having sex at an early age
• Multiple sexual partners
• Being poor (unable to afford regular Pap smears)
• Sexual partners who have multiple partners or who participate in high-risk sexual activities
• Weakened immune system.

You can have HPV for years and not know it. It stays in your body and can lead to cervical cancer years after you were infected. This is why it is important for women to have regular Pap tests. A Pap test can find changes in cervical cells before they turn into cancer. If these cell changes are treated, cervical cancer may be prevented.

Symptoms

Most of the time, early cervical cancer has no symptoms. Symptoms that may occur can include:

• Abnormal vaginal bleeding between periods, after intercourse or after menopause
• Any bleeding after menopause
• Continuous vaginal discharge
• Periods become heavier and last longer than usual.

Symptoms of advanced cervical cancer may include:

• Back pain
• Bone fractures
• Fatigue
• Heavy bleeding from the vagina
• Leaking of urine or faeces from the vagina
• Leg pain
• Loss of appetite
• Pelvic pain
• Single swollen leg
• Weight loss.

Treatment

Treatment of cervical cancer depends on the:

• Stage of the cancer
• Size and shape of the tumour
• Woman's age and general health
• Woman’s desire to have children in the future.

Early cervical cancer can be cured by removing or destroying the pre-cancerous or cancerous tissue. There are various surgical ways to do this without removing the uterus or damaging the cervix, so that a woman will still be able to have children.

Prognosis

Many factors influence the outcome of cervical cancer. These include the:

• Type of cancer
• Stage of the disease
• Woman's age and general physical condition.

Pre-cancerous conditions are completely curable when followed up and treated properly. The chance of being alive five years (5-year survival rate) after the diagnosis of cancer that has spread to the inside of the cervix walls but not outside the cervix area is 92%. The 5-year survival rate falls steadily as the cancer spreads into other areas of the body.

Prevention

Since 2007 a vaccine has become available that prevents infection with certain species of human papillomavirus. It is recommended that young women receive this immunisation as it will protect them against cervical cancer caused by these species later in life.

Sources

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/
http://www.webmd.com/cancer/cervical-cancer/