Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer in women worldwide after breast cancer, and in developing countries, the leading cause of death by cancer.According to US cervical cancer statistics, the disease is the third most common gynecological cancer among American women, with close to 12,000 new cases diagnosed annually. It used to be one of the leading cancer killers in the US, but once the routine use of... Read more >
Cervical cancer affects nearly 500,000 women worldwide every year. In some developing countries, cervical cancer is a leading cause of death in women, mainly due to a lack of screening programs for the prevention of cancer of the cervix.Studies show that the implementation of the Pap smear screening program in the United States reduced the incidence of cervical cancer by 74 percent between 1955 and 1992. What was... Read more >
Because symptoms are not always present in the pre-cancerous stage, an abnormal Pap smear is often the first indication of disease. Most symptoms appear as the cancer becomes invasive or metastasizes to other areas of the body. As most cervical cancer symptoms are not unique to the disease, consulting a physician is important. Common cervical cancer symptoms include: unusual yellow vaginal discharge... Read more >
The Pap smear is the standard screening tool used in the United States to test for the presence of irregular cells that could become cancerous. A regular Pap smear provides an opportunity to detect pre-cancerous cells in the cervix. Cervical cancers in the early stage of development, or carcinomas in situ, are highly treatable because the cancer cells are located in a layer of cells in or around the cervix and... Read more >
So many of the risk factors for cervical cancer are related to sexual behavior, that the disease is considered by many to be "sexually transmitted." Certain characteristics like early age at first intercourse, high lifetime number of sexual partners, and having a partner who began having sex at a young age or who previously had sex with someone who developed cervical cancer, are all thought to add to a woman's... Read more >
Medical research shows that the strongest link to cervical cancer is infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV infection is connected to 95 percent of all cervical cancer cases worldwide. But in a recent study in London, England, less than a third of respondents knew what HPV was and only a fraction more knew about the connection between HPV and cervical cancer.What is HPV? The human papillomavirus... Read more >
There is growing controversy about the benefits of birth control pills also known as oral contraceptives. Birth control pills contain the sex hormones estrogen and progesterone. Medical studies show an increase in cases of cervical cancer among women who have used oral contraceptives for extended periods. The most significant observations are in women who have used oral contraceptive hormones for five... Read more >
Staging refers to the extent and location of abnormal cells. Specific tests are performed to isolate the location and size of the tumor. Most of these tests are imaging tests that help the doctor see inside the body to locate the cancer. Blood and urine tests are performed to see how certain organs are functioning. The bladder, rectum (lowest part of the large intestine), lungs and lymph nodes are common... Read more >
The optimal treatment for cervical cancer depends on the stage of the cancer. As the cancer becomes more invasive and spreads beyond the cervix to other parts of the body it becomes more difficult to treat. This is why early detection with a Pap smear is so important.Treatment of Pre-Cancerous Lesions of the Cervix Some low-grade lesions can be left untreated, but require diligent observation with annual Pap... Read more >
American Cancer Society. (updated 2003). Detailed guide: Cervical cancer. Retrieved August 14, 2003, fromwww.cancer.org/docroot/CRI/CRI_2_3x.asp?dt+8. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.(2003, July 31). Cervical cancer screening: Testing can start later and occur less often under new ACOG recommendations. Retrieved August 18, 2003, fromwww.acog.org/from_home/publications/press_releases/nr07-31-03... Read more >
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