Signs and Symptoms of Cervical Cancer in Women

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What are common signs and symptoms of cervical cancer in women? Well … as the name implies - it’s a kind of cancer that attacks /alter the healthy cells of cervix (a part of female reproductive organ, lower or narrow part of uterus). Fortunately in line with the use of new treatment and effectively preventive steps (such as regular screening tests), the number of death cases from this disease are declining.

You might also like to know about treatments, prognosis and survival rates of cervical cancer, before continuing!

In the future, many experts hope that the vaccine will be effective option to decrease the number of patients with this disease. Moreover, the awareness to take a routine pap test (a kind of screening test to detect & find precancerous conditions at earlier stage) is also intended increase, especially for individuals who have high-risk sex behaviors.

What is cervix? And what are the functions of this lower part of uterus?

As mentioned before, cervix is one of the most essential parts of female reproductive system. Sometimes, doctors also call it as ‘neck of the womb’.

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It is a kind of passageway (narrow part of womb (uterus)) in the pelvis). There are some important functions of cervix to support the female reproductive system to work, which include:

1. It can be a vital part to become tightly closed in order to keep /maintain the position of baby in the uterus during pregnancy.
2. Then it can open appropriately to allow the newborn to pass through the vagina during childbirth.
3. And it also can be essential part to help /allow sperms to move into uterus. This is very important to help result a successful conception (one of crucial processes when you and your partner have a plan to have a baby).

Moreover, since cervix is also vital part to connect the vagina and uterus, it is also important to help blood flow from uterus to vagina, which then go to the outside of the body during a menstrual cycle of a woman.

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How does this disease occur?

In many cases, the cells of cancer start when the abnormal cells are created from some healthy cells on the cervix that acquire a genetic mutation. And when these abnormal cells grow out of control, a health problem what we call as cervical cancer will occur. A mass or form of these abnormal cells is often familiar called as tumor.

Over time, these cells of cancer can invade nearby tissues. They are also able to spread to other parts of body’s patient. These processes are also called as ‘metastasize’.

Diagnosing cancer cervical at early stage is very helpful for the successful of the treatment. In many cases, patients who are diagnosed at later stage will be relatively more difficult to be cured.

Unfortunately, the signs and symptoms of cervical cancer tend to be unnoticeable at early stage. This is one of major reasons why the disease is difficult to be caught /diagnosed as early as possible.

How do you get it -- What are causes and risk factors for cervical cancer?

The exact causes of cervix cancer are still not known. However, it’s clear that some factors can increase your risk of having this disease. HPV (a kind of sexual transmitted infection) is the most common virus that has a significant role in causing cervical cancer in many patients. 

Human Papillomavirus can survive for many years in the body. Many women have been infected with this virus at some time in their lives. Sometimes this infection can clear up on its own way. But if it doesn’t go away, there is a chance for it to create cells of benign (non-cancer) and malignant (cancer) on the cervix.

However, not all individuals with HPV infection are diagnosed with cervical cancer. This suggests that there are also other factors that have contribution to increase a woman’s risk of having this disease. These factors may include:

1. Cigarette smoking! It’s clear that cigarette smoking can put your body at excessively harmful chemical properties, which then will be very bad for your overall health. Many experts believe that this bad habit can increase a woman’s risk of cervical cancer, particularly true if at the same time she also has an infection of HPV. In other words, HPV and smoking are believed work together to cause this disease.
2. Weak /decreased the immune system! In fact as mentioned before, there are also many women who have HPV infection but they never develop cervical cancer. This suggests that the body’s immune system may also play a role in preventing this disease. Doctors believe that this disease is more likely to occur in women with HPV infection and also have a weak level of the body’s immune system.

What are side effects of cervical cancer (complications)?

The cancer may be able to be removed, but it may also recur (come back). 

If you also have a plan for pregnancy -- infertility problem can be the most distressing side effect. Therefore, discuss first with your doctor before taking any treatment. Preserving fertility is better and more successful than restoring fertility after the treatment. You may also like to read fertility herbs for women and men!

Furthermore, the cancer and its treatment (particularly such as radiation and surgery) may also cause problems associated with bladder and bowel function!

Cervical cancer prevention tips

Keep far away from high-risk sex!

Remember that HPV infection is one of the most common factors that put you at higher risk to develop this disease. And as mentioned before, you will get this infection from directly contact of intercourse -- that’s why we call it as a sexual transmitted infection.

Furthermore, you should also avoid early sexual activity (before the age of 18). Many studies found that it also can increase your risk of having HPV infection.

Take vaccination!

A helpful vaccine to reduce your risk of having this disease is now available. Gardasil is one of vaccines that approved by FAD (the Food & Drug Administration) to prevent and fight HPV infection. 

Some studies found that the vaccine is effective to prevent precancerous lesions or early stage of cervical cancer. In general, the vaccine is usually recommended for the phase of girls /women before they become sexual active.

For in-depth information about this issue, consult more with a doctor or contact a local Health Department in your area! 

Routine pap tests

Unfortunately, the vaccine is not able to protect you from all viruses that can cause cervical cancer. Therefore, it’s also important to have routine pap tests!

This regularly test is able to find the precancerous conditions so thus the preventive steps can be performed to prevent cancer. Most of women are recommended to begin this routine test at the age of 21 -- according to many medical organizations.  

And how frequently you should do this test is dependent on your overall health condition or other factors. Women who have some or many risk factors of cervical cancer, they are usually recommended to take it more frequent. For best advice, consult more with a doctor!

What are the symptoms and signs of cervical cancer in women?

Early signs of cervical cancer

In fact, precancerous changes on the cervix cannot be noticed /seen with our naked eyes. Early signs of cervical cancer are also more likely to be unnoticeable in many cases. Even in most of time, the disease usually doesn’t cause any pain or other signs at the early stage.

But if the symptoms do occur, they may include:

1. You may experience pelvic pain.
2. During intercourse, you may also feel a pain.
3. Odor and vaginal discharge! Read also normal vs. abnormal vaginal discharge!
4. And you may also experience vaginal bleeding. For instance; you have a vaginal bleeding between your menstrual cycles, during /after intercourse, or during menopause /after menopause (vaginal bleeding in women with menopause or after menopause is not common -- read also about post menopausal bleeding).

Other Symptoms of cervical cancer

According the U.S National Library of Medicine and a published article on WebMD -- when the cells of cancer have invaded nearby tissue or even other parts of the body, other symptoms that may also occur include:

1. You may experience constipation. 
2. Vomiting, nausea, or/and swollen abdomen.
3. Pain/ diarrhea/ bleeding from the rectum upon excrement (defecation).
4. You may become easily to get fatigue.
5. Loss of appetite.
6. Weight loss.
7. You may also feel leg pain, swelling in your legs, or dull backache!
8. Problems associated with urination, such as; blood in your urine, pain when you’re peeing /urinating, leaking of urine from vagina, and other problems that cause difficulty urinating!
9. Even bone fractures or bone pain also can occur in some patients with cervical cancer at advanced stage. You may also like to know about osteopenia and osteoporosis!

*** If you in doubt about your condition, see a doctor promptly to find a clearly diagnosis and best advices!

Read also a related article about complementary therapies for cervical cancer!

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Reference: MayoClinic and WebMD