There are two types of cervical cancer: - spumous cell cervical cancer (epidermoid); - cervical adenocarcinoma. Cervical cancer is caused by the cellular anomalies occurring in the uterine col. Most precancerous cells appear within the cervix, an area that suffers constant cyclic modifications (depending on menstruation). Throughout this physiological process, the cervical cells could suffer various mutations, favoring the appearance of abnormal cells, and there is also a connection between HPV and cervical cancer. The presence of an HPV infection (human papilloma virus) can favor the mutation of cells and the occurrence of abnormal cells.
Other risk factors for cervical cancer include: - smoking, especially women with a long history of cigarette consumption; - compromised immune system, especially women with HIV; - the use of oral contraceptives over an interval longer than five years, which is another context in which there is a connection between HPV and cervical cancer.
The regular performance of smear tests is the surest method of identifying precocious cellular modifications, before the occurrence of the cancerous process itself. Cellular changes in the cervix are usually asymptomatic, and in this early stage the diagnosis is reached based on a smear test. With the development of the cancer process, there are also symptoms, which include: - abnormal vaginal bleeding or significant changes in the menstrual cycle; - bleeding of the cervix during sexual intercourse or while inserting the diaphragm; - pain during sexual intercourse; - abnormal vaginal secretion, present in high quantities and sometimes mixed with slight quantities of blood;
Advanced cervical cancer presents the following symptoms: - anemia due to the abnormal loss of blood; - pain in the pelvis (the lower part of the abdomen), pain in the lower limbs or lumbar pain (back pain); - vaginal fistula (abnormal communication between the vagina and rectum, respectively urinary bladder, thus feces and urine is eliminated through the vagina). The fistula occurs due to the expansion of the cancerous process in the neighboring tissue; - decrease in weight (many pounds lost in several weeks, months).
In lack of treatment, cervical cancer can expand to the vagina, and then to the tissue around the uterus. Once the tumor progresses, the lymph nodes are affected and the rest of the pelvic organs, In the advanced stage of the disease (with the occurrence of distance metastasis) there can be kidney, intestine, liver and lung damage.
Cervical cancer is classified depending on the size and extension of the cancer cells (metastasis in other tissues and organs). The oncologist decides the stage of the disease through several investigations, such as blood tests, bone x rays (checking for bone metastasis) etc. The stage of the cancer is important for the choice of adequate treatment, which has relevance on the prognosis of the disease.