Cervical cancer

The prevention of any illness can be primary or secondary. The previous involves taking action on the determinants of the illness to prevent it from occurring. The second involves the early detection of disease, followed by acceptable interventions to stop its progression.

There has been substantial media PR about the prevention of cervical cancer during the past half a year. Almost all of it has focused on the human papilloma pathogen ( HPV ) vaccine, which has been called a cervical cancer vaccine, though there isn't any such vaccine available anywhere in the world.

Cervical smears have led to a steady decline in the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer in developed countries which have introduced population wide screening programmes.

Yet cervical smears have scarcely been discussed in the media target cervical cancer prevention. This is despite the indisputable fact that only 43% of Malaysian women have ever had a cervical smear in their lives ( national Health and Morbidity Survey 2006 ) although cervical cancer is the second most typical cancer in women ( countrywide Cancer Registry 2003 ). There is an overuse of cervical screening by ladies who are younger and/or who are at low risk.

The beginning of cervical cancer begins with changes in the squamocolumnar junction of the cervix where the flat squamous epithelium of the exocervix meets the columnar epithelium of the endocervix. The proportion of the cell nucleus to the cell size is increased in the epithelium in the pre-cancer phase of the illness.

There is a correlation between the induction of these changes and HPV infection. The pre-cancer changes are called cervical intraepithelial neoplasia ( CIN ). CIN is graded as mild ( CIN 1 ), moderate ( CIN two ) or harsh ( CIN 3 ). The CIN moves on from mild to moderate to dreadful illness and then invasive cancer over seven to twenty years. There are customarily no symptoms during this progression, which can be perceived by cervical smears.

Cervical cancer has a pre-cancerous phase lasting about 7 to 20 years before the standard cells change to cancer cells. As the danger factors of cervical cancer are known, behavioral interventions can be brought to prevent its development.

Regular pelvic exams and cervical smears would detect most pre-cancerous changes in the cervix. With treatment, the development of aggressive cancer would be stopped. Even if there's aggressive cancer present, it is going to be perceived at an early, curable stage.

The cervical smear is a screening test that uncovers pre-cancerous cells. This enables doctors to refer those with unnatural changes in the cervix for further inquiry and treatment. It must be emphasized that the cervical smear isn't a diagnostic test.

It involves taking a small sample of cells from the cervix using a brush or spatula. The cells are placed on a glass slide or into a container and sent to the lab for minute examination.

Cervical smears are recommended for all women, although if the woman hasn't had sex. The likelihood of cervical cancer in such girls is thought to be low, but it can still occur. Regular pelvic exams and Pap smears should be done once sexual activity starts. The frequency would rely on the findings and the woman's risk profile.

The use of cervical smears in widespread population screening in many developed nations has ended in a marked decrease in the incidence of cervical cancer. It's critical that patients and/or their mom and pop are informed the vaccines provide cover against certain HPV types and not cervical cancer.There are a couple of vaccines available. One vaccine acts against 4 HPV types and the other against 2. They prevent development of the HPV infection. As HPV infection is a big risk allow for the development of cervical pre-cancer, vaccination would forestall some of its development.

Behavioral interventions have an important role to play and they are comparatively economical. Yet they don't seem to be given the same press as that of HPV vaccines. The misconception of many patients and/or their mom and pop that HPV vaccines are the wizardry bullets to get shot of cervical cancer needs to be addressed by health messages that reflect the actuality of cervical cancer prevention.

In short, there needs to be bigger stress by policy makers and healthcare execs on the proven systems of cervical smears and behavioral interventions if there is to be any important impact on reducing the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer.

Jonathan Bell has many years of extensive study in the area of natural cancer prevention and treatment. He has numerous success stories of people being diagnosed living cancer free with use of alternative methods. Joni Bell [http://apricotpower-info.com]

Do you know that "Cervical cancer" is one of the most silent and most dangerous diseases that may encounter by women? It is because of the unnoticeable symptoms that is just mimicking to the other ailments. Many women just ignore the symptoms for they have know that it is just a simple ovulation pain, but there is a big risk, cancer will just directly appear if it is complex. Cervical cancer does not usually show it's symptoms until the cancer is advanced and has spread out. These are the possible symptoms of the cervical cancer that a woman may notice:

Abnormal bleeding: there is abnormal bleeding of vagina and during the month the bleeding can be heavy or light. And the changes of vaginal bleeding can be noted that it is one of the signs of cervical cancer.

Unusual heavy discharge: the boost of vaginal discharge is one of the symptoms of this cancer. There is a foul smell of it and it contains watery and very thick mucus that is not normal and can be observed directly.

Pelvic pain: it is not interrelated to the normal cycle of menstrual that there could be a mild or severe pain that a woman may suffer. In which the pain that a woman suffers is so painful, from dull ache to sharp pain, and can be more dangerous if it is not associated with your menstrual period.

Pain during Urination: it is the bladder infection in which, there is pain during urination or bladder pain and could be more risky if the cancer is spreading out in the bladder.

