AN OVERVIEW OF CERVICAL CANCER PT 2

AN OVERVIEW OF CERVICAL CANCER PT 2 Jul,28,2020

Another risk factor that can result in cervical cancer is cigarette smoking. It is to be noted that certain ingredients in cigarette tend to interact with the cells of cervix, triggering abnormal activities that may progress over time to cancer. According to some studies, the risk of developing cervical cancers in smokers is three to four times higher than non-smokers. When it comes to contraceptive pills, people who tend to take these pills for more than 5 years are likely to be affected by cervical cancer. It’s best to consult your Obgyn free clinic doctor about options for safe contraceptives.

The Symptoms

Luckily, cervical cancer is a slow process and you can tackle the health issue by treating it properly. For this, you must diagnose the disease on time. However, you can hardly find any symptoms during the early stage of cancer, making the health condition dangerous. Some of the potential symptoms that indicate precancerous changes or the chance of developing cervical cancer in the body of a woman include the following.

  • Pain, in the advanced stage of cancer.
  • Abnormal vaginal discharge.
  • Abnormal vaginal bleeding.
  • Pelvic pain during sexual intercourse.
  • Kidney failure due to bowel or urinary tract obstruction; this usually occurs at the final stage of cancer.

If you experience any of the above-mentioned symptoms, it is highly recommended to consult a doctor and get necessary treatment. Since most of these symptoms tend to show off during the advanced stage of cancer, this step is extremely crucial.

Types of Cervical Cancer

There are different types of cervical cancer and determining the type of cancer is extremely important when it comes to the prognosis as well as the effective treatment of cervical cancer. The most common type of cervical cancers includes:

Squamous cell carcinoma – This type of cervical cancer occurs when the squamous cells are affected. Note that the squamous cells are the thin and flat cells that line the outer part of the cervix.

Adenocarcinoma – This is a type of cervical cancer that occurs when the glandular cells bordering the cervical gland of a person are affected.

Diagnosis and Treatment

Since cervical cancer hardly exhibits any symptoms at the initial stage, most doctors recommend every woman to do screening tests like pap test and HPV DNA test at the age of 21. This will help them to diagnose the disease earlier and to treat it effectively. Some other tests used to diagnose cervical cancer include colposcopic examination, cone biopsy, imaging tests, and electrical wire loop test. When it comes to the treatment, some of the potential options include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, etc. After treatment, it is recommended for the patients to carry out follow-up tests, supportive or palliative care, clinical trials, etc.

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    About the Author

    Dr. Ghassan M. Al-Jazayrly, MD

    A graduate of University of Aleppo Faculty of Medicine, Dr. Al-Jazayrly or, as he is colloquially known: Dr. AJ, is an oncologist and hematologist of a Complete Care Community Health Center (CCCHC) with more than 36 years of experience. In recent years, he’s been involved with a non profit organization known as Every Woman Counts (EWC) which provides free breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostic services to California’s underserved populations in order to eliminate health disparities for low-income individuals.

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