Clinical Picture of Cervical Cancer
June 28, 2009
Cervix is the opening of the uterus present on the upper part of the vagina in the females. Cancer of this cervix is called cervical cancer and is most commonly found in women between 40 to 50 years of age.
Signs and Symptoms
The signs that can indicate the problem can be heavy bleeding during the menstrual cycle, increase in thick and watery vaginal discharge with foul smell and mucus and pelvic pain from slow to sharp other than the pelvic pain during menstrual periods.
Pain during urination is the advanced symptom of cervical cancer and any bleeding other than menses like after intercourse or during any pelvic examination can be the alarming symptoms.
Risk Factors
Cervical cancer is common in women who smoke, give birth to too many children, have many sexual partners, had a sexual intercourse at an early age or who use oral contraceptive pills. Woman with weak immune system can also develop it.
Infection with a virus known as papilloma virus (HPV) is the most important risk factor for cervical cancer. This virus can spread via skin-to-skin contact like sexual intercourse, oral sex, or any other act involving the genital area. The infection caused by this virus is normally temporary and goes away with treatment.
Diagnosis
If you have any of the above conditions, you must immediately consult your gynecologist. Certain blood tests and ultrasound would be done to check the condition. If something positive is noticed, then it can be confirmed by doing biopsy. If biopsy confirms the cervical cancer then the treatment would depend on the stage of cancer.
Stages
Cervical cancer has five stages. The first being the zero stage when the cancer is seen only on the top layer of the cervical skin. In stage one, the cancer has gone inside but is on the top layer of the cervix only. Then comes the second stage in which the cancer has spread to the upper part of the vagina, going out of cervix and in the third stage the cancer has fully affected the vagina and the nearby nodes also. Now comes the last stage or fourth stage in which the bladder and the remaining parts of the body are also affected. So, depending upon the stage of the cancer, the treatment regime differs.
Sometimes even if the cancer has been treated, it can show reoccurrence. So the patient needs to go for regular check-ups.
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