What is cervix?

The cervix is the lower narrow part of the uterus (womb) and is also called the neck of the womb. The uterus is the hollow, muscular, pear-shaped organ which is about one inch long found at the top of the vagina where a baby grows during a woman's pregnancy. Close to the cervix is a collection of lymph nodes. The cervix forms a canal that opens into the vagina (birth canal), which leads to the outside of the body. The cervical canal passes through the cervix, and allows menstrual period and fetus to pass from the uterus into the vagina, and sperm to pass from the vagina into the uterus.

What is cervical cancer?

Cancer occurs when cells become abnormal and divide without control or order. Cancer occurs when cells divide even when new cells are not required, these unwanted new cells form too much tissue the mass of extra tissue is called a tumor, Tumor can be both benign or malignant. Cervical cancer is cancer in the uterine cervix, the lower, narrow part of the uterus (womb). Ninety percent of cervical cancers arise from the flattened or "squamous" cells covering the cervix.

Causes of Cervical Cancer

The cause of cervical cancer is unidentified. Sexually transmitted Infection HPV (human papilloma virus), is strongly related with cervical and vulvar cancer and is the primary risk factor. An HIV infection reduces the immune system's ability to fight infection (including HPV infection) and increases the probability that precancerous cells develops to cancer.

Sexual transmitted diseases HPV and HIV are caused:-
• If you Have multiple sexual partners or having sex with a promiscuous partner
• Have a history of sexually transmitted disease (STD) in your family.
• Had sexual intercourse at a young age.
• Women who smoke are twice as likely to develop cervical cancer. Chemicals in cigarette enhance the risk of damaging cervical cells.
• Other risk factors include age the condition is rare in women younger than age 15.
• It is been discovered that in the early 1970's, women whose mothers took an estrogen drug during pregnancy called DES (diethylstilbestrol) are at risk of a rare form of cervical and vaginal cancer.
• women who take birth control pills have increased risk of abnormal pap smears. This is because such women are more sexually active, are less likely to use condoms.
• Women with weak immune systems -- such as those with HIV infection or women who have received organ transplants and are taking drugs to suppress the immune system -- may be at a higher risk.
• Poor women may be at higher risk as they cannot afford regular pap smears.

Signs and Symptoms of Cervical Cancer

• Unusual Vaginal Bleeding:- spotting after sexual intercourse, bleeding between menstrual periods, increased menstrual bleeding
• Abnormal vaginal discharge - which may be pale, watery, pink, brown, blood streaked, or dark and foul-smelling.
• Having continuous low back pain
• Dyspareunia - Painful sexual intercourse
• Dysuria - Painful urination
Symptoms of advanced cervical cancer are :-Loss of appetite, weight loss, fatigue ,Pelvic, back, or leg pain ,Leaking of urine or feces from the vagina and Bone fracture
Tests for Cervical Cancer:-
• Pap smears
• Colposcopy is an examination of the cervix under magnification in order to locate an abnormality of the cervix .
• Biopsy, colposcopy, or sometimes the use of LASER
When Cervical cancer is found these tests are done:-
• X-rays,
• cystoscopy :-using an instrument to look into the bladder ,
• (colonoscopy) an instrument to look into rectum and colon
These tests are used to determine how far the cancer has spread and what stage the disease is in .

Treatment of Cervical Cancer:-

Type of cancer, the stage, the size and shape of the tumor, the age and general health of the woman, and her desire for future childbearing are some of the factors on which treatment of cervical cancer depends.
• If the cancer is in its earlier stage the disease is cured just by removing or destroying the pre-cancerous or cancerous tissue. This removal of cancerous cells can be done in various ways without removing the uterus or damaging the cervix. In this method woman is capable of having children.
• hysterectomy :- simple removal of the uterus with or without removal of the ovaries is performed in few cases.
• If the diease is in its advanced stage a radical hysterectomy may be performed in which uterus is removed and much of the surrounding tissues, including internal lymph nodes.
• And In the most extreme surgery, called a pelvic exenteration, all of the organs of the pelvis, including the bladder and rectum, are removed.

If the cancer has spread beyond the pelvis, or has recurred Radiation or chemotherapy are used to treat cervical cancer. A variety of chemotherapeutic drugs, or combinations of them, are also used.