by Sarah E. Sanuth

Created on: May 27, 2008

It's estimated that almost 4,000 women will die this year as a result of cervical cancer. There will be over 11,000 new diagnoses of invasive cervical cancer and another 33,000 with non-invasive cervical cancer, which is 4 times more common.

Now taking a backseat to heart disease, cervical cancer was once the number one killer among women in the United States. The mortality rate has increase nearly 75% between 1955 and 1992.

The statistics seem harsh, but the truth is that death, and the disease itself, can be completely prevented.

The most common form of cervical cancer is 100% preventable. This is caused by pre-cancerous cells that form into cancer, with Human Papiloma Virus (HPV) very high on the list of causes.

With cervical cancer, you most likely won't have any signs or symptoms unless the disease has progressed to the invasive stage. This is why pap-tests are vital. They are able to detect cancer in its early stages, even before it has turned into cancer. Having pap-tests on a regular basis also goes into prevention. As long as you get your regular pap-tests, you are most likely never going to be one the statistics.

Signs and symptoms may be different depending on the individual. Knowing your body is most important.

Vaginal bleeding is the most common sign. If you are bleeding when you shouldn't and more than you are supposed to, this is sign that there might be something wrong. You may experience bleeding after intercourse, after menopause, in-between periods and if your cycle is lasting longer and heavier than normal. It is not always indicative of cancer, but any abnormal bleeding should always be checked out.

Pain should also never be ignored. If cancer is present you may experience pain during or after sexual intercourse. Again, this is not definitive, as pain can be a sign of other things such as infection.

Pap-tests shouldn't stop as you age. This is a huge issue because many older women feel that they aren't at risk, but 20% of cervical cancer diagnoses are in women who are age 65 or older.

No matter the type or degree of symptoms that you may experience, you should never ignore them. Ignoring them will only lead to progression. Cervical cancer can spread to other areas of the body, with the immediate areas being first.

The longer someone waits to have symptoms checked out, the longer a disease such as this has time to spread and the less likely they are to be successfully treated and recover.

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