Early Signs of Cervical Cancer - Medical Science

The cervix is a part of female reproductive system. It is the narrow base of the uterus which connects the uterus with the vagina. During labor it dilates and the fetus passes from uterus to the vagina.

Early Cervical Cancer Signs:

Cervical Cancer - 3 Ways Detect it Early

In the previous years, women aged 60 and above were the ones most prone to cervical cancer. But with the 2009 report, an alarming 58% of these cases were women within the age range of 40 and 50 years old only. With such stats, it is therefore important to know the signs of cervical carcinoma so that its symptoms can be contained. Advanced cases of this type of medical condition can become invasive, which means that there is a very good chance that the cancer cells will afflict surround tissues and muscles as well.

So what are the most common signs of cervical cancer?

1. Abnormal vaginal bleeding. Abnormal bleeding or signs of unusual blood spotting is one of the more common signs of the pre-cancer stages of the cervix. It may come in various forms like: blood spotting between menstrual periods, bouts of heavy and light menstruation, vaginal bleeding after sex, blood spotting after the menopausal stage and even vaginal bleeding after douching. In some cases, the woman may experience unusual discharge between menstruation's.

2. Pain during sexual intercourse. Vaginal bleeding is often preceded by pain during sexual intercourse. This may be due to the increased sensitivity or inflammation of the tissues and muscles of the cervix. In advanced stages, pain in this area is an indication that the cancer cells have already spread out to the surrounding areas.

3. Pain during normal bodily functions. Two other signs of cervical cancer include pain during peeing and bowel movement. Pain brought about by UTI or urinary tract infection is another indication that the muscles of the reproductive system is on a hyper sensitive stage.

Cervical Cancer: Is It Deadly?

Cervical cancer is a malignant tumor that is formed in the cervix- a female's reproductive organ which connects the uterus and vagina. Usually, it is considered as a slow-growing tumor that may not have signs and symptoms at first but can be detected by regularly having Pap Tests, a procedure in which cells are scraped from the cervix and viewed under a microscope. It is mainly caused by a virus known as human papillomavirus or HPV and it can be of two types.

1. The squamous cell carcinoma which arises in the squamous epithelial cells that line in the cervix.
2. Adenocarcinoma which arises in the glandular epithelial cells.

Cervical Cancer Facts:
There are certainties about this type of cancer.

• It is one of the most preventable of all types of cancer.
• Getting a cervical smear test every three years is a woman's best way of protection. There is also a vaccine available, ask your doctor about it.
• It cases are caused by the Human Papillomavirus.
• It is said that about 90 percent of all cancer of the cervix cases are caused by human papillomavirus or HPV which is a common sexually transmitted infection that almost all people can acquire at some point in their existence.
• Only a persistent infection caused by four kinds of HPV if left untreated turns into cervical cancer.
• There are numerous of HPV types but only a persistent infection triggered by four kinds of HPV is to turn into cancer of the cervix if the infection is left untreated.
• There are several symptoms of this type of cancer.
• Symptoms include bleeding or spotting between and after menstrual periods and after sexual intercourse, persistent pain in the pelvis and pain during intercourse and vaginal discharge that changes color, may be heavy, and with a filthy odor.
• Treatment depends on the stage of the cancer.
• Treatments depend on the stage of the cancer. This may include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy.

