Cervical cancer is a serious, life-threatening disease that affects many women in the United States. This type of cancer forms in the tissues of the cervix (which is the lower, narrow portion of the uterus). According to the Mayo Foundation for Education and Research, approximately 10,000 women are affected by this disease every year. Fortunately, cervical cancer is treatable if detected early. Read on to learn more about cervical cancer and to get the facts about this disease.
Common Risk Factors
The most common risk factors for cervical cancer is having the human papillomavirus (HPV). HPV is a sexually transmitted disease that is passed from one person to another through vaginal, anal and oral sexual contact or intercourse. Other risk factors for cervical cancer include the following:
- Having multiple sexual partners
- Giving birth to a lot of children
- Engaging in sexual intercourse at a early age
- Smoking cigarettes or being exposed to second-hand smoke
- Using oral contraceptives for an extended period of time
- Having an impaired immune system due to an illness, such as HIV (human immunodeficiency virus)
Symptoms of Cervical Cancer
Please be aware that not all women experience symptoms during the early stages of cervical cancer. However, when cervical cancer advances and spreads, there are several common symptoms that you may notice if you have this disease:
- Abnormal vaginal bleeding
- Strange vaginal discharge
- Pain in the pelvic area
- Discomfort during sexual intercourse
Medical Tests and Diagnosis
In order to find out if you have cervical cancer, you must visit your gynecologist or healthcare provider for testing. Your healthcare provide will give you a pap smear and pelvic exam in order to determine whether or not there are any cancerous cells on your cervix. A pap smear can even pinpoint abnormal cells on the cervix, before you actually develop cervical cancer. Your healthcare provider will simply scrape a few cells from your cervix and send the sample to a laboratory for testing. Depending on the outcome of your initial tests, your doctor may also give you a colposcopy, cervical biopsy and/or an endocervical curettage.
Treatment Options for this Disease
Depending on the stage of the cancer, your doctor will suggest the appropriate treatment options for you to utilize, in order to remove the cancer from your body. Treatment options may include any of the following methods listed below:
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy
- Immunotherapy
- Radiation therapy
- Vaccine therapy
Successful Prevention Techniques
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are several things that you can do to protect yourself from becoming infected with cervical cancer:
- Use latex condoms during sexual intercourse
- Limit your number of sexual partners
- Get an annual pap smear and follow-up on abnormal test results
- Avoid cigarette smoking
- Get the HPV vaccine (GARDASIL)- If you are between the ages of 11 and 26
By being aware of the common symptoms and risk factors of cervical cancer and utilizing effective prevention techniques, you can definitely reduce your chances of getting this disease. You can learn more about cervical cancer by visiting the National Cancer Institute website.
Gwynita Leggington - Gwynita Leggington is an author, business owner, editor, freelance writer, researcher and poet. Over the years, her work has appeared in ...
