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Verified by Dr. Vaishali Sakpal Rane (MBBS, DGO Obstetrics and Gynaecology, DNB Obstetrics and Gynaecology)
Cervical cancer is the cancer of the cervix which connects vagina and uterus. It starts when there is uncontrollable growth of abnormal cells in the cervix. Cervical cancer is mainly caused by a virus known as Human Papillomavirus. A long-term infection of HPV on the cervix can result in cancer or tumor. This tumour can be either cancerous or benign. A cancerous tumor is malignant, which means that it can spread to other parts of the body whereas a benign tumor means the tumor does not spread and remains confined to the origin.
There are certain risk factors like smoking, using frequently birth control pills or having multiple sexual partner. But that doesn’t mean that you will surely get the disease if you have these risk factors. Some people can get the disease without any risk factors in their life and some with many risk factors don’t get the disease.
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The cervix is covered with two different types of cells in its two different parts.
The endocervix is the part of the cervix (the opening) that leads into the uterus. This part is covered with glandular cells.
The ectocervix (exocervix) is