Cervical cancer remains one of the few cancers that is largely preventable, yet it continues to affect hundreds of thousands of women worldwide each year. Often developing silently with little or no early symptoms, the disease can progress unnoticed without regular screening. Fortunately, vaccination, routine screening, and early treatment significantly reduce risk and improve survival rates.
Understanding what causes cervical cancer, how to recognize warning signs, and what treatment options are available empowers individuals to take control of their health and make informed medical decisions.
What is Cervical Cancer?
Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that begins in the cells of the cervix, the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina. It develops when normal cervical cells undergo abnormal changes and start growing uncontrollably, often due to long-term infection with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV). These abnormal cells usually progress slowly, starting as precancerous changes that can be detected through routine screening, such as Pap smears, before becoming cancerous.
Many times, cervical cancer does not show any symptoms until it starts to spread. That’s why regular cervical cancer screenings and the HPV vaccine are crucial. They can reduce your risk of developing the condition. When identified early, cervical cancer is highly treatable, making awareness, vaccination, and regular screening critical for prevention and effective management.
When cervical cancer occurs, surgery is often the first treatment to remove the tumor. Other treatment options may include chemotherapy and targeted therapy medicines. Radiation therapy with high-energy beams may also be employed. Sometimes, the treatment involves a combination of radiation with low-dose chemotherapy.
Types of Cervical Cancer
Cervical cancer is classified according to the type of cell in which the cancer starts. The following are the primary forms of cervical cancer:
- Squamous Cell Carcinoma: It is the most common type of cervical cancer (about 70% to 90% cases), arising from the thin, flat squamous cells that line the outer surface of the cervix. It usually develops slowly from precancerous changes and is strongly linked to persistent HPV infection.
- Adenocarcinoma: A less common type that develops from the glandular cells lining the cervical canal. It can be harder to detect with routine screening and may grow more aggressively than squamous cell carcinoma.
Cervical cancer can occasionally involve both kinds of cells. Cancer rarely develops in other cells of the cervix.
What are the Symptoms of Cervical Cancer?
Cervical cancer in its early stages is difficult to detect because there are usually no symptoms. The initial symptoms of cervical cancer may take some time to appear.
As it grows, it may exhibit the following signs and symptoms:
- Vaginal bleeding after sexual activity, between menstrual periods, and after menopause
- Heavier menstrual bleeding that lasts longer than usual
- Watery or bloody vaginal discharge that may be heavy and foul-smelling
- Pelvic pain or pain during sexual intercourse.
The following symptoms may indicate that cancer has spread to nearby tissues or organs:
- Urination is difficult or painful, and sometimes there is blood in the urine.
- Diarrhea, soreness, or bleeding from the rectum while passing stool.
- Fatigue, appetite loss, and weight loss
- A general feeling of being unwell.
- Leg swelling or dull back pain
- Pelvic or abdominal pain
What Causes Cervical Cancer?
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a sexually transmitted disease that causes the majority of cervical cancers. It spreads via skin-to-skin sexual contact. Most people will contract HPV at some point in their lives without realizing it because their bodies combat the infection. However, if your body is unable to fight it off, the cells in your cervix may become cancerous.
Cervical cancer develops when healthy cells in the cervix undergo DNA changes. The DNA of a cell includes the instructions that direct the cell’s actions. These changes instruct cells to multiply rapidly. Healthy cells normally die as part of their life cycle, but these defective cells continue to exist. This results in an excess of such cells that might form a mass called a tumor. These cells may invade and damage healthy tissue. Over time, the cells can detach and spread to other parts of the body.
What are the Risk Factors of Cervical Cancer?
The risk factors of cervical cancer include:
- Persistent HPV infection: Long-term infection with high-risk HPV types causes cellular changes that can progress into cervical cancer.
- Early sexual activity: Earlier exposure increases the chance of acquiring HPV when cervical cells are more vulnerable.
