Cervical cancer awareness month

As January - cervical cancer awareness month is here, I decided to write an article for every woman out there (And also make a colourful cervix drawing :P ). Also, wishing you all an amazing new year ahead. Hope your year is happy & healthy !

Woman’s body is one of the most beautiful creations of god. Every woman is blessed with a body that works wonders. The cervix - reproductive organ is one of the wonders. But when a woman does not look after herself, the cervix can be affected by cancer, like other organs. About 570,000 new cases are seen in the world every year that result in 90% deaths of women suffering from cervical cancer. Cervix is the narrow part of the lower uterus. Cervical cancer affects the entrance of the womb. Of all the causes of cervical cancer, Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common cause. Cancer is the uncontrolled division and growth of abnormal cells. Excessive uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells results in an excessive buildup of cells, which eventually forms a tumor. In cervical cancer, if the cancer cells are localized and not malignant, they affect the cervix. But if the cancer cells metastasize, the other organs are adversely affected. Cervical cancer is an unfortunate disease but the good part is, it can be detected early if every woman looks after herself. Here is some information on cervical cancer – symptoms to look for, causes, prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Symptoms :

Most women do not have any signs or symptoms of a precancer. In many women with early-stage cervical cancer, symptoms do typically appear. In women with advanced and metastatic cancers, the symptoms may be more severe depending on the tissues and organs to which the disease has spread. The cause of a symptom may be a different medical condition that is not cancer, which is why women need to seek medical care if they have a new symptom that does not go away. Symptoms of cervical cancer are - Blood spots or light bleeding between or following periods, Menstrual bleeding that is longer and heavier than usual, Bleeding after intercourse, douching, or a pelvic examination, Increased vaginal discharge, Pain during sexual intercourse, Bleeding after menopause, Unexplained and persistent pelvic and/or back pain. If you suffer from any of these symptoms, report them to your doctor. If these symptoms appear, it is important to talk with your doctor about them even if they appear to be symptoms of other, less serious conditions. Most importantly, DON’T DELAY OR SELF DIAGNOSE. The earlier precancerous cells or cancer is found and treated, the better the chance that the cancer can be prevented or cured.

Causes of cervical cancer :

HPV - A sexually transmitted virus. More than 100 different types of HPV can occur and at least 13 of these may cause cervical cancer.Multiple sexual partners – Women who have had many sexual partners generally have a higher risk of HPV infection. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis are some STDs that increase the risk of developing cervical cancer.Smoking: This increases the risk of cervical, as well as other types of cancer.Weak immune system: The risk of cervical cancer is higher in individuals who have a weak immune system or suffer from AIDS. Women who have undergone a transplant and are on immunosuppressive medications too, have chances of getting cervical cancer.Birth control pills: Long-term use of some common contraceptive pills slightly raise the risk of cervical cancer because of the hormonal imbalance.

Stages of cervical cancer :

Stage 0: Presence of precancerous cells.

Stage 1: Cancer cells grow from the surface into deeper tissues of the cervix, and possibly into the uterus and nearby lymph nodes.

Stage 2: The cancer metastasizes beyond the cervix and uterus, but not as far as the walls of the pelvis or the lower part of the vagina. It may or may not affect the nearby lymph nodes.

Stage 3: Cancer cells present in the lower part of the vagina or the walls of the pelvis, and may block the ureters. It may or may not affect the nearby lymph nodes.

Stage 4: The cancer affects the bladder or rectum and is growing out of the pelvis. It may or may not affect the lymph nodes. Later in stage 4, it metastasizes to distant organs, including the liver, bones, lungs, and lymph nodes.

Diagnosis :

Screening tests can help detect cervical cancer and precancerous cells that may one day develop into cervical cancer. Screening for cervical cancer and precancerous changes can start at age 21. There are a number of screening tests available to diagnose cervical cancer. Screening tests include:

Pap test - A Pap test can detect abnormal cells in the cervix, including cancer cells and cells that show changes that increase the risk of cervical cancer.HPV DNA test. This test involves testing cells collected from the cervix for infection with any of the types of HPV that are most likely to lead to cervical cancer.

Treatment :

Surgery is the most common treatment method when the cancer has not spread from the cervix to other organs of the body. Surgery may be followed by radiation therapy if a doctor believes that cancer cells are present inside the body.

Radiation therapy may also reduce the risk of recurrence of cervical cancer. If the surgeon wants to shrink the tumor to avoid surgical complications, the patient may receive chemotherapy. However, this is not a very common approach for cervical cancer.

Prevention :

HPV vaccine – Vaccine for treatment of cervical cancer is available that is sometimes used to treat patients with cervical cancer of the earlier stages.

Regular cervical screening - This might help a person identify and deal with signs of cancer before the condition can worsen or before the cancer cells metastasize. Screening does not detect cancer but indicates changes to the cells of the cervix.

Safe sex and having fewer sexual partners - The more sexual partners a woman has, the higher is the risk of transmitting the HPV virus. So safe sex and having fewer sexual partners is one of the preventions to avoid suffering from cervical cancer.

Delaying first sexual intercourse - The younger a woman is when she has sexual intercourse for the first time, the higher the risk of HPV infection becomes. The longer she delays it, the lower her risk is. Adulthood is a better age to indulging in sexual activity.

Stop smoking – As mentioned above, women who smoke and have HPV face a higher risk of developing cervical cancer than women who do not.

Now that you are aware of the causes, symptoms, prevention, diagnosis and treatment information of cervical cancer, make sure you look after yourself if you are a woman; and if you are a man, make sure you make your beloved women aware of cervical cancer. Together, let’s spread awareness on cervical cancer.

- Rachna Jadhav

@theresilientresearcher