Cervical cancer is abnormal growth of cells in the cervix of a woman. The abnormal growth of cells is considered pre-cancerous in its initial stages but can become cancerous over time if not treated. The change from cervical pre-cancer to cervical cancer usually takes several years, but it has been also found to happen in less than a year.
Statistics About Cervical Cancer:
- From 2003 to 2007 the incidence rate in Texas was 9.7 per 100,000 women
- From 2002 to 2006, cervical cancer killed an average of 340 women in Texas each year
- A pap smear every two years can prevent the most common form of cervical cancer in up to 90% of cases
What Causes Cervical Cancer?
Cervical cancer is caused by HPV, a sexually transmitted disease. You can have HPV for many years and not know it and cervical cancer can occur years after infection. The change from cervical pre-cancer to cervical cancer usually takes several years, but it can happen in less than a year. Other risk factors, such as smoking, can act to increase the risk of cervical cancer among women infected with HPV even more
What Are Symptoms of Cervical Cancer?
Cervical Cancer often shows no symptoms. When symptoms occur, they can include the following:
Vaginal Bleeding
Occurs after intercourse, between periods, or after menopause.
May have heavy watery, bloody vaginal discharge with a foul odor.
Pain
Pelvic pain or pain during intercourse:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/cervicalcancer/DS00167/DSECTION=symptoms
How is Cervical Cancer Prevented?
By having frequent Pap Smears, abnormal cell growth of the cervix can be caught before it transitions to cancer. If caught early, the cells could be in a pre-cancerous stage and are easily treated. To learn more about Pap Smears, please visit “Why should I get screened?” and “What will screening be like?”.
Women should also be vaccinated for HPV before becoming sexually active to reduce their risk of cervical cancer. However, even women who get an HPV vaccine need regular cervical cancer screening tests. To learn more about the HPV vaccine, please visit “What is the HPV vaccine?”.