Bleeding between regular menstrual periods, after sexual intercourse, from douching or pelvic exam: The irritation of the cervix and the bleeding will occur directly after doing sex and will also occur during douching. In menstrual periods which could cause severe cervical infection that would cause this cancer.

Cervical cancer starts on the surface of the cervix which is in the cells and there are two types of cells in the surface of the cervix: the columnar and the squamos. Most of the occurrences of cervical cancer are in the squamos cells. The cervical cancer usually develops very slowly and starts with "dysplasia" which is the precancerous condition. Dysplasia can be detected easily by a Pap smear and is 100% proven treatable. The undetected precancerous condition would develop into a cancer and may spread to the bladder, lungs, liver, and intestines.

Cervical cancer is almost caused by HPV (human papilloma virus). It is an ordinary virus that is widely spread through sexual intercourse. These are caused by having sex at an early age, having multiple sexual partners that participate in high-risk sexual activities and having weak immune system and poor economic status.

The cervical cancer can be cured by devastating and taking away the precancerous tissue. There many ways of surgeries without removing the uterus or damaging the cervix in order to still have children for the future.

Surgery types of early cervical cancer:

Laser therapy - it is the use of light to burn abnormal tissue.

LEEP (loop electrosurgical excision procedure) - it is the use of electricity in order to remove abnormal tissue.

Cryotherapy - it will freeze the abnormal cells.

Surgery types for advanced cervical cancer:

Hysterectomy - the removal of the uterus but will not get the ovaries and may be done by women that who have repeatedly undergo to LEEP procedures.

Radiation therapy - it is to treat cancer that has spread out into the pelvis, or cancer that have returned. It is either external or internal.

Chemotherapy - the use of drugs for exterminating cancer.

There are many options for cervical cancer treatment. You already know the cervical cancer symptoms as well as the treatments, sometimes treatments are used in combination. Treatment is best for you if you have the guidance and follow the advice of surgeon or oncologist to have the safe and the proper procedures for fighting and preventing cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is a threat that can be treated!

Cervical cancer: malignant cancer of the cervix uteri or cervical area. It may present with vaginal bleeding but symptoms may be absent until the cancer is in its advanced stages, which has made cervical cancer the focus of intense screening efforts using the Pap smear. In developed countries, the widespread use of cervical screening programs has reduced the incidence of invasive cervical cancer by 50% or more.

The cervix is the lower part of the uterus (womb). It is sometimes called the uterine cervix. The body (upper part) of the uterus, is where a fetus grows. The cervix connects the body of the uterus to the vagina (birth canal). The part of the cervix closest to the body of the uterus is called the endocervix. The part next to the vagina is the exocervix (or ectocervix). The place where these 2 parts meet is called the transformation zone. Most cervical cancers start in the transformation zone.

About 85% of cervical cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, which develop in the scaly, flat, skinlike cells covering the cervix. Most other cervical cancers are adenocarcinomas, which develop from gland cells, or adenosquamous carcinomas, which develop from a combination of cell types.

Symptoms of Cervical Cancer

Symptoms usually don't appear until abnormal cervical cells become cancerous and invade nearby tissue. When this happens, the most common symptom is abnormal bleeding, which may start and stop between regular menstrual periods or may occur after sexual intercourse.

Bleeding from the vagina that is not normal,or a change in your menstrual cycle that you can't explain.

Menstrual periods that last longer and are heavier than before. Bleeding after sexual intercourse, douching, or a pelvic exam.

Pain during urination: Bladder pain or pain during urination can be a symptom of advanced cervical cancer. This cervical cancer symptom usually occurs when cancer has spread to the bladder.

Causes of Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer most commonly begins in the thin, flat cells that line the bottom of the cervix (squamous cells). Squamous cell carcinomas account for about 80 percent of cervical cancers. Cervical cancer can also occur in the glandular cells that line the upper portion of the cervix.

Genetic material that comes from certain forms of HPV has been found in cervical tissues that show cancerous or precancerous changes.

Most cervical cancer is caused by a virus called human papillomavirus, or HPV. You get HPV by having sex with someone who has it. There are many types of the HPV virus. Not all types of HPV cause cervical cancer. Some of them cause genital warts, but other types may not cause any symptoms.

The virus is a sexually transmitted disease. There are more than 50 types of human papilloma virus (HPV) that infect humans. Types 6 and 11 usually cause warts, while types 16, 18, 31 and 33 usually result in high-grade cervical dysplasia (CIN-2 and CIN-3) and carcinomas.

More than 90 percent of all cervical cancers are squamous cell carcinomas, and researchers believe that this cancer may be a sexually transmitted disease. There is much evidence that cervical carcinoma is related to sexually transmitted organisms.

Chemical exposure: Women who work on farms or in the manufacturing industry may be exposed to chemicals that can increase their risk of cervical cancer.

Women who have HIV, the virus that causes AIDS, often take drugs that weaken the body's natural immunity or its ability to fight off disease. These women also have an increased risk for cervical cancer and should be closely monitored by their gynecologist for the development of precancerous changes to the cervix.

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