Cervical cancer occurs in the cells of the cervix, the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina. It is often caused by infection with the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV).
In a small percentage of people, the virus survives for years, contributing to the process that causes some cervical cells to become cancerous.
What causes cervical cancer?
As stated above, HPV plays an important role in the development of this type of cancer. However, HPV is very common and most people with the virus never develop cancer, so we have to assume that other factors, such as environment or lifestyle, also determine whether you will develop cervical cancer.
What is the prognosis of this type of cancer?
The prognosis will depend mainly on the stage of the disease, decreasing the 5-year survival from approximately 70% in case of involvement to percentages between 45% – 55%. Other factors such as age, general condition and tumor subtype will also influence prognosis.
Survival has improved in the last decade, and it is expected that this trend will continue due to the screening or early detection program for this type of cancer.
Symptoms
Early stage cervical cancer usually produces no signs or symptoms. In advanced stages there may be symptoms such as:
- Vaginal bleeding after intercourse, between periods or after menopause.
- Watery vaginal discharge with or without blood that may be heavy and foul-smelling.
- Pelvic pain or pain during sexual intercourse.
What medical tests are performed for detection?
For cervical cancer screening, regular testing (Pap smears) is recommended to detect any precancerous lesions and treat them.
On the other hand, as primary prevention you can receive the Gardasil vaccine as prevention between the ages of 9 and 45. There are many different types of human papillomavirus and the vaccine currently administered is Gardasil 9 which covers against 9 types of papillomavirus, including the high risk HPV 16 and 18.
Other preventive measures include smoking cessation, limiting the number of sexual partners and using condoms.