The bad news about cervical cancer is that it is one of the most common cancers that affect the female reproductive organs. But cheer up! It is a slow-growing cancer and 100 percent curable if detected early.
Cervical cancer usually affects women between the ages of 30 and 55. The National Cancer Institute said more than 11,000 cases are discovered each year.
Who gets cervical cancer? Naturally, any woman with a cervix is prone to the disease, but there are certain risk factors to consider. Sexual promiscuity is one of them.
Women who start having sex before the age of 18 are more likely to get the disease. The cervix simply cannot withstand numerous thrusts from the penis of different men who may have a variety of infections. These include the papillomavirus (which is responsible for warts), genital herpes, the organism chlamydia, and other cancer-causing agents.
If you have had many pregnancies that started at a young age, that also puts you at risk for cervical cancer. On the positive side, women who use barrier methods of contraception, that is, the cervical cap, diaphragm, or let their partners use a condom, which in all cases protect the cervix, have a lower rate of cancer.
For some reason, smoking affects the cervix, and the accumulation of nicotine in that organ can trigger the disease. Passive smokers face the same risk. So quit smoking now and avoid those who do. A diet rich in beta-carotene, vitamin C, and folacin is thought to protect against cervical cancer. So it’s probably wise to eat your greens.
Circumcision was once thought to protect women from cervical cancer, but we now know this is not true. This painful procedure has no medical benefit and should be discouraged except in special cases.
There are usually no symptoms in the early stage of the disease. Warning signs include bleeding after intercourse, bleeding between periods, or after menopause. In some, there is a watery, bloody discharge from the vagina. A dull back pain can be felt later.
With early detection, cervical cancer is highly curable as long as it has not spread beyond the uterus. An annual pelvic exam and routine Pap smear can save you a lot of trouble.
Since the 1940s, the Pap test has reduced cervical cancer death rates by 70 percent. Today, only about three percent of women die from the disease thanks to this valuable test.
“A Pap smear is the best screening procedure for cervical cancer. It can detect early lesions as well as premalignant lesions of the cervix. Aside from that, a Pap smear can also detect infections,” according to Dr. Rey of the Kings. , an obstetrician and gynecologist at the United Doctors Medical Center in the Philippines.
The Pap smear is named after Dr. GN Pap smear, who developed it. In this test, the doctor collects cell samples from the surface of the cervix by scraping them off with a wooden spatula, brush, or cotton swab. The cell samples are sent to a lab for testing.
“A negative result means your cervix is normal; a positive result indicates some abnormal cells. A positive result doesn’t prove you have cancer or even dysplasia, a precancerous condition, but it usually means you need to undergo further evaluation, such as screening. colposcopy and biopsy,” said David E. Larson, MD, editor-in-chief of the Mayo Clinic Family Health Book.
A colposcope is an instrument with a magnifying lens that helps the doctor examine the cervix. As he does this, he removes a bit of the cervix (biopsy) for testing.
“Once there is a suspicious lesion in the cervix, a biopsy should be done. Since some cervical lesions and even an infection can look like cervical cancer, a biopsy can accurately detect the disease,” De los Reyes said. (Next: When should you have a Pap test?)