Cervical Cancer is a malignant tumor that grows in the cervix / cervix (the lowest part of the uterus attached to the top of the vagina).
Cervical cancer is usually attacked women aged 35-55 years. 90% of Cervical cancers derived from squamous cells lining the cervix and the remaining 10% comes from the mucus-producing glandular cells in cervical channel leading into the uterus.
Cervical cancer occurs when cervical cells become abnormal and divide an uncontrollable.
If the cervical cells continue to divide it will form a mass of tissue called tumors that can be benign or malignant. If the tumor is malignant, then the condition is called cervical cancer.
Cause of the abnormalities in cervical cells is not known, but there are certain risk factors that affect the occurrence of cervical cancer:
► HPV (human papillomavirus)
HPV is the virus that causes genital warts (condyloma akuminata) which is transmitted through sexual contact. Variants are very dangerous is HPV types 16, 18, 45 and 56.
► Smoking
Tobacco damage to the immune system and affect the body's ability to fight HPV infection in the cervix.
► First sexual intercourse at an early age performed
► Changing sexual partners
► Husband / sexual partner's first sexual intercourse at age below 18 years, changing partners and had been married to a woman who suffered from cervical cancer
► Use of DES (diethylstilbestrol) in pregnant women to prevent miscarriage (widely used in 1940-1970)
► Immune system disorders
► Use of birth control pills
► Genital herpes infection or chronic chlamydia infections
► Economically weak groups (for not being able to do Pap smears on a regular basis)
The cells on the surface of the cervix sometimes appear abnormal but not malignant.
Scientists believe that some abnormal changes in cervical cells is the first step in a series of slow changes, a few years later can cause cancer. Therefore some abnormal changes are precancerous condition, which can turn into cancer.
Now, used a different term for abnormal changes to cells on the surface of the cervix, one of whom is intraepitel squamous lesions (mean lesion tissue disorders, intraepitel means that cells found only in the abnormal surface layer).
Changes in these cells can be divided into 2 groups:
1. Low-level lesions: an early change in the size, shape and number of cells that form the surface of the cervix. Some low-level lesions disappear by itself. But others grow into larger and more abnormal, forming a high-level lesions.
Low-level lesion also called mild dysplasia or cervical intraepitel neoplasia 1 (NIS 1).
Low-level lesions most often found in women aged 25-35 years, but also can occur in all age groups.
2. Lesions high level: in a large number of precancerous cells that look very different from normal cells.
These precancerous changes occur only in cells on the surface of the cervix. For months, even years, these cells will not become violent and will not infiltrate the cervical layers deeper.
High-level lesion dysplasia is also called secondary or severe dysplasia, NIS 2 or 3, or carcinoma in situ.
High-level lesions most often found in women aged 30-40 years.
If abnormal cells spread deeper into the cervix or to other organs or tissue, called the situation mada cervical cancer or invasive cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer most often found in over 40 years of age.
Precancerous changes in the cervix usually do not cause symptoms and these changes are not detected unless a woman is undergoing a pelvic exam and Pap smear.
Symptoms usually only appear when the abnormal cervical cells become malignant, and infiltrate the surrounding tissue. At this moment will occur the following symptoms:
→ Abnormal vaginal bleeding, especially between 2 periods, after sexual intercourse and after menopause
→ Abnormal Menstruation (longer and more)
→ Whitish who settled, with a watery liquid, pink, brown, contains blood or black and smelly.
Symptoms of advanced cervical cancer:
→ Decreased appetite, weight loss, fatigue
→ Pelvic pain, back or legsa
→ From the vagina out of the urine or stool
→ Broken bones (fractures).
And i hope this article is very useful to you, wassalamu`alaikum....
