The mere mention of the word Cancer scares people endlessly. The causes of cancer are the abnormal growth of cells which multiply endlessly to form a tumour like growth. However people are now getting aware about the various cancers and the carcinogens causing them.
People are quite aware about the breast cancer but another cancer that targets the health of women all around the world is the cervical cancer. The main problem that is seen in this condition is the late diagnosis of the condition. The symptoms are seen only at a later stage and hence this cancer is almost undetectable in the earlier stages. However now with the spread of awareness, people are taking the necessary care to get themselves checked by the doctor.
One way to check for these cancers is the PAP smear screening. This screening can identify the precancerous changes. The cause for this cancer is the Human Papilloma virus also known as the HPV. There are now vaccines available for this cancer.
This carcinoma cannot be detected as the early stages are totally asymptomatic. The symptoms seen in the later stages include contact bleeding and vaginal bleeding. Advanced stages of this cancer show weight loss, back pain, pelvic pain, loss of appetite and leaking urine or feces from the vagina.
This disease is considered among the venereal diseases or the sexually transmitted diseases. Preventive measures to avoid cervical cancer include usage of condoms. The treatment for this is surgery in the early stages and radiation and chemotherapy in the later stages.
With the awareness and availability of vaccines, this cancer is now controllable to a certain extent. This is the fifth mostly deadly known cancer affecting women and has an incidence of 16 per 100,000 women. However it is reducing drastically as the PAP smear screening is done almost in every hospital and health care centre.
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