What Is Cervical Cancer?

Cervical cancer is a sexually transmitted disease caused by the human papillomavirus. Cervical cancer is caused by several types of a virus called human papillomaviruses (HPV). It is a carcinoma, typically composed of squamous cells, and is similar in some respects to squamous cell cancers of the head and neck and anus. Cervical cancer is more prevalent in less developed countries due to the lack of adequate cervical cancer screening programs.

It is the second most common cancer, and leading cause of cancer deaths, in women worldwide. Cervical cancer is usually preceded by dysplasia, precancerous changes in the cells on the surface of the cervix. Cervical cancer is largely preventable and curable with regular Pap tests and pelvic exams. It is also classed as microinvasive, which means the cancer has only superficially invaded the cervix and has not spread to other organs, or invasive, which means the cancer has spread deeper into the cervix and possibly into the vagina, surrounding lymph nodes or other tissues near the pelvic area.

Worldwide, cervical cancer is the third most common type of cancer in women. The tragedy of cervical cancer is that it often strikes when a woman is still young. And even with treatment, cervical cancer is a leading cause of cancer death in women. The most important risk factor in the development of cervical cancer is infection with a high-risk strain of human papillomavirus.

With early detection, especially of intraepithelial neoplasia and early invasive forms of cancer, cervical cancer is usually easily treatable.

Treatment

Treatment of cervical cancer depends on the stage of the cancer, the size and shape of the tumor, the age and general health of the woman, and her desire to have children in the future.

Treatment typically involves one or more of the following: Surgery to remove the uterus (hysterectomy) Radiation therapy, in which high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation are used to kill the cancer cells. Treatment usually includes surgical resection,radiation therapy, and, unless cancer is localized, chemotherapy; if cancer is widely metastasized, treatment is primarilychemotherapy.

With treatment, 80 to 90% of women with stage I cancer and 50 to 65% of those with stage II cancer are alive 5 years after diagnosis. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.