Cervical
Cervical cancer is not inherited. In almost all cases it is caused by sexual transmission of human papillomavirus (HPV). About 80% of sexually active people will get HPV at some point but in the majority of people it does not lead to cervical cancer. There are over 100 types of HPV and each type is given a number. Different HPVs affect different parts of the body and causes lesions. HPV 1 and 2 cause verrucas, some strains cause genital warts and some strains lead to certain cancers including cervical cancer in women or penile/anal cancer in men.
Cervical screening involves taking a few cells from the cervix and examining them under a microscope to test for changes which might develop into cervical cancer in the future. Cervical smears can prevent up to 75% of cancer developing. Results from a smear test are summarised in the tables below.
If a smear is positive, a woman will be invited to have a colposcopy, which is where the cervix is looked at using a microscope. Cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia (CIN) is when there are changes in the cells of the cervical.
CIN 1 – is when one-third of the thickness of the surface layer of the cervix is affected. It is not pre-cancerous, the abnormal cells will usually return to normal on their own
CIN 2 – this is when two-thirds of the thickness of the surface layer of the cervix is affected. This should be treated.
CIN 3 – this is when the full thickness of the surface layer of the cervix is affected. This should be treated as soon as possible.
The abnormal cells will be treated to destroy them so they do not form into cancer. This can be done using a variety of treatments: Large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) an electric current is used to cut away the cells and heal the wound, Cone biopsy where a cone of tissue is removed, Straight wire excision of the transformation zone (SWETZ) or needlepoint excision of the transformation zone (NETZ) which is similar to the cone biopsy, Cryotherapy where the cells are frozen, Laser treatments and Cold coagulation.
Recent advancements in vaccines against the HPV are highly effective when given to adolescents and can reduce cervical cancer rates even further. The vaccines cover the strains of HPV that cause genital warts and cervical cancer. Currently in the UK, schoolchildren are offered the vaccination at age 12, in order to reduce the chance of them being infected by HPV and decrease their chance of getting cervical cancer. The vaccine does not work if given after somebody has become sexually active, because HPV is so widespread. It is also of no benefit to someone who has been diagnosed with cervical cancer.
But with all this screening and vaccination – cervical cancer is the most common cancer for women under 35. In the EU every year, 60,000 women get cervical cancer and 30,000 die from it. In the UK 3000 women a year are diagnosed with cervical cancer. Why are these numbers so high – it’s because in some countries, the screening and vaccination programmes are not working properly. And also some women do not know about the programmes.
Cervical cancer is preventable if caught early – so please make sure you have a regular smear test.
Read More:
http://www.macmillan.org.uk/information-and-support/cervical-cancer
