Cervical Cancer
What is Cervical Cancer?
Cervical cancer is cancer of the cervix. The cervix is the part of the body that connects the uterus (the womb) with the vagina.
What causes Cervical Cancer?
Abnormal cells can develop in the lining of the cervix when a woman becomes infected with certain high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV) and the infection does not clear up. The abnormal cells can develop into precancers and then possibly cancer which can be life threatening. Usually this process takes several years but in rare cases can happen within one year.
Many women are exposed to one of the high-risk types of HPV during their teens and 20’s. About one half of women diagnosed with cervical cancer are between 35 and 55 years old.
How is Cervical Cancer detected?
A Pap test is the usual way of detecting cervical cancer. If abnormal cervical cells are detected, further testing such as repeating the pap test, HPV DNA testing, colposcopy (examination of the cervix through a magnifying device), or possible biopsy are recommended.
How is Cervical Cancer treated?
Surgery (removing the cancer), radiation therapy (using high energy beams to destroy cancer cells), and chemotherapy (using medications to disrupt the growth of cancer cells) are the three main methods of treating cervical cancer. Sometimes two or more methods are combined as treatment.