Cervical Cancer - Signs, Symptoms and Treatments

Despite the fact that cervical cancer has been identified as the second most common cancer among women in the world, as studies have shown that kills more than 300,000 women annually. Although it can be prevented medically, even in women at high risk, but because of ignorance and non-challant attitude of our women and so-called health care worker, the reverse is the case. However, the good news is that with modern science, a small inexpensive inspection can potentially save lives. Its on record that screening in the UK, saving over 100,000 lives each year, with pre-malignant disease detected and treated in several females.

Some of the signs and symptoms to look out for. But before I proceed, I must warn you that the symptoms do not usually appear until abnormal cervical cells become cancerous and invade nearby tissue and when this happens the most common symptom is abnormal bleeding that starts and stop between regular menstrual periods or bleeding can occur after intercourse, flushing, menstrual bleeding that lasts longer and harder than usual, also keep in mind when an increase in vaginal discharge, bleeding after menopause may also be a symptom of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer begins abnormal cervical cells, and if not detected early and treated, it will gradually acquire the normal cells of the cervix and surrounding tissues or lymph nodes, which eventually spread to other parts of the body. If these lesions did not attack normal cells of the cervix, treatment is very simple and straightforward. Pre-cancerous changes of the cervix usually do not cause pain and are not detected unless a woman has a pelvic exam and Pap test.

Treatments - There are many ways to treat cancer of the cervix

(1) loop electrosurgical excision procedure LEEP {} which can be performed in a doctor's office under local anesthesia, in which electrically charged wire loop is used to remove the outer part of the cervix containing the abnormal tissue.

(2) cryosurgery can be performed in a doctors office, and it does not require anesthesia. This procedure freezes and kills the abnormal cervical cells, when silver probe is placed against the cervix.

(3) hysterectomy cryosurgery is another treatment that I want to mention. There is uterus is removed through the abdomen or vagina. This is a major surgery that requires a patient staying overnight in the hospital. It is usually performed on pre-invasive lesions, and sometimes for women who have had more than one relapse and no longer have enough tissue to perform another LEEP.

Treatment of invasive cancer - the extent of tumor growth always determine the treatment needed and if the tumor is small and confined to the tissues of the cervix, followed by radical hysterectomy or radiation therapy can be applied. When tumors are large or spread to adjacent tissues or lymph nodes intensive therapy is required.

Radical Hysterectomy - This is the surgical removal of the uterus, ligaments and connective tissues that hold the uterus in place. You can also remove lymph nodes in the pelvic area with this method, if microscopic cancer cells spread to the lymph nodes and the ligaments that hold the uterus. After radical hysterectomy surgery is performed, the woman can no longer have menstrual periods and can not bear children. However, it will still have the female hormone estrogen in the body and in this way, the healing of cervical cancer is about 90 %.

Radiotherapy - This high-energy rays are used to damage cancer cells and stop their growth. It is a localized treatment, which means that attacks cancer cells in a specific area of ​​the body. It is usually performed outside of a large radiation machine or radioactive materials placed directly into the cervix known as an implant radiation

. Chemotherapy - This involves using drugs to kill cancer cells when the cancer has spread to other parts of the body. Chemotherapy may be given an injection into a vein or by mouth, so that the drugs flow easily through the body in the bloodstream

. Biological therapy - usually used to treat cancer that has spread from the cervix to other parts of the body. Here we use a substance to strengthen women's immune system to better fight her cancer. Interferon is the most common form of biological therapy used to treat cervical cancer.