What is The Main Cause of Cervical Cancer?
Cervical cancer is a disease that occurs in the cervix of a woman. According to the American Cancer Society, by 2020, 13,800 women knew they had invasive cervical cancer, and cervical cancer has caused the deaths of 4,290 women. (cancer.org)
Cervical cancer occurs when cells change in a woman's cervix, which connects her womb to her vagina. Most of these cancers can affect the deeper cervical tissues and can spread to different parts of the body (metastasize), to the lungs, liver, vagina, bladder, and rectum.
Most cases of cervical cancer are caused by the human papillomavirus or HPV infection, which can be prevented with a vaccine.
Should I Be Worried About Cervical Cancer?
All women are at risk of developing cervical cancer. This is common in women over the age of 30. Long-term infection due to some types of human papillomavirus is a major cause of cervical cancer.
HPV is a virus that can be transmitted from person to person through sexual intercourse. At least half of sexually active people will have HPV at some point in their life.
Cervical cancer is slow-growing, so there is time to find and treat it before it causes serious cervical cancer problems. It kills fewer women each year, thanks to increased screening via Pap tests.
Cervical cancer is the 4th most common cancer that occurs in women. In 2018, approximately 311,000 women died from the disease.
Studies report that women aged 35 to 44 years are most likely to be affected. More than 15% of new cases occur in women over the age of 65, especially those who have not received normal examinations. The uterine cervix is the small part of a woman's uterus, which connects the uterus to the vagina.
Lifetime Threat of Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer risk depends on your lifestyle and personal health. In the UK, less than 1% of women will develop cervical cancer in their lifetime.
It takes into account advances in health care, consisting of cervical screening (smear tests) and treatment for cervical cell changes (abnormal cells).
Research estimates that a person who has never been vaccinated against HPV, and has never had a cervical examination, will have a lifetime threat of about two in one hundred (about 2%).
How does Cervical Cancer Occur?
Cervical cancer occurs when cervical cells grow abnormally and invade other body tissues and organs. When invasive, this cancer affects deeper cervical tissue and spreads to other parts of the body, especially the vagina, lungs, bladder, liver, and rectum.
There are various forms of cervical cancer.
1. Adenocarcinoma. This is a sequence of cells that produce mucus.
2. Squamous cell carcinoma. This type is found in the lining of your cervix. This is decided in up to 90% of cases.
3. Mixed carcinoma. It has factors of the other two types.
Cervical Cancer Causes
The following are the causes of cervical cancer:
Human papilloma virus
(HPV) has two proteins called E6 and E7, which can turn off some tumor suppressor genes, such as p53 and Rb. This allows the cells that line the cervix to overgrow and increases extra gene changes, which in some cases can cause cancer.
However, HPV is no longer the only cause of cervical cancer. The vast majority of women with HPV do not develop cervical cancer, and other risk factors, such as smoking and HIV infection, make women exposed to HPV more likely to develop cervical cancer.
This form of HPV, the unique type of virus that triggers skin warts, genital warts, and other strange skin problems, has been indicated to cause many changes in cervical cells that sooner or later can lead to cancer.
Many types of HPV have also been associated with cancers involving the vulva, penis, vagina, anus, tongue, and tonsils. Genetic material derived from certain varieties of HPV has been found in cervical tissue that suggests cancerous or precancerous changes.
How Cervical Cancer is Diagnosed?
Doctors can diagnose abnormal and potentially cancerous cells through a Pap smear. This involves wiping your cervix with cotton. They send this swab to a laboratory to be checked for precancerous or cancerous cells.
The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force suggests screening for cervical cancer with a Pap test, every 3 years for women 21 to 29 years of age. Women aged 30 to 65 should be screened every 3 years with a Pap test, or every 5 years with an HPV test or a Pap test and an HPV test.
An HPV test is very similar to a Pap test. The doctor collects cells from the cervix in a similar way. Lab technicians will examine the cells, for the presence of genetic material, which is linked to HPV. It consists of the DNA or RNA of the recognized HPV strand.
Even though you already have the vaccine to prevent HPV, you still have to get cervical cancer screening regularly.
Women would like to discuss with their medical practitioner the timing of the Pap test. A health practitioner can also support you with more frequent check-ups based on your condition.
Women who have been identified with HPV are more likely to develop cervical cancer. Women who begin sexual intercourse before age sixteen, or within 12 months of the start of their menstrual period, are at increased risk of cervical cancer.
How To Know If You Have Cervical Cancer?
Pelvic pain is the first sign of cervical cancer.
In the early stages of cervical cancer, a woman may not have symptoms at all.
So, women sometimes get a daily cervical smear test.
Pap tests are preventive. The goal is no longer to detect cancer but to reveal any changes in cells that might indicate cancer, so you can take early action to treat it.
The general signs of cervical cancer are:
- Bleeding after having sex
- Discomfort at certain stages of intercourse
- Vaginal discharge with a strong odor
- Bleeding in between periods
– Bleeding in postmenopausal women
These symptoms can have other causes, including an infection. Anyone who experiences any of these signs and symptoms should see a doctor.
Do most cervical cancers impact women's fertility?
Cervical cancer can be cured. If found and treated early, you will most likely make a full recovery, and no longer have fertility problems. However, some cervical cancer treatments may impact your fertility.
If you have cervical cancer, your doctor will talk to you about the risks and effects, such as whether you can get pregnant in the future or not.
Last words
In some cases, modified cells can develop into cervical cancer. Most often, cervical cancer starts to develop in round, flat cells known as squamous cells. These cells line the outer phase of the cervix. The most common kind of cancer is known as cervical squamous cell cancer.
Cancer can also begin in other cells, known as gland cells. This line of cells is the channel that connects the uterus to the vagina. The most common type of cancer is known as adenocarcinoma of the cervix.
