Cervical cancer is a common type of cancer that occurs in the cervix. Basically, the cervix is the lower part of the uterus, connecting to the vagina.
Different strains of HPV (human papillomavirus), which is a sexually transmitted infection, play a huge role in causing cervical cancer in most women.
If you are exposed to this virus, your immune system will try to prevent the infection from doing more harm to you. However, for a small percentage of women, the virus usually survives for many years, making cervical cells to be cancer cells.
You may minimize the risks of getting this kind of cancer through the Hong Kong cancer cervix initiative. The initiative involves receiving vaccines, which protect you against HPV infection, and having several screening tests.
How Common Is It?
According to experts, cervical cancer occurs in more than 50,000 women every year across the world, resulting in around 21,000 deaths. Cervical cancer incidence has decreased by 46% in the past four decades, and the mortality rate has fallen by 50%.
But cervical cancer remains a common cause of death in women, especially those in countries with no access to Pap testing or vaccines against HPVs.
Cervical cancer is very different from other cancers that occur in other parts of the uterus. This includes endometrial or uterine cancer. If you detect it early, there is a high chance of curing cervical cancer.
Types
You can classify cervical pre-cancers and cervical cancers by the way they look in the laboratory using a microscope.
The major types of cervical cancer include adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma. Adenocarcinoma account for 20% of every cervical cancer. It develops in the mucus-producing or glandular cells, which line the upper part of the cervix.
On the other hand, squamous cell carcinoma accounts for the remaining percentage of all cervical cancers. It occurs in the skin-like, flat, and thin cells, which lines the bottom part of the cervix.
In some cases, both glandular and squamous cancer cells can be found. These uncommon cancers are referred to as adenosquamous carcinomas.
Although it is rare, other kinds of cancer may occur in the cervix. This may include sarcoma, lymphomas, and small cell cancers.
Causes of Cervical Cancer
HPV is the main cause of many cervical cancers. The virus spreads through sexual contacts, including vaginal, oral, or anal, resulting in cancer.
Many individuals get HPV at one point in their lives without realizing it since their bodies fight the infection. While your body cannot fight this infection, it may make the cervical cells change into cancerous cells.
Apart from HPV, other factors which may increase an individual’s risks of getting cervical cancer include:
- Smoking
- Herpes
- Lowered immune system
Early Signs and Symptoms
During the early stages of this cancer, an individual might experience no symptoms. For that reason, it is recommendable that women need to have Pap tests or regular cervical smear tests.
Especially, Pap tests are preventive. It focuses on detecting cancer and revealing cell changes, which show possible cancer development. This allows you to treat it early.
But at times, you may observe certain symptoms. Common ones include discomfort when having sexual intercourse, bleeding between periods, pelvic pain, bleeding after menopause, and vaginal discharge tinged with some blood.
Advanced Symptoms
Cervical cancer can spread to lymph nodes, form tumors in the body or within the pelvis. So there can be advanced signs of this cancer. These may include:
- Weight loss
- Back pain
- Fatigue
- Blood in the urine
- Legs swelling
- Bowel movement
Pregnancy and Cervical Cancer
It is difficult to diagnose this kind of cancer when you are pregnant. But it happens at times. Many cancers diagnosed during pregnancy are usually discovered in the early stage.
While treating cancer when you are pregnant might be complicated, your doctor may guide you in deciding the best treatment, depending on the stage and how many months you are pregnant.
If your cervical cancer is still at its early stage, you might need to wait to deliver to get treatment. For the case of advanced cancer, where the treatment needs radiation or hysterectomy, you might need to decide whether or not to continue with your pregnancy.
Cervical Cancer and Fertility
If you detect cervical cancer early and have it treated right away, there is a high chance that you won’t have fertility issues.
But at times, several cervical cancer treatments might tamper with your fertility. If you are diagnosed with cancer, your doctor can discuss various treatments, including their side effects and risks.
Diagnosis
If the screening test results show that you have any symptoms of cervical cancer, your doctor will refer you to the right specialist to carry out more tests.
Your specialist can either use LLETZ (large loop excision of the transformation zone) or colposcopy with biopsy.
LLETZ is a common technique involving removing cervical tissues for diagnosis and treating precancerous changes in the cervix. Normally, it is done under the local anesthetic.
On the other hand, a colposcopy helps identify the location of abnormal cells and how they look. The process is carried out by a colposcopist or a nurse practitioner in some clinics.
Possible Treatment Options
Your treatment option depends on the stage, test results, and kind of cervical cancer you are diagnosed with. You might also want to think about if you need to have kids later in the future.
The main aim of treatment is to cure, control it, or ease certain symptoms that cancer causes. Speak to your preferred healthcare team regarding your treatment options, risks/side effects involved, and treatment goals.
According to Hong Kong Cancer Fund experts, treatment options can either be systemic or local. Systemic treatment helps control or destroy cancer cells, which might have traveled in the body. When taken by injection or pills, targeted therapy and chemotherapy are referred to as systemic treatment.
On the other hand, local treatments help destroy or remove cancer cells in one part. Good examples of local treatments include:
- Radiation therapy
- Surgery
The Takeaway!
Cervical cancer remains one of the most common cancers affecting women worldwide. The mean age of women affected is 50, though it might also happen as early as age 20.
Surgery is the most effective treatment for many cervical cancers. But you can still get treatment through radiation therapy, chemo, or targeted therapy.