Cervical Cancer and Cervical Carcinoma – Symptoms, Treatment, and Early Detection of Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is a malignant change in the tissue of the cervix. The cervix is located at the lower end of the uterus. In medical terminology, this cancer is also referred to as cervical carcinoma.

Cervical cancer has nothing to do with uterine cancer (cancer of the uterine body) and should not be confused with it! Statistically speaking, women between the ages of 40 and 59 are particularly likely to be affected by cervical cancer. Many women are even younger at the time of diagnosis.

In its early stages, cervical cancer often goes unnoticed. As the disease progresses, symptoms may include, among other things,

• spotting,
• pain, or
• vaginal discharge

.

In most cases, cervical cancer is caused by an infection with human papillomaviruses (HPV). Some types of these viruses are particularly aggressive and trigger tissue changes that lead to this type of cancer.

HPV is transmitted through sexual intercourse. Normally, the immune system can successfully fight off the infection. However, sometimes a few viruses may remain in the lining of the uterus. There, they can cause tissue changes over time.

Put simply, cervical cancer is the direct result of an infection. There is a protective vaccine against this infection, known as the HPV vaccine. It must be administered before a person becomes sexually active.

Furthermore, the disease can spread from an initially localized lesion to the surrounding organ. In advanced stages, the tumor has often already spread and affects adjacent tissue. Women aged 20 and older, in particular, should therefore undergo regular screening exams to ensure early detection.

Without timely diagnosis and treatment, the risk of developing cervical cancer can increase significantly. According to the German Cancer Society, infection with certain HPV types is the primary cause of this cancer. Consistent prevention helps avoid severe progression of the disease.

In most cases, cervical cancer does not cause any symptoms in its early stages. As a result, the affected woman is unaware of the underlying infection.

As the disease progresses, the following symptoms may occur, for example:

• Bleeding between periods outside the normal cycle,
• Bleeding after sexual intercourse,
• strong-smelling discharge,
• pain during sexual intercourse and in the pelvic area.

Other symptoms do not necessarily have to occur directly in the lower abdomen. Uterine cancer can also cause

• back pain,
• weight loss,
• swelling, or
• urinary tract infections

.

Since this disease often shows no symptoms for a long time, early screening starting at age 20 is recommended. Starting at this age, health insurance plans cover an annual screening exam.

These screenings are also necessary for women who have been vaccinated against the HPV virus. The vaccine cannot guarantee 100% protection.

During the exam, the doctor examines the cervix and takes a smear sample from the cervical canal. These smears are then examined more closely using the so-called Pap test. In the laboratory, the samples are checked for cellular changes that may indicate a potential disease.

The frequency of follow-up screenings depends on the nature of the changes. A colonoscopy or biopsy may also be performed as part of the examinations.

The type of treatment depends on the stage of the disease.

Precancerous lesions can be completely removed with a conization. For very early forms of invasive disease, a conization may also be sufficient.

In more advanced cases of cervical cancer, it is often necessary to remove the uterus. This requires a radical hysterectomy, meaning that surgeons also remove the entire uterine ligaments. Cancer cells may also affect the lymph nodes in the pelvis and along the abdominal aorta, and these are also removed.

After surgery, doctors decide whether radiation therapy in combination with chemotherapy is still necessary.

If the tumor cannot be removed surgically, the combination of radiation therapy and chemotherapy may be the only treatment option.

In the early stages, the chances of recovery from cervical cancer are considered very good. This applies to both precancerous lesions and early stages of cancer.

However, if the tumors grow or spread to other parts of the body, the chances of recovery decrease.

Preventing cervical cancer means preventing the underlying HPV infection.

Girls should definitely get the HPV vaccine. The vaccine is not 100% effective, but it significantly reduces the risk of infection. Since HPV is transmitted through sexual intercourse, the vaccine should be administered early enough.

Practicing safe sex can also help. While condoms cannot eliminate all risks of viral transmission, they do reduce the risk.

Otherwise, you should always undergo annual cancer screenings, even at a young age. This allows potential problems to be detected and treated early.

Cervical cancer is a significant cancer in Germany, in which the risk of cervical cancer is primarily increased by infection with human papillomaviruses, which are considered the main cause of cervical cancer and explain how the disease develops.

When cervical cancer is suspected, diagnosis is made through targeted examinations that assess signs of cervical cancer, early stages, the upper part of the vagina, as well as precancerous lesions or cervical cancer, and a diagnosis of cervical cancer is frequently made.

Since cervical cancer usually develops slowly, it can be effectively prevented through cervical cancer prevention measures, vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV), and vaccination against HPV—even in girls and boys.

Treatment for cervical cancer depends on the stage of the disease, since early-stage cervical cancer requires different treatment options than malignant tumors in advanced cases, once cervical cancer has been detected or diagnosed.

For women with cervical cancer, women who have had cervical cancer, patients with cervical cancer, and women newly diagnosed with cervical cancer, treatment—including therapy and follow-up care for the patient—is crucial for the prognosis of cervical cancer.

The topic of cervical cancer highlights that cervical cancer exists, that it can occur, and that it can develop, with the causes of cervical cancer, as well as causes and risk factors, each risk factor for cervical cancer, cases of cervical cancer, and the patient guideline on cervical cancer all play a central role.