by M.Vega

Created on: April 07, 2009   Last Updated: April 09, 2009

The most common cause of cervical cancer is a virus known as the Human papilloma virus, or HPV for short. Many woman come across the HPV virus in their late teens or 20's. For most woman the virus will go away on its own, for others, pre-cancers can develop, which can lead to cervical cancer.

The cancer usually develops slowly. The cells in the cervix go through changes, cells that are not normal begin to appear in the cervix tissue, this is called Dysplasia. Once cancer cells start growing ( malignant cells form in the tissue of the cervix) they begin to start spreading into the cervix and the surrounding areas.

There are over 130 types of HPV viruses, some are known to cause cancer or genital warts while others have no symptoms at all. There are many co factors that can cause cervical cancer, such as smoking.Woman who smoke have a higher chance of getting cervical cancer than woman who do not smoke, due to all the toxins that are being inhaled from a cigarette.

Woman who have HIV, women taking birth control pills for an extended amount of time, woman who have had multiple births, having many sexual partners, and having sex for the first time, at an early age. These are all possible risk factors for developing cervical cancer.

Unfortunately the symptoms associated with cervical cancer go unnoticed by many women. Some woman can pass off the symptoms of cervical cancer as PMS or just pain from ovulation. There are some possible signs of cervical cancer, vaginal bleeding, unusual vaginal discharge, pelvic pain, and pain during intercourse, though these signs can also be symptoms of another condition.

The stages of cervical cancer range from 0-4.

The first stage which is stage Zero, means that abnormal cells have been found in the lining of the cervix.

Stage one, cancer cells have entered the cervix, the cancer is confined to the cervix and has not spread.

Stage two, cancer has spread from the cervix to the surrounding areas and the upper part of the vagina but is still in the pelvic area.

Stage three, now the cancer has spread to the lower part of the vagina. In this stage there is a chance that the cancer has spread to the pelvic wall.

Stage four, this is the last and most severe stage of cervical cancer. Stage four means that the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, it is no longer confined to the pelvic area. In this stage cancer can also spread to the rectum and or the bladder, which can progress and even spread to the lungs. At this stage the cancer is no longer considered curable.

Pap smears are of the most importance, having this test done can detect abnormalities years before they become cancerous. Other tests that are used to detect cervical cancer are: Colposcopy and biopsy. A Coloposcopy is when the doctor looks through a Colposcope, a tool that has a magnifying lens and a bright light, this allows the doctor to exam your cervical tissue. A biopsy, the doctor will collect a tissue sample from your cervix, he will then send it to a lab to check for any cancer cells.

Since symptoms usually do not show up until the late stages of cervical cancer, most woman do not get to detect it earlier. This is why it is so important for woman and teens who are sexually active, to get regular check ups with your GYN. Early detection it treatable, so please do not wait until it is too late, cervical cancer is preventable as long as it is detected early.

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