- Multiple sexual partners: More partners raise the likelihood of HPV transmission and reinfection.
- Weakened immune system: Reduced immune defense makes it harder for the body to clear HPV infections.
- Smoking: Tobacco toxins damage cervical cells and weaken local immune response, increasing cancer risk.
- Lack of regular screening: Missed screenings allow precancerous changes to go undetected and untreated.
- Long-term oral contraceptive use: Prolonged hormone exposure may slightly increase susceptibility to cervical cancer.
- Multiple full-term pregnancies: Hormonal changes and cervical stress may increase vulnerability to HPV-related damage.
- Family history of cervical cancer: Genetic factors may influence susceptibility to abnormal cell growth.
- Limited access to healthcare: Reduced access lowers vaccination and screening rates, increasing the risk of late detection.
- Exposure to miscarriage prevention medicine (DES): DES was a medicine used to prevent miscarriage between 1938 and 1971. You may have a higher risk of developing cervical cancer if your mother used DES.
How Long may Cervical Cancer Go Unnoticed?
Changes in precancerous cells can develop gradually, but once they become cancer, they may progress rapidly. The development of cancer from abnormal cell alterations takes three to seven years.
Pap tests can identify precancerous cell alterations before they have a chance to develop into a tumor. Cervical cancer is unlikely to go unnoticed if you get regular Pap tests.
How is Cervical Cancer Diagnosed?
Cervical cancer diagnosis typically begins with routine screening and progresses to more detailed testing if abnormalities are found.
Screening Tests
- Pap test (or Pap smear): Pap test screenings can detect the majority of cervical cancer cases. Cervical cancer screening aims to identify cell changes on your cervix before they develop into cancer. A Pap test, also known as a Pap smear, entails examining cervical cells under a microscope. These cells are investigated for signs of precancers or other abnormalities.
- HPV test: Additional testing is required if your Pap results are abnormal. It could involve an HPV test, which is a particular test that examines the cells of your cervix for the HPV types most likely to cause cancer.
Diagnostic Procedures
When screening tests indicate abnormal findings, further diagnostic procedures are used to confirm cervical cancer, determine its type, and assess how far it has spread.
- Colposcopy: A specialized instrument called a colposcope is used to closely examine the cervix under magnification, allowing the clinician to identify abnormal areas and guide biopsy placement.
- Biopsy: A small sample of cervical tissue is removed and examined under a microscope to confirm the presence of precancerous or cancerous cells and determine the cancer type.
- Endocervical curettage (ECC): Cells are gently scraped from the cervical canal to detect abnormalities that may not be visible during colposcopy.
- Cone biopsy (conization): A cone-shaped section of tissue is removed for detailed examination when deeper or unclear abnormalities are suspected.
- Imaging tests:
- Ultrasound: Evaluates pelvic organs and detects masses.
- CT scan: Identifies tumor size and spread to lymph nodes or nearby organs.
- MRI: Gives clear images of the cervix and surrounding tissues to see how far the cancer has grown.
- PET scan: Helps doctors find active cancer cells and check if the cancer has spread to other parts of the body.
- Cystoscopy and proctoscopy: In advanced cases, these procedures check whether cancer has spread to the bladder or rectum.
These tests help doctors confirm the diagnosis, stage the disease, and develop an appropriate treatment plan.
How is Cervical Cancer Treated?
Many factors influence cervical cancer treatment, including the stage of the disease, your age and general health, and whether or not you plan to have children in the future.
Radiation, chemotherapy, surgery, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy are the available treatments for cervical cancer.
Radiation
Radiation uses high-energy beams to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors. It can be delivered externally or internally (brachytherapy) and is often combined with chemotherapy for better effectiveness, especially in locally advanced cancer.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses oral medications or intravenous injections to kill cancer cells. It enters your bloodstream and effectively kills cells throughout the body. Chemotherapy employs several drugs that can be combined.
Chemotherapy is frequently administered in cycles. The length of the chemotherapy cycle and its schedule vary based on the medication used and the cancer’s location in the body.
Surgery
Surgery is often the first-line treatment for early-stage cervical cancer and aims to remove cancerous tissue while preserving as much healthy tissue as possible. The type of surgery depends on the cancer stage, size, location, and whether the patient wishes to maintain fertility.
The following are the most common types of surgery for cervical cancer:
- Laser Surgery: This procedure involves targeting and destroying only the cancer cells using a laser beam.
- Cryosurgery: This surgery destroys cancer cells by freezing them.
- Hysterectomy: This procedure entails removing the uterus and cervix.
- Trachelectomy: This treatment removes only the cervix and the upper part of the vagina, not the uterus, allowing the possibility of future pregnancy.
- Pelvic exenteration: This is similar to a hysterectomy, but depending on where the cancer has spread, it may also include your bladder, vagina, rectum, and a portion of your colon.
Surgery may be combined with radiation or chemotherapy in certain cases to reduce the risk of recurrence. Recovery time and side effects vary depending on the procedure, with fertility and hormone considerations discussed beforehand.
Targeted Therapy
Targeted drug therapy is a cancer treatment that focuses on specific molecules or processes necessary for the growth and survival of cancer cells. Unlike chemotherapy, it primarily targets cancer cells, causing less damage to healthy cells.
In cervical cancer, targeted therapy can slow tumor growth, stop the formation of new blood vessels that feed the tumor, and is often used for advanced or recurring cancer. It is usually given as a pill or injection and is carefully monitored by doctors for effectiveness and side effects.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy uses medicines to help the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells. Cancer cells can evade detection by disguising themselves as healthy cells. Immunotherapy works by blocking the signals that allow cancer cells to hide, enabling the immune system to identify and destroy them effectively.
How to Prevent Cervical Cancer?
Cervical cancer is one of the most preventable cancers when effective preventive measures are followed. The following steps significantly reduce the risk:
- Get the HPV vaccine: The vaccine protects against the most common high-risk HPV types responsible for cervical cancer and is most effective when given before sexual activity begins.
- Attend regular screening tests: Routine Pap smears and HPV tests help detect abnormal cervical cells early, allowing treatment before cancer develops.
- Practice safe sex: Preventing sexually transmitted infections can lower your risk of developing cervical cancer. It includes limiting the number of sexual partners and always using a condom.
- Avoid smoking: Smoking weakens the immune system and damages cervical cells, increasing susceptibility to cancer.
- Maintain a strong immune system: A balanced diet, regular exercise, sufficient sleep, and management of chronic illnesses support the body’s ability to combat infections, including HPV.
- Follow medical advice after abnormal results: Timely follow-up testing and treatment prevent precancerous changes from progressing to cancer.
Key Takeaways
Cervical cancer is largely preventable and highly treatable when detected early. Persistent HPV infection remains the primary cause, making vaccination and routine screening essential for protection. Early symptoms are often silent, so regular checkups play a critical role in early detection. With timely diagnosis, modern treatments such as surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, targeted therapy, and immunotherapy offer strong recovery outcomes. Awareness, preventive care, and prompt medical attention together significantly reduce risk and save lives.
Choose Chughtai Lab for Cervical Cancer Screening
Chughtai Lab offers accurate, timely, and reliable cervical cancer screening through advanced diagnostic technology and stringent quality standards. We provide essential tests, including the Pap Smear (Pap Test), HPV DNA Test, and detailed histopathology examination, where tissue samples are analyzed under a microscope to confirm the presence, type, and severity of abnormal or cancerous cells. Experienced pathologists review every sample to ensure precise reporting, while streamlined processes ensure faster turnaround times to support early clinical decisions. We uphold high standards for hygiene and data confidentiality, provide clear and comprehensible reports, and offer professional support for follow-up guidance. The focus remains on early detection, consistency, and patient trust.
