Cervical cancer occurs when the cells of the cervix grow abnormally and invade other tissues and organs of the body. When it is invasive, this cancer affects the deeper tissues of the cervix and may have spread to other parts of the body, most notably the vagina, lungs, bladder, liver and rectum.



There’s several kind of cervical cancer. There’s several kind of cervical cancer.

Adenocarcinoma. This forms in the cells that produce mucus.

Squamous cell carcinoma. This forms in the lining of your cervix. It’s found in up to 90% of cases.

Mixed carcinoma. This has features of the two other types.

Cervical cancer is slow-growing, so its progression through precancerous changes provides opportunities for prevention, early detection, and treatment.





Causes of Cervical Cancer

Human papillomaviruses

(HPV) have two proteins known as E6 and E7 which turn off some tumor suppressor genes, such as p53 and Rb. This may allow the cells lining the cervix to grow too much and to develop changes in additional genes, which in some cases can lead to cancer.

But HPV is not the only cause of cervical cancer. Most women with HPV don’t get cervical cancer, and other risk factors, like smoking and HIV infection, influence which women exposed to HPV are more likely to develop cervical cancer.





Forms of hpv, a virus whose different types cause skin warts, genital warts, and other abnormal skin disorders, have been shown to lead to many of the changes in cervical cells that may eventually lead to cancer. Certain types of hpv have also been linked to cancers involving the vulva, penis, vagina, anus, tongue, and tonsils. Genetic material that comes from certain forms of hpv has been found in cervical tissues that show cancerous or precancerous changes.



How is cervical cancer diagnosed? Doctors can diagnose the presence of abnormal and potentially cancerous cells through a Pap test. This involves swabbing your cervix with a device that’s similar to a cotton swab. They send this swab to a laboratory to be examined for precancerous or cancerous cells.

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommend cervical cancer screenings with a Pap test every 3 years for women ages 21 to 29. Women ages 30 to 65 should be screened every three years with a Pap test, or every five years with an HPV test or a Pap test and HPV test. The HPV test is very similar to a Pap test. Doctor collects cells from the cervix in the same manner. Laboratory technicians will test the cells for the presence of genetic material associated with HPV. This includes DNA or RNA of known HPV strands. Even if you’ve had the vaccine to protect against HPV, you should still get regular cervical cancer screenings.

Women should talk to their doctors about the timing of Pap tests. Circumstances exist when you should be tested more often. These include women who have a suppressed immune system due to: HIV an organ transplant long-term steroid use The doctor may also recommend that you get a screening more frequently based on your circumstances.

Women who have been diagnosed with hpv are more likely to develop a cervical cancer. Female who begin sexual activity before age sixteen or within a year of starting their menstrual periods are at high risk of developing cervical cancer.





Symptoms and early signs of cervical cancer.

Pelvic pain is a possible symptom of cervical cancer.

In the early stages of cervical cancer, a women may experience no symptoms at all.

So, women should have regular cervical smear tests.

A Pap test is preventive. It aims not to detect cancer but to reveal any cell changes that indicate the possible development of cancer so you can take early action to treat it.





The most common symptoms of cervical cancer are:

Bleeding after sexual intercourse

Discomfort during sexual intercourse

Vaginal discharge with a strong odor

Bleeding between periods

Vaginal discharge tinged with blood

Pelvic pain

Bleeding in post-menopausal women



