Cervical Cancer Symptoms

What is Cervical Cancer?

The lowest part of the uterus of women is the uterine cervix. Many uterus lies in the pelvis but the pieces of cervix is placed in vagina. At that place it connects the uterus with vagina.

When cervix cells change in way causes the cervix cancer. This directs towards the abnormal growth and detection of other organs and tissues of the body.

The invasive cancer affects on the cervix's deeper tissues, and spreads on the other parts of the body. This spreading is known as metastasis. These cancers do not spread always, but when it spreads, it spread to the liver, lungs, vagina, rectum and the bladder.

Causes of Cervical Cancer:

Due to abnormal changes in the tissues of cervical, cervical cancer occurs. These abnormal changes are due to some factors such as early sexual contact, previous infection with human papillomavirus (HPV), multiple sexual partners, taking oral contraceptives (birth control pills) and cigarette smoking.

HPV affects on different parts of the body such as genital warts, skin warts, other disorders and the abnormal skin. This leads to the many changes in the cervical cells which may then leads to the cancer.

Genetic material found in cervical tissues which came from certain forms of HPV and they show precancerous or cancerous changes.
The women who get affected with the virus, HPV have more chances of developing cervical cancer than cervical cancer occurred because of genetic material matching to strain of virus which causes the infection.
These conclusion shows connection between virus and cervical cancer.
The factors such as sexual contact, multiple sexual partners and early sexual contact increase the risk of developing cervical lesions and increases to cancer.

For development of cervical cancer, smoking of cigarette is also responsible. The chemicals present in smoke of cigarette relate with the cervix cells, which causes precancerous changes and they may progress to the cancer.

Oral contraceptives also increase the chances of developing the cervical cancer. This occurs mostly in women who take oral contraceptives more than five years.

Cervical Cancer Symptoms:

Cervical cancer symptoms are often not noticed because these symptoms are same as that of other. Many women assumes these cervical cancer symptoms as PMS or ovulation pains. Some of the times cervical cancer has no any symptoms.

If there are any cervical cancer symptoms then they appear when cancer becomes advanced but these symptoms are varying from women to women.

Abnormal bleeding: Women suffering from cervical cancer may get experience of vaginal bleeding which is abnormal. This may be high or heavy bleeding during the month.
Unusual heavy discharge: Increased or unusual vaginal discharge is also one of the cervical cancer symptoms. It may be watery, foul smelling, thick, or the contain mucus. It is different for different women. If unusual vaginal discharge found then report to the doctor immediately.
Pelvic pain: Pelvic pain which is different from normal menstrual cycle may be cervical cancer symptom. Many of the women describe these pains from dull to the sharp. The pains can be severe or mild.
Pain during urination: Advanced cervical cancer symptoms are pain at the time of urination or bladder pain. This symptom occurs when cancer spread to the bladder.
Bleeding between regular menstrual periods, douching, after sexual intercourse, or the pelvic exam: Bleeding after pelvic exam, sexual intercourse, or the douching may be cervical cancer symptoms. This happens because of frustration of cervix at the time of activities.

Treatment for Cervical Cancer:

Treatment for cervical cancer means prevents precancerous cells which lead to become cancerous cells.

Generally this is step by step process in which tissues or cells are removed which is responsible for causing the cancer and how far it has attacked.
Using the biopsy, deepest cells are removed which were found normal then no any further treatment is necessary.
The biopsy removed the deepest cells which were precancerous and cancerous cells. In such situations, treatment starts with removing additional tissues. These tissues are then checked for dysplastic change that is all the precancerous and cancerous cells are removed totally from the body or destroyed from the body.

Self-Care at Home:

If not proper treatment is given then cancer will continue and spreads in whole body. Cancer will take nutrients and oxygen from the vital organs of the body so these organs are unable to function properly.

Self care at home is not a good treatment but it is useful for reducing the mental and physical stress. Good nutrition is one of the best things which is useful for the treatment:

Appetite loss happens at the time of treatment.
Chemotherapy has side effects such as vomiting, nausea, and the sores inside the mouth.
The peoples who eat well, food contains enough proteins and calories will maintain their energy and strength at the time of therapy. They also tolerate the side effects which occurred at the time of therapy.
The gynecologist or cancer specialist suggests a nutritionist who gives proper suggestions for maintaining the calories and proteins.

Staging:

After deciding that you have cancer, doctor will perform other exams which are useful for deciding the extent of the disease. Staging tells that whether it is invented, whether cancer spreads or at what part of the body. Following are stages of the cervical cancer:

Stage I: This stage is called as carcinoma in situ. Cancer is found in top layer of the cells that lines the tissues.
Stage II: Cancer then attacks on cervix beneath which is the top layer of the cells and found only in cervix.
Stage III: In this stage it extends up to the nearby tissues and upper part of the vagina.
Stage IV: The cancer spreads up to the lower part of the vagina, pelvic wall and the lymph nodes.
Stage V: In this stage cancer spread to the rectum, bladder or the other parts of the body.
Recurrent cancer: The cancer returned after some period even though it was treated. This cancer occurs in the cervix or in other parts of the body.

For deciding the extent of disease and treatment for that disease, doctor suggest following treatments:

Chest x-rays: This x-ray shows whether cancer spreads in lungs or not.
CT scan: This is x-ray machine which is connected with the computer and this machine takes picture of the organs. Contrast material takes into body through mouth, enema or by the injection in arm or hand. This contrast material is useful for making abnormal areas simpler. Tumor occurred in the lungs, liver or other parts of the body can be shown by the CT scan.
MRI: For detailed picture of abdomen and pelvis, MRI is used. This is strong magnet connected with the computer. Using MRI doctor shows that whether cancer spreads on other parts of the body or not. Sometimes contrast material is also used in this procedure.
Ultrasound: This is a device which is inserted into the vagina and it sends the sound waves. These waves are bounce off the tissues and cervix and computer catches these images draws a picture. Echo after having tumor is different than normal tissues. Picture also shows whether cancer spreads or not.