How Doctors Diagnose Cancer Through Laboratory Testing Services

The word "cancer" can send chills up anyone's spine. Whenever a person hears the word coming from his/her doctor, a feeling of dread (and sometimes, impending doom) can wash over them. After all, who in their right mind would feel happy about being diagnosed with cancer?
Before giving any diagnosis of cancer to their patient, doctors would require him/her to go through some tests. There are laboratory testing services that doctors - and patients - rely on in regards to diagnosing and even preventing cancer from happening. These laboratory testing services include blood tests, tumor markers, and urinalysis.
The first of these clinical laboratory testing services are blood tests. These can help detect the amount of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets in a patient's blood. Red blood cells are for the transportation of oxygen to the different parts of the body, while platelets are the body's protection from bleeding and bruising easily. When a blood test shows that there is a larger amount of white blood cells in the body than usual, it may mean that there is an infection. White blood cells are responsible for fighting any infection that occurs in the body.
If doctors would rely on the results of blood tests alone, then there would be hundreds of doctors diagnosing patients with cancer even if the patient is only suffering from a bout of colds. This is why other laboratory testing services are conducted in order to make sure that the patient really has cancer, and not some other illness.
The second test is a urinalysis. The body excretes different substances, and by filtering or examining these substances present in the urine, doctors can check for any further signs of cancer. Compared to the previous two tests, tumor markers are currently being used by doctors to monitor the status of a patient's cancer. Cancer cells usually excrete certain substances that help doctors check if the cancer has progressed or not. The medical community is now looking for ways of using tumor markers to help diagnose, detect, and possibly even treat cancer.
Cancer diagnosis can also be based on a patient's history and results of a physical examination. However, these laboratory testing services provide enough support whenever a doctor needs to inform his/her patient on the presence, absence, and stage of cancer in the patient's body.

Information of Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer develops from a pre-cancerous condition known as dysplasia. It starts in the cervix, the lower part of a woman's womb or uterus. The vast majority of cases of cervical cancer are caused by the human papilloma virus, more commonly known as the HPV. If untreated, it spreads slowly to other parts of the body, literally taking years to do so in most cases. People with cervical cancer do not usually find themselves bothered by it until it has spread to other parts of the body.

Symptoms of cervical cancer include:

* continuous discharge from the vagina. These discharges are usually pale, watery, pink, brown, bloody or foul smelling.
* Abnormal vaginal bleeding between monthly periods, after sexual intercourse or after the woman has gone through menopause.
* A definite change in the heaviness and length of monthly periods.
* The start of bleeding after the end of menopause.
* Loss of appetite.
* Unexplainable loss in weight.
* Unexplainable frequent times of fatigue.
* Pelvic pain.
* Back pain.
* Swelling in just one leg.
* Urine or feces leaking from the vagina.
* A definite increase in the tendency to experience bone fractures.

Cervical cancer is one of the major reasons why it is so important that women have regular pap smear tests. Dysplasia Is easily detected and easily dealt with. The majority of cases of this cancer are the result of women not taking proper precautions against it by having pap smear tests. While medical studies have shown this cancer to be the third most common form of cancer amongst women on a world wide basis, it is very seldom seen in the United States today, thanks to pap smears and the proper follow up when dysplasia is detected.

Medical professionals are quick to assure us that the presence of cervical cancer does not mean that the cancer itself or the surgical removal of it will result in a woman being unable to bear children. There are several different forms of surgery which can be used to successfully remove the cancer while doing no harm to the cervix or any part of the uterus in any way. These include loop electrosurgical excision procedure, in which electricity is used to remove any abnormal tissue, cryotherapy, in which abnormal cells are frozen and laser therapy in which light is used to burn away any abnormal tissue found.

The best way to deal with cervical cancer is to follow the advice given us by our medical professionals and have tests done on a regular basis so that it can be stopped before it ever gets a chance to start.

Cancer of the Cervix - Precancerous Stage

PRECANCEROUS STATE - PAP SMEAR

We will discuss the precancerous stage of cervix cancer.

What is the Cervix?

The cervix is the part of the uterus that connects the upper part of the uterus (the womb) and vagina.

What is Cancer?

Cancer develops when cells in an area of the body grows abnormally. The body cells growth is normally controlled and limited to particular area. Cancer cell growth, if not controlled, spreads to other areas of body and causes damage.

What is Pre-cancer?

These are cell abnormalities that have potential to progress to cancer. Pre-cancerous lesions are not cancer. Pre-cancerous lesions can return to normal but can progress to cancer. The cancer can develop after 10-20 years or as short as 2 years.

What causes pre-cancer and cancer of the cervix?

The main cause of cervical cancer is a virus called Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).

What is Human Papilloma Virus (HPV)?

HPV are a large group of viruses that are linked to abnormal cell growth in humans. There are over 100 types of HPV but type 16 & 18 are identified as main cause of cervical cancer in 99.7% of cases.

HPV is transmitted skin to skin genital contact. Penetrative intercourse is not necessary to become infected. Up to 80% of sexually active women will be infected with HPV at some point in their lifetime. Fortunately most of HPV infections clear up naturally and are effectively destroyed by body own defences (immune system). Persistent infection with cancer causing HPV types is the necessary cause of cancer of the cervix.

What are the pre-disposing factors?

-HPV type 16 & 18 are common with
-Early sexual intercourse
-Multiple sexual partners.
-Recurrent sexually transmitted diseases.
-Hereditary/Immune status
-Folic acid deficiency

What are symptoms of pre-cancer?

There rarely any symptoms directly due to pre-cancer stages and that make it dangerous.

Checking for pre-cancer

Cervical screening programmes target the early detection, diagnosis and treatment of HPV associated precancerous lesions that may develop into cancer. Various methods are available.

1) Pap Test (Cervical Smear)

This is a collection of cells taken from the surface of cervix and tested in laboratory for presence of abnormalities. When abnormal cells are detected the Pap smear may be repeated, also HPV DNA testing, colposcopy (examination of the cervix through magnify devices) or possible biopsy (obtaining a tissue or analysis in the lab) are steps taken by a gynecologist. Abnormal biopsy may be reported as cervical intraepethelial neoplasia CIN. Neoplagia means an abnormal growth of cells.

2) Visual inspection with Acetic acid/venegar (via).

3) Visual inspection with Lugoli iodine (VILI)

Preventing HPV infection

Prevention of infection with HPV reduces rate of precancerous by 90%. Prophylactic vaccination is available for optimal prevention of HPV infection; vaccination should be given prior to sexual contact. Young girls and women will benefit.

Ovarian Cancer Stages - Top 4

We hear more and more that our friends or family have been diagnosed with cancer. Cancer is a terrible thing to happen to anybody. Ovarian cancer is one particular disease that seems to be on the rise so it is important for the female population to keep their yearly checkups on schedule. There are four stages that ovarian cancer goes through; let's review those ovarian cancer stages.
Stage 1 - The first stage is determining where the cancer is located and it can be in either one or both ovaries at this time. During this stage, the cancer is only located in the ovaries and has not moved elsewhere in the body. As this stage progresses, the cancer can be found in both ovaries and may at this time have moved to the outside and elsewhere in the body.
Stage 2 - This stage verifies if the cancer is found in one or both of the ovaries as well as that the cancer could now be on the outside of the ovaries as well as possibly other organs that are contained within the pelvic area. During this stage, the cancer spreads into the Fallopian tubes and/or the uterus. At the end of this stage, the cancer has spread to the uterus, colon, rectum, bladder, and into the lymph nodes. It is even possible at this point that the cancer can be found in the abdomen area.
Stage 3 - At this point, the cancer is found in one or both of the ovaries and has spread to other parts of the pelvic area. The cancer that can be found in the abdomen area are approximately 2cm or less but in the ovary(ies), the size could be larger than 2cm. Statistics show that most women are diagnosed with ovarian cancer during stage 3.
Stage 4 - This is the most extreme level the cancer reaches and is when the cancer has spread to other areas of the body. Surgery is usually performed to remove the cancer before further treatments are prescribed. Every attempt is made during surgery to remove the cancer which can be successful, but if the surgery is not then the patient must undergo chemotherapy treatments.
These stages were developed by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics or FIGO and are standard in assigning the ovarian cancer stages throughout the world.