Cervical cancer:

The organ, which connects uterus and vagina is called cervix. It is a neck of the uterus. Os is an external organ of 5mm diameter and it is a lower end of cervix. During the childbirth it dilates to 10 cm and never regain former shape. After childbirth it get 7mm diameter. It is pink in colour in general time and bluish in pregnancy periods. Cancer that developed in tissues of cervix is called cervical cancer. It is slow growing cancer, which generally do not show any symptoms in primary stage. In the USA in 2009, 11,270 new cases of cervical cancer found and 4070 people died. Cervical cancer is second most popular cancer in women. It can be cured in diagnosed in early stage. Generally it is occurs between the age of 40 to 55. The surface layer of cervix is made up of two different types of cells in which one flat cells is called squamous cells and other tall gland cells columnar cells. This produces mucus. Both cells meet in transformation zone. This is an area where cancer arises. Cervical cancer can be cure but if it spread into vagina, uterus, bladder or rectum, it is difficult to cure.

Cervical cancers are caused by Human Papilloma Virus. HPV is spread through sexual intercourse.

Causes of Cervical Cancer:

• Sex in earlier age.

• Sex with multiple partners.

• Sex with partner who have multiple sex partners.

• If mother took the drug DES (diethylstilbestrol) during pregnancy to prevent miscarriage.

• Weakened immune system.

Cervical Cancer Symptoms:

Cervical Cancer does not show any symptoms in earlier stage. Some of the following symptoms may occur in cervical cancer:

• Abnormal bleeding during periods.

• Any bleeding after menopause.

• Continuous vaginal discharge, which may be pale, watery, pink, brown, bloody, or foul-smelling

• Periods become heavier and last longer than usual

Symptoms of advanced cervical cancer:

• Back pain

• Bone fractures

• Fatigue

• Heavy bleeding from the vagina

• Leaking of urine or feces from the vagina

• Leg pain

• Loss of appetite

• Pelvic pain

• Single swollen leg

• Weight loss

Diagnosis of Cervical Cancer:

Precancerous changes of the cervix and cervical cancer cannot be seen with the naked eye. Special tests and tools are needed to spot such conditions.

• Pap smears screen for precancers and cancer.

• Colposcopy: If abnormal changes are found, the cervix is usually examined under magnification. Pieces of tissue are surgically removed (biopsied) during this procedure and sent to a laboratory for examination.

• Endocervical curettage (ECC) to examine the opening of the cervix.

• Cone biopsy.

Staging Test:

This test is performed for determine how far the cancer has spread:

• Chest x-ray

• CT scan

• Cystoscopy

• Intravenous pyelogram (IVP)

• MRI

Treatment of Cervical Cancer:

Treatment of cervical cancer depends on the following:

• The stage.

• The size and shape.

• The patient's age and health

• Patient's desire to have children in the future

Early stage cervical cancer can be cured by only removing cancerous tissue without removing the uterus. In this treatment woman can be pregnant in future. There are various surgical ways to cure early stage cervical cancer:

• Loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP): uses electricity to remove abnormal tissue

• Cryotherapy: freezes abnormal cells

• Laser therapy: uses light to burn abnormal tissue

A hysterectomy (removal of the uterus but not the ovaries) is not often performed for cervical cancer that has not spread. It may be done in women who have repeated LEEP procedures.
Treatment for more advanced cervical cancer may include:

• Radical hysterectomy, which removes the uterus and much of the surrounding tissues, including lymph nodes and the upper part of the vagina.

• Pelvic exenteration, an extreme type of surgery in which all of the organs of the pelvis, including the bladder and rectum, are removed.

Radiation may be used to treat cancer that has spread beyond the pelvis, or cancer that has returned. Radiation therapy is either external or internal.

• Internal radiation therapy uses a device filled with radioactive material, which is placed inside the woman's vagina next to the cervical cancer. The device is removed when she goes home.

• External radiation therapy beams radiation from a large machine onto the body where the cancer is located. It is similar to an x-ray.