With around 3,300 new cases diagnosed annually in the UK, around 9 every day, it is essential to have as much information about the condition as possible.

What is cervical cancer?

It occurs when abnormal cells develop and spread in the cervix, the lower part of the uterus. A unique fact about cervical cancer is that most cases are triggered by a type of virus.

It is important to seek treatment as soon as possible, because if it is found early, cervical cancer is highly curable.

The odds of surviving cervical cancer are tied to how early it’s found. About 66% of women overall will survive for at least five years after diagnosis. But statistics don’t predict how well any one individual will respond to treatment.

Symptoms

When cervical cells first become abnormal, there are rarely any warning signs.

As the cancer progresses, symptoms may include:

– Unusual vaginal discharge

– Vaginal bleeding between periods

– Bleeding after menopause

– Bleeding or pain during sex

HPV is the main cause 

The human papillomavirus (HPV) is a large group of viruses and about 40 types can infect the genital areas, and some have high risk for cervical cancer.

Genital HPV infections usually clear up on their own BUT if one becomes chronic, it can cause changes in the cells of the cervix and it’s these changes that may lead to cancer.

Worldwide, over 90% of cervical cancers are caused by an HPV infection.

HPV symptoms 

HPV infections usually have no symptoms and go away on their own. Some types of the HPV virus may cause genital warts, but these are not the same strains linked to cervical cancer.

It’s important to note that genital warts will not turn into cancer, even if they are not treated. The dangerous types of HPV can stay in the body for years without causing any symptoms.

Are you at risk?

HPV is so common that most people who have ever had sex will get the virus at some point in life.

Because HPV can linger quietly, it’s possible to carry the infection even if it has been years since you had sex.

Condoms can lower your risk but they do not fully protect against the virus. HPV is also linked to cancers of the vulva, vagina, penis, and to anal and oral cancers in both sexes.

If one of the high-risk strains of HPV lingers in the body, it can cause abnormal cells to develop in the cervix.

These precancerous changes do not necessarily mean that you have cervical cancer.

But over time, the abnormal cells may give way to cancer cells. Once cancer appears, it tends to spread in the cervix and surrounding areas.

What else raises your risk?

Lifestyle factors are key and include:

– Smoking

– Having many children

– Using birth control pills for a long time

– Being HIV positive or have a weakened immune system

– Having multiple sexual partners

 Getting early detection

A smear or Pap test is one of the great success stories in early detection. A swab of the cervix can reveal abnormal cells, often before cancer appears.

At age 21, women should start having a test every three years. From age 30 to 65, women who get both a smear test and an HPV test can go up to five years between testing.

But women at higher risk may need testing more often and skipping tests raises your risk for invasive cervical cancer.

Please be aware you’ll still need smear tests after getting the HPV vaccine because it doesn’t prevent all cervical cancers.

What if my test is abnormal?

If test results show a minor abnormality, you may need to repeat it. Your doctor may schedule a colposcopy – an exam with a lighted magnifying device – to get a better look at any changes in the cervical tissue and also take a sample to be examined under a microscope.

If abnormal cells are precancerous, they can then be removed or destroyed. Treatments are highly successful in preventing precancerous cells from developing into cancer.

Diagnosis options

In some cases, doctors may offer the option of the HPV DNA test in addition to a smear test. This test checks for the presence of high-risk forms of HPV.

It may be used in combination with a smear test to screen for cervical cancer in women over 30. It may also be recommended for a woman of any age after an abnormal smear test result.

Or a biopsy may be needed to remove cervical tissue for examination in a lab. A pathologist will check the tissue sample for abnormal changes, precancerous cells, and cancer cells.

The four stages of cervical cancer

In stage I, the cancer is beyond the lining of the cervix, but it’s still only in your uterus.

Stage II means it’s spread beyond your cervix and uterus. At this stage, it can also spread to nearby tissues.

A stage III tumour reaches the lower part of your vagina and may make it hard to pee.

Stage IV, the most advanced, means the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, like nearby organs.

Treatment options

Surgery can be recommended if the cancer has not progressed past Stage II. This is to remove any tissue that might contain cancer.

Surgical treatment options vary from cervical conization to simple pr radical hysterectomy. A radical hysterectomy includes, the removal of the cervix and uterus as well as some of the surrounding tissue. The surgeon may also remove the fallopian tubes, ovaries, and lymph nodes near the tumour.

External radiation therapy uses high-energy X-rays to kill cancer cells in a targeted area. It can also help destroy any remaining cancer cells after surgery.

Internal radiation, or brachytherapy, uses radioactive material that is inserted into the tumour. Women with cervical cancer are often treated with a combination of radiation and chemotherapy.

Side effects can include low blood cell counts, feeling tired, upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, and loose stools.

Chemotherapy uses drugs to reach cancer wherever it is in the body. When cervical cancer has spread to distant organs, chemotherapy may be the main treatment option.

Depending on the specific drugs and dosages, side effects may include fatigue, bruising easily, hair loss, nausea, vomiting, and loss of appetite.

Targeted therapy treats changes in cancer cells. One of them involves a protein called VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) that feeds cancer cells. Bevacizumab (Avastin) is a type of targeted medication called an angiogenesis inhibitor. It blocks VEGF so that the tumour starves.

Doctors often combine Avastin with chemo to treat more advanced cervical cancer.

Immunotherapy boosts your own immune system to spot and kill cancer cells. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are drugs that block molecules on immune cells that help tumours evade detection.

Once the cancer cells are found, your body’s disease-fighting T cells attack the growth.

Will my fertility be affected?

Treatment for cervical cancer often involves removing the uterus and may also involve removing the ovaries, ruling out a future pregnancy.

However, if the cancer is caught very early, you still may be able to have children after surgical treatment. A procedure called a radical trachelectomy can remove the cervix and part of the vagina while leaving the majority of the uterus intact.

Prevention help

Gardasil 9 vaccine is available to help prevent 90% of cancers caused by HPV.

You can reduce your risk if you have the vaccine from the time you become sexually active, are screened and tested regularly, practice safe sex and limit sexual partners.

Bioidentical progesterone is known to be helpful when dealing with hormonal cancers. If you know you are low in progesterone then it can be helpful to supplement it, but there can also be a case sometimes for needing a small amount of oestrogen as well.

You may find it helpful to read this article by a bioidentical doctor that discusses the role of both progesterone and oestrogen in cases of cancer.

https://anna.blog.wellsprings-health.com/bioidentical-hormones-cancer/