CLkVICAL CANCLk

JA1 IS CLkVICAL
CANCLk?
Cervlcal cancer ls cancer LhaL sLarLs ln Lhe
cervlx Lhe lower parL of Lhe uLerus (womb)
LhaL opens aL Lhe Lop of Lhe vaglna
CAUSLS INCIDLNCL AND kISk IAC1CkS
Jorldwlde nnf nfn ls Lhe Lhlrd mosL
common Lype of cancer ln women lL sLarLs ln
Lhe cells on Lhe surface of Lhe cervlx
1wo Lypes of cells ln Lhe cervlx
1 Squamous
2 Columnar (mosL cervlcal cancers are from
squamous cells)
CAUSLS INCIDLNCL AND kISk IAC1CkS
lL sLarLs as a precancerous condlLlon called dysplasla 1hls
precancerous condlLlon can be deLecLed by a ap smear and
ls 100 LreaLable
MosL women who are dlagnosed wlLh cervlcal cancer Loday
have noL had regular ap smears or Lhey have noL followed
up on abnormal ap smear resulLs
undeLecLed precancerous changes can develop lnLo cervlcal
cancer and spread Lo Lhe bladder lnLesLlnes lungs and llver
aLlenLs wlLh cervlcal cancer do noL usually have problems
unLll Lhe cancer ls advanced and has spread
CAUSLS INCIDLNCL AND kISk IAC1CkS
k|sk factors for cerv|ca| cancer |nc|ude
avlng sex aL an early age
MulLlple sexual parLners
oor economlc sLaLus (may noL be able Lo afford regular
ap smears)
Sexual parLners who have mulLlple parLners or who
parLlclpaLe ln hlghrlsk sexual acLlvlLles
Jomen whose moLhers Look Lhe drug uLS
(dleLhylsLllbesLrol) durlng pregnancy ln Lhe early 1960s
Lo prevenL mlscarrlage
Jeakened lmmune sysLem
SM1CMS
MosL of Lhe Llme early cervlcal cancer has no sympLoms
SympLoms LhaL may occur can lnclude
bnormal vaglnal bleedlng beLween perlods afLer
lnLercourse or afLer menopause
ny bleedlng afLer menopause
ConLlnuous vaglnal dlscharge whlch may be pale
waLery plnk brown bloody or foulsmelllng
erlods become heavler and lasL longer Lhan usual
SM1CMS
Symptoms of advanced cerv|ca| cancer may |nc|ude
ack paln
one fracLures
laLlgue
eavy bleedlng from Lhe vaglna
Leaklng of urlne or feces from Lhe vaglna
Leg paln
Loss of appeLlLe
elvlc paln
Slngle swollen leg
JelghL loss
recancerous changes of Lhe cervlx and cervlcal cancer
cannoL be seen wlLh Lhe naked eye Speclal LesLs and
Lools are needed Lo spoL such condlLlons
ap smears screen for precancers and cancer buL do noL
make a flnal dlagnosls
lf abnormal changes are found Lhe cervlx ls usually
examlned under magnlflcaLlon 1hls ls called colposcopy
leces of Llssue are surglcally removed (blopsled) durlng
Lhls procedure and senL Lo a laboraLory for examlnaLlon
SIGNS AND 1LS1S
SIGNS AND 1LS1S
Lher LesLs may lnclude
Lndocervlcal cureLLage (LCC) Lo examlne Lhe openlng of
Lhe cervlx
Cone blopsy
LLVIC LkAMINA1ICN
A SMLAk
CLkVICAL 8ICS
SIGNS AND 1LS1S
lf Lhe woman ls dlagnosed wlLh cervlcal cancer Lhe healLh
care provlder wlll order more LesLs Lo deLermlne how far
Lhe cancer has spread 1hls ls called sLaglng 1esLs may
lnclude
ChesL xray
C1 scan
CysLoscopy
lnLravenous pyelogram (lv)
M8l
1kLA1MLN1
1reaLmenL of cervlcal cancer depends on
1he sLage of Lhe cancer
1he slze and shape of Lhe Lumor
1he womans age and general healLh
er deslre Lo have chlldren ln Lhe fuLure
Larly cervlcal cancer can be cured by removlng or
desLroylng Lhe precancerous or cancerous Llssue 1here
are varlous surglcal ways Lo do Lhls wlLhouL removlng
Lhe uLerus or damaglng Lhe cervlx so LhaL a woman can
sLlll have chlldren ln Lhe fuLure
1kLA1MLN1
1ypes of surgery for ear|y cerv|ca| cancer |nc|ude
Loop elecLrosurglcal exclslon procedure (LLL) uses
elecLrlclLy Lo remove abnormal Llssue
CryoLherapy freezes abnormal cells
Laser Lherapy uses llghL Lo burn abnormal Llssue
hysLerecLomy (removal of Lhe uLerus buL noL Lhe
ovarles) ls noL ofLen performed for cervlcal cancer LhaL
has noL spread lL may be done ln women who have
repeaLed LLL procedures
1kLA1MLN1
1reatment for more advanced cerv|ca| cancer may
|nc|ude
8adlcal hysLerecLomy whlch removes Lhe uLerus and
much of Lhe surroundlng Llssues lncludlng lymph nodes
and Lhe upper parL of Lhe vaglna
elvlc exenLeraLlon an exLreme Lype of surgery ln whlch
all of Lhe organs of Lhe pelvls lncludlng Lhe bladder and
recLum are removed
CCMLICA1ICNS
Some Lypes of cervlcal cancer do noL respond well Lo
LreaLmenL
1he cancer may come back (recur) afLer LreaLmenL
Jomen who have LreaLmenL Lo save Lhe uLerus have a
hlgh rlsk of Lhe cancer comlng back (recurrence)
Surgery and radlaLlon can cause problems wlLh sexual
bowel and bladder funcLlon
kLVLN1ICN
SLudles have shown LhaL Lhe vacclne appears Lo prevenL
earlysLage cervlcal cancer and precancerous leslons
Cardasll ls Lhe flrsL approved vacclne LargeLed
speclflcally Lo prevenL any Lype of cancer
racLlclng safe sex (uslng condoms) also reduces your
rlsk of v and oLher sexually LransmlLLed dlseases v
lnfecLlon causes genlLal warLs 1hese may be barely
vlslble or several lnches wlde lf a woman sees warLs on
her parLners genlLals she should avold lnLercourse wlLh
LhaL person
1o furLher reduce Lhe rlsk of cervlcal cancer women
should llmlL Lhelr number of sexual parLners and avold
parLners who parLlclpaLe ln hlghrlsk sexual acLlvlLles
kLVLN1ICN
CeLLlng regular ap smears can help deLecL
precancerous changes whlch can be LreaLed before Lhey
Lurn lnLo cervlcal cancer ap smears effecLlvely spoL
such changes buL Lhey musL be done regularly nnual
pelvlc examlnaLlons lncludlng a pap smear should sLarL
when a woman becomes sexually acLlve or by Lhe age
of 20 ln a nonsexual acLlve woman
lf you smoke qulL ClgareLLe smoklng ls assoclaLed wlLh
an lncreased rlsk of cervlcal cancer