Cervical Cancer Tiffany Smith HCP 102

A Woman’s Cervix Part of the female reproductive organs located at the top of the vagina and is about 1 inch long. It is the lower end of the uterus and has a cervical canal that passes through the cervix which allows blood from a menstrual period as well as allows a baby to pass from the uterus into the vagina

The Cervix View from Inside the Vagina Normal Cervix Before First Pregnancy Normal Cervix After Pregnancy

Normal Cervix Compared to Cancerous Cervix Cervical Cancer is a cancer that Starts in the cells lining the cervix And as it progresses it affects more Of the cervix. Cervical Cancer is caused most often By HPV human papillomavirus and there Are more than 40 types of HPV that can Affect the genital areas of the male and Female.

What are the Symptoms? If any of these signs are experienced the woman should see a doctor right away the earlier they catch the cancer the better the outcome of treatment Symptoms increase and become more severe as the cancer progresses

What Doctors Treat Cervical Cancer? Gynecologist: A doctor that treats diseases of the female reproductive system Gynecologist Oncologist: A doctor that specializes in cancers of the female reproductive system Radiation Oncologist: A doctor who administers radiation to treat cancer Medical Oncologist: A doctor who administers chemotherapy and other medicines to treat cancer

Cervical Cancer comes in Stages Stage 0: Cancer only found in the top layer Of cells in the tissue that lines the cervix and Is from the size of 1mm to 5mm Stage IA: Cancer is in between 3 and 5 mm deep and not more than 7 mm wide Stage IB: Cancer can be seen without a microscope and is more than 5 mm deep and more than 7 mm wide. Stage IIA: Cancer has spread beyond the cervix to the upper two-thirds of the vagina but not to the tissues around the uterus. The tumor can be 4cm wide or smaller or 4cm or bigger. Stage IIB: Cancer has spread beyond the cervix to the tissues around the uterus. Stage IIIA: Cancer has spread to the lower third of the vagina, and/or To the pelvic wall, and/or has spread to the lower third of the vagina but Not to the pelvic wall Stage IIIB: Cancer has spread to the pelvic wall and/or has become large enough To block the uterus. This blockage can cause the kidneys to get bigger or stop working Stage IVA: Cancer has spread to nearby organs such as the bladder or rectum. Stage IVB: Cancer has spread to other parts of the body such as the liver, lungs, bones, or Distant lymph nodes.

Changes to the Cervix due to Cancer Its best to learn of cervical cancer at the early stage In order to treat it more effectively with the least invasive Treatment as possible. As the Cancer progresses and becomes more cancerous The more risks you are taking in having to have a hysterectomy Or having to go through chemotherapy or radiation therapy Which can have all types of side effects

Diagnosed through a Pap Smear During Pap Exam doctor will have Lie on an exam table and he will Insert a speculum into your vagina And will open it in order to view Your cervix and removes cells from The cervix in order to be sent to the Lab to be examined. All women who are sexually active or has reached the age 21 whichever comes first should have a pap smear at least once every three years.

Treatments Treatments depend upon the stage the cancer is in as well as the patients health condition and age. Most often early stages are treated with Conization, Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP) or Laser Surgery. If a woman cannot or no longer desires to have children they can do a hysterectomy if the conization doesn’t completely remove the tumor. They may also do internal radiation therapy for women that cannot have surgery. As the cancer progresses more invasive measures have to be taken and that includes having radiation therapy with chemotherapy given at the same time, a radical trachelectomy which is the removal of the cervix and the pelvic wall, chemotherapy followed by surgery, or receiving radiation therapy alone The advanced stages are cured with all these methods plus other options of participating in a clinical trial of chemotherapy to shrink the tumor followed by surgery, or a clinical trial of chemotherapy and radiation therapy given at the same time followed by chemotherapy, a clinical trial of new anti-cancer drug combinations.

What is the prognosis for Cervical Cancer The prognosis for patients with cervical cancer depends upon the extend of the disease at the time of diagnosis. Can be and should be detected early through the use of the Pap test and the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing. Outlook depends on patients general health and how well the cancer responds to treatments. Death rate is actually far higher than it should be considering how easy it is for the disease to be diagnosed. This proves that not all women are having the pap or HPV testing done as they should.