Cervical Cancer Symptoms By Stage
Cervical cancer is very slow. From the very first change in the cervical mucosa to the diagnosis of cancer, it may take 10 to 15 years. Cervical cancer can occur at all ages, but most occurs in women between the 30th and 45th year and later between the 65th and 85th year.
This cancer is caused by infection with a common and common virus: the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV). These viruses are transmitted by "skin to skin" contact and on the uterus mouth, especially by sex traffic.
There are many types of HPV and in order to be able to distinguish them, they have a number. Most are completely harmless, but some can cause cervical cancer (No. 16, 18, 30 and 31). These are called oncogenic (carcinogenic) viruses, but an infection does not yet mean cervical cancer. About 80% of all women who are sexually active get an HPV infection and approximately 70% of this group are infected with an oncogenic type. In the most infections (oncogenic and non-oncogenic) the virus disappears, but in a small number of women, the oncogenic infection persists and can cause cervical changes that can lead to cervical cancer.
Because it is a skin on skin infection, women who have no sexual contact can sometimes get infected. Of course, an HPV infection is more common in women with varying sexual contacts. Condom use reduces that risk but does not provide full protection. Furthermore, research shows that women who have a high risk of smoking are probably because the oncogenic virus is less likely to disappear.
Cervical cancer symptoms and complaints
Only when there is cervical cancer there are complaints. One of the first symptoms is abnormal vaginal blood loss and a refreshing some aqueous secretion. The abnormal blood loss occurs outside the menstrual period in young women and after the transition without any reason. There may also be contact bleeding, bleeding caused by sexual contact or sometimes all after stooling. Although abnormal blood loss usually has nothing to do with cancer, it is always wise for any woman to contact her GP.
Cervical cancer early detection
Cervical cancer is caused by an HPV infection and it is possible to prevent infection when a vaccine exists. Scientists have recently managed to make such a vaccine that young women can be vaccinated.
For the past 40 years, this early detection was done by making a smear. For a year or so 25, a population survey of uterine cancer, inviting women between the ages of 30 and 60 (since 1966 every 5 years, 30, 35, 40 years etc., participation is free) is a smear of the uterine mouth. Because the disease process is very slow (10 to 15 years), it is possible to detect abnormalities in the mucous membranes before using cervical cancer, even before cervical cancer. It is then possible to treat the precursor and thereby prevent cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer stage
Once there is cervical cancer, that process will be expanding even more. This growth continues both in the area where the cervix is located, ie to the vagina and the supportive tissue around the cervix, as well as through sores through the lymph nodes in the abdomen.
The extent of the cancer progression is indicated as a 4-stage classification.
- In the 1st stage, the cancer tissue is only in the cervix
- In the 2nd stage, the cancerous tissue has already grown in the vagina and/or in the support tissue
- In the third stage, the growth is further down in the vagina and/or further into the support tissue
- In the 4th stage, the growth is already in the bladder or rectum, or there are already metastases
Initially, cervical cancer causes no pain, but if it continues to grow, it causes nerves to cause pain. Diseases may also cause pain at the place where the sowing is in place, eg in the vertebrae.
If the cancer process is not treated, the patient will die. If a patient is treated in the 1st stage, there is a high chance of survival of the disease.
- For stage 1, a survival opportunity after 5 years of 80% applies.
- For stage 2, a survival rate of 70%
- For stage 3 this chance is about 35%, and
- For stage 4 of only 10%.
Treatment of cervical cancer
The treatment of cervical cancer is strongly related to the stage at which the process is located. In addition, the patient's age, condition, and individual desire also play a role in the way the treatment is performed. In general, the treatment consists of an operation and/or a radiotherapy (radiation) and/or a chemotherapy course. Sometimes hyperthermia is applied.
Operational interventions
Stage 1
At this stage, when the cancer process is barely present, it is still possible to suffice only with the removal of the cervix (= excretion of the cervix). The uterus will then be retained and for young women who want it, it is still possible to expect.
When the process has grown a little further, it is especially possible for young women who still want to become pregnant to remove the entire uterus and then the glands and the supportive tissue next to the cervix (trachelectomy); In all other cases, a so-called radical operation is performed.
A radical operation (Wertheim-Meig's operation) is usually performed at this stage. It is a stomach operation, with the lymph nodes left and right located along the blood vessels in the pelvis removed, the uterus with the surrounding support tissue and the upper part of the vagina; In young women, the ovaries are not removed, in older women though.
Stages 2,3 and 4
At these stages, a combination of treatments is usually used. In some cases, chemoradiation is used, ie chemotherapy begins and immediately after radiotherapy. Whether or not it is operated depends on several factors.
Radiotherapy
An irradiation can be given both externally (through the abdominal wall) and internally (via the vagina) to destroy cancer cells. In most cases, external radiation is given, which causes both bladder and flat complaints as well as bowel complaints such as diarrhea and abdominal pain. An external irradiation lasts several weeks and results in prolonged fatigue.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy means that drugs that stop the cell division, which delays and/or reduce and/or destroy the cancer process. There are many chemotherapy drugs and usually, a combination of 2 or 3 is given to get a better effect on the cancer process. Usually, a few short cures are given. It causes nausea, a greater chance of infections, extreme fatigue due to anemia and a large number of cases of hair loss.
Hyperthermia
In hyperthermia, one manages to fight the cancer process with heat. Our body temperature is 37 degrees Celsius, and heat is reached at 45 degrees Celsius. Because cancer cells may suffer from this heat, they die in part. Then treatment can be continued with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy.
*Image source : wikimedia commons
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