What is Cervical Cancer?
** Cervical Cancer, as the name suggests, is cancer occurring in the tissues of the cervix. Cervix is the lower narrow part of uterus or the womb’ which connects to the vagina. Cervical Cancer doesn’t develop overnight It rather develops very slowly over a period of time. Before cancer, the cells of the cervix go through changes known as Dysplasia, in which cells .teat are not normal begin to appear in the cervical tissue. Later, cancer cells start to grow and spread more deeply into the cervix and surrounding tissues.
What is the burden of Cervical Cancer?
** It is the commonest cancer among women in India and the second most common worldwide. Almost 1.35 lakh new women are diagnosed with Cervix Cancer every year in India alone.
What are the risk factors of Cervical Cancer?
** In the early 20th century, Epidemiologists noted that Cervical Cancer behaved like a sexually transmitted disease. It was observed:
- Cervical Cancer occurred commonly in female sex workers
- Rare in nuns
- More common in the second wives of men whose first wives had died from Cervical Cancer
- Rare in Jewish women
** This led to the suspicion that Cervical Cancer could be caused by a sexually transmitted agent It was in 1980s that HPV was identified in cervical cancer tissue. However, not all women with HPV infection develop Cervical Cancer.
Other risk factors in women
- Multiparous (given birth to many children)
- Multiple sexual partners • Having first sexual intercourse at a young age
- Smoking cigarettes • Using oral contraceptives (‘the Pill’)
Warning signs and symptoms
- Bleeding between periods
- Bleeding after menopause
- Bleeding during sex
- Discomfort or pain during sex
- Any unpleasant vaginal discharge
How is Cervical Cancer diagnosed?
** As part of regular pelvic exam, all women should have a Pap test. Other tests which may help in diagnosis include:
- Endocervical Curettage
- Colposcopy
- Biopsy
** After Cervical Cancer has been diagnosed, tests done to find out if cancer cells have spread within the cervix or to other parts of the body is called staging. The information gathered from the staging process determines the stage of the disease. It is important to know the stage in order to plan treatment
How is it treated?
** Depending on the stage of cancer, one or more treatments or a combination of treatments may be required.
- Surgery
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation therapy
Screening
** Cervical screening by the Pap Smear for cervical cancer can detect cancer at a very early stage, and has actually reduced the mortality from cervical cancer.
What is Pap Smear?
** It is an OPD procedure in which test is done during an internal examination of the vagina. It is not painful and takes only a few minutes. An instrument called the speculum is inserted to hold the walls of the vagina and some cells are gently taken using a spatula and smeared on a glass slide. This slide is tested in a laboratory for abnormal cells.
Who should get a Pap Smear done?
** All women between the age of 21 and 70 years who have ever been sexually active.
How often should it be done?
** Atleast 3 yearly.
Prevention is better than cure. Is there any method for prevention of Cervical Cancer?
** There are two HPV vaccines which reduce the risk of Cervical Cancer. HPV vaccines are typically given to women age 9 to 26 as the vaccine is only effective if given before infection occurs.
** Having a risk factor does not mean that you will get cancer, not having risk factors doesn’t mean that you will not get cancer. Talk with your doctors if you think you may be at risk.
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