What is cervical cancer?

Written by Gong Chun
Oncology
Updated on September 20, 2024
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Cervical erosion is one of the most common malignant gynecological tumors, belonging to a type of cervical cancer. Cervical cancer itself is a significant branch within this category, and both the incidence and mortality rates of cervical cancer are relatively high in our country. However, recent advances in medical science have led to a noticeable decline. Cervical cancer is associated with HPV (Human Papillomavirus) infection, as well as with early childbirth, multiple pregnancies, and smoking. The definitive diagnosis of cervical cancer relies on the examination of cervical and endocervical canal live tissues, colposcopic biopsy, or cervical scrape cytology. Typically, after CT, MRI, or other imaging studies, a mass may be detected. Possible symptoms of cervical cancer include vaginal bleeding and vaginal discharge.

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Can cervical cancer be cured?

Cervical cancer is a malignant tumor of the cervix, severely endangering the health of a broad demographic of women. Currently, treatment options for cervical cancer include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. While these methods can extend the patient's lifespan, clinically, cervical cancer cannot be completely cured. For early-stage cervical cancer, various treatments can significantly prolong the patient's life, but a complete cure cannot be guaranteed.

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Will anything grow on the cervix in the early stages of cervical cancer?

In the early stages of cervical cancer, a minority of patients may develop growths on the cervix, but most exhibit erosive changes or thickening of the cervix. Early-stage cervical cancer generally involves a small area of cancerous tissue, with localized lesions and shallow infiltration depth. Many symptoms manifest as recurrent cervical erosion that is difficult to heal completely. There are also a few cases where small nodular lesions appear on the cervix. These small nodules generally do not cause significant damage to the cervix and present with mild clinical symptoms. Many patients only experience mild vaginal bleeding and discharge, with rare occurrences of pain, fever, general fatigue, weight loss, or other systemic symptoms in clinical settings.

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Late-stage symptoms of cervical cancer

What are some symptoms of late-stage cervical cancer? First, there may be vaginal bleeding, characterized by irregular vaginal bleeding. The amount of bleeding varies depending on the size of the lesion and the invasion of interstitial blood vessels. In the late stages, as major blood vessels may be eroded, significant bleeding can occur. The second symptom is vaginal discharge, which is often increased and may be white or blood-stained. Third, late-stage symptoms may include secondary symptoms such as involvement of adjacent tissues and organs and affected nerves, leading to frequent urination, urgency, constipation, swelling and pain in the lower limbs. Cancer pressing on the ureters can cause obstruction of the ureters, hydronephrosis, and uremia. Late stages may also present with symptoms of systemic failure such as anemia and cachexia.

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How is cervical cancer screened?

Cervical cancer screening is a routine gynecological examination item for married women and women who are sexually active. Cervical cancer screening includes TCT (ThinPrep Cytologic Test) and HPV (Human Papillomavirus) tests. The TCT is a cytological examination of the cervix to determine if there are any cervical lesions based on cell morphology. HPV is the human papillomavirus, and its presence is a high-risk factor for cervical cancer. Therefore, cervical cancer screening consists of both TCT and HPV tests. If abnormalities are found in either test, a cervical biopsy may be necessary to confirm the presence of cervical lesions. It is best to conduct these tests between three to seven days after the end of menstruation.

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Cervical cancer indicators

The main indicators of cervical cancer are still the examination of the cervix and cervical canal tissues. There are obvious cancerous changes, and under the microscope pathological sections can show tendencies of cell carcinogenesis, or already developed cancer. The second is the cytological examination of cervical scrapings, which detects the presence of cancer cells. The third is the iodine test, where areas that do not stain after iodine staining indicate a lack of glycogen in the epithelium, suggesting possible lesions. The fourth is colposcopy, which may reveal suspicious cancerous areas, allowing for biopsy to confirm cancer cells. The fifth includes ultrasound, CT, MRI, etc., which can detect mass occupying lesions, all of which are indicators of cervical cancer. Of course, abnormalities in tumor markers are also considered, but the main reliance is still on the indicators from pathological examinations to determine if it's cervical cancer.