There are many kinds of cancer. This is one of the reasons why it is very difficult to find a 'cure for cancer', as each cancer is unique. One quite common form of cancer is cervical cancer which, by definition, only occurs in women.
What Is Cervical Cancer:
When cells on the cervix itself start to grow out of control, we speak of cervical cancer. The cervix is the bottom part of the uterus, which then moves into the vagina. Cervical cancer, if found early enough, is very responsive to treatment. Women who have regular pap or smear tests will usually have it discovered during the early stages, which further increases the likelihood of treatment being successful.
Around the world, cervical cancer is one of the most common types found in women. Meanwhile, its incidences are declining in the developed world, particularly due to women taking their pap tests seriously. In fact, it is becoming increasingly rare for women to die of this disease.
Various Causes of Cervical Cancer:
All cancers are caused by abnormal growth of certain cells. Hence, one of the primary causes of cervical cancer is abnormal cell growth. This growth, however, is almost always caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). This is a sexually transmitted virus and there are many different types of it. Not every kind of HPV will cause cancer, fortunately. Some will cause genital warts, for instance, and others do not cause any symptoms at all, which is also very common.
Almost every adult in the world has had an HPV infection. In many cases, it will simply go away on its own. However, sometimes they will lead to genital warts and, in rarer cases, to cervical cancer. This is why women should take a pap smear test regularly, as it is able to detect whether there have been any cell changes that could be a precursor for cancer. If these cell changes are treated, cancer itself may be prevented.
It is quite rare for these cell changes to cause any kind of symptoms. This is another reason why pap tests are so important, as they can pick up on it sooner. However, when the cells do become cancerous, symptoms may start to appear. Hence, some symptoms to look out for include irregular bleeding from the vagina (after menopause, after sex, and in between menstrual periods), pain during sex, pain in the pelvis or lower belly, and abnormal vaginal discharge.
The pap test should be a part of a woman's regular pelvic exam. During this test, a small sample of cells are scraped from the cervix's surface and these will then be tested and analyzed for changes in the cells, which are the causes of cervical cancer. If any of these changes are spotted, further tests will usually be requested to see if they are precancerous or cancerous. If you have presented with some of the symptoms of cervical cancer or of cell changes, your doctor may also request a biopsy straight away to identify what the issue is, and determine whether or not it is cancerous.