The symptoms of cervical cancer may resemble other conditions or medical problems. Consult a physician for diagnosis. When cervical problems are found during a pelvic examination, or abnormal cells are found through a Pap test, a cervical biopsy may be performed. There are several types of cervical biopsies that may be used to diagnose cervical cancer, and some of these procedures that can completely remove areas of abnormal tissue may also be used for treatment of precancerous lesions.
Some biopsy procedures only require local anesthesia, while others require a general anesthesia. Several types of cervical biopsies include:. What is cancer of the cervix? What are precancerous conditions of the cervix?
They may go away on their own, or, with time, may grow larger or become more abnormal, forming a high-grade lesion. These precancerous low-grade lesions may also be called mild dysplasia or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 1 CIN 1. These early changes most often occur in women between the ages of 25 and 35, but can appear at any age. High-grade SIL - means there are a large number of precancerous cells, and, like low-grade SIL, these precancerous changes involve only cells on the surface of the cervix.
The cells often do not become cancerous for many months, perhaps years. High-grade lesions may also be called moderate or severe dysplasia, CIN 2 or 3, or carcinoma in situ. They develop most often in women between the ages of 30 and 40, but can occur at any age. Smoking - Women who smoke are nearly twice as likely as nonsmokers to have cervical cancer.
Age - The risk of cancer of the cervix increases between the late teens and mids. However, cervical cancer can occur at any age. Symptoms of Cervical Cancer Symptoms of cervical cancer usually do not appear until abnormal cervical cells become cancerous and invade nearby tissue.
The most common symptom is abnormal bleeding, which may: start and stop between regular menstrual periods. These symptoms can have other causes, including infection. Anyone who experiences any of these symptoms should see a doctor.
Working out the stage of a cancer is important, as it helps a person decide the most effective type of treatment. Staging aims to assess how far the cancer has spread and whether it has reached nearby structures or more distant organs. A 4-stage system is the most common way to stage cervical cancer.
Undergoing screening and seeking medical attention if any symptoms occur can help a person access early treatment and increase the chances of survival. Cancer is the result of the uncontrolled division and growth of abnormal cells.
Most of the cells in our body have a set lifespan, and, when they die, the body generates new cells to replace them. This results in an excessive buildup of cells, which eventually forms a lump, or tumor. Scientists are not completely sure why cells become cancerous.
Cervical cancer treatment options include surgery, radiotherapy , chemotherapy , or combinations of these. Deciding on the kind of treatment depends on several factors, such as the stage of the cancer, as well as age and overall state of health. Treatment for early-stage cervical cancer, when the cancer remains within the cervix, has a good success rate. The further a cancer spreads from its original area, the lower the success rate tends to be.
Surgery is a common treatment method when the cancer has not spread from the cervix. Radiation therapy may help after surgery if a doctor believes that cancer cells might be present inside the body.
Radiation therapy may also reduce the risk of recurrence cancer coming back. If the surgeon wants to shrink the tumor to make it easier to operate, the person may receive chemotherapy although this is not a very common approach. Doctors also refer to advanced cancer as invasive cancer, because it has invaded other areas of the body. This type of cancer requires more extensive treatment, which will typically involve either radiation therapy or a combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
In the later stages of cancer, healthcare professionals provide palliative therapy to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life. When the treating doctor aims radiation at the pelvic area, it may cause the following side effects, some of which may not emerge until after the treatment is over:.
Chemotherapy is the use of chemicals medication to treat any disease. In this context, it refers to the destruction of cancer cells. Doctors use chemotherapy to target cancer cells that surgery cannot or did not remove, or to help the symptoms of people with advanced cancer.
The side effects of chemotherapy can vary, and they depend on the specific drug. More common side effects include:. Clinical trials are an integral part of the cancer research process. Researchers carry them out to determine the safety and effectiveness of new treatments, and whether they are better than existing ones. Visit this government resource to learn more about which clinical trials are currently open.
The link between the development of cervical cancer and some types of HPV is clear. Two types of cells line the surface of the cervix, and both can become cancerous.
One type glandular cells has a column-shaped appearance. The other type squamous cells is thin and flat. The boundary between the two types of cells is where cervical cancer most commonly occurs.
Cervical cancer begins when healthy cells in the cervix develop changes mutations in their DNA. A cell's DNA contains the instructions that tell a cell what to do. Healthy cells grow and multiply at a set rate, eventually dying at a set time. The mutations tell the cells to grow and multiply out of control, and they don't die. The accumulating abnormal cells form a mass tumor. Cancer cells invade nearby tissues and can break off from a tumor to spread metastasize elsewhere in the body.
It isn't clear what causes cervical cancer, but it's certain that HPV plays a role. HPV is very common, and most people with the virus never develop cancer. This means other factors — such as your environment or your lifestyle choices — also determine whether you'll develop cervical cancer. The type of cervical cancer that you have helps determine your prognosis and treatment. The main types of cervical cancer are:.
Sometimes, both types of cells are involved in cervical cancer. Very rarely, cancer occurs in other cells in the cervix. Cervical cancer care at Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.
0コメント