10 FAQs about cervical cancer

cervical cancer

  1. What is cervical cancer?

Cancer that starts in the woman’s cervix is termed cervical cancer. The cervix is the opening of the uterus and cancer usually begins with dysplasia i.e. changes to the cells on the cervix.

  1. What are the symptoms of cervical cancer?

The symptoms are usually seen in women with long standing cervical cancer without treatment and may include the following:

  • Heavy vaginal bleeding or more than usual discharge
  • Bleeding after having intercourse, a pelvic exam or between periods
  • Pain during urination or intercourse
  1. What are the risk factors for cervical cancer?

While any woman is at risk of getting cervical cancer, but some women are at higher risk because of factors including:

  • Human Papillomavirus Virus (HPV) is the cause of nearly all cases of cervical cancer, while many women could get infected with the virus at some point in their lives, however, few will get cervical cancer.
  • Getting screened for cervical cancer is of utmost importance for every woman above the age of 21. Pap (Papanicolaou) test is used for cervical cancer screening. Women who have never been screened or have not followed up with their healthcare provider in case of abnormal results are more likely to develop the disease.
  • Smoking increases the likelihood of cervical cancer in women compared to those who do not smoke.
  • Women over 30 years of age are more likely to get cervical cancer.
  • Use of birth control pills for longer duration; more than five years.
  • Giving multiple births; more than three times.
  • Having several sexual partners.
  • Infection with AIDS causing virus (HIV), or another condition that affects your immune system.
  • If your mother took DES (diethylstilbestrol) while pregnant with you.
  1. How can I reduce my chances or prevent getting cervical cancer?

Some of the ways to lower the risk cervical cancer or prevent it completely are:

  • Get Vaccinated for HPV -The HPV vaccine offers protection against the HPV strains that most often cause cervical cancer.
  • Regular screening tests help in early detection and prevention of cervical cancer. The two screening tests that are used include:
  • Pap test collects cells from the cervix and looks for any abnormal changes under a microscope. There could be reasons other than cervical cancer where Pap test results may be abnormal, your healthcare provider will confirm the diagnosis.
  • High Risk (HR) HPV test looks for types of HPV that cause most cases of cervical cancer.
  1. What is a pelvic exam and how is it different from a Pap test?

A pelvic exam helps find diseases of the female organs, but it will not find cervical cancer at an early stage. A screening test is a must for that.

  1. What is frequency of screening for cervical cancer?

Recommendations for Cervical Cancer Screening

  • Women above 21 years of age should start screening
  • A Pap test every three years for women between 21 – 29 years of age.
  • For women above 30 to 65 – either a Pap test every three years, a a HR HPV test every five years, or a Pap test and HR HPV test every five years.
  1. Do all women need screening for cervical cancer irrespective of their age and sexual status?

Older women not of child bearing age or who are not sexually active, should still go for regular screenings for cervical cancer. Women who have been vaccinated for HPV also need screening.

Women older than 65 years of age with a normal Pap result for several years can stop getting screened. Likewise, women who have had a surgical removal of cervix for a non-cancerous reason, such as fibroids, may not need screening.

  1. What are the treatment options for cervical cancer?

The treatment options for cervical cancer include surgical intervention, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, biological therapy or interferon.

  1. What is the disease prognosis? 

As compared to other female cancers, survival is very good for cervical cancer; almost 80 – 90% for Stage 1, 60-70% for Stage 2, 40-50% for Stage 3 and almost 30% even for Stage 4 (last stage).

  1. What is role of vaccine in the prevention of HPV infection and cervical cancer?

While vaccines are available against high-risk HPV viruses, they will not provide complete immunity and need an integration of both screening program and vaccination to virtually eliminate the burden of cervical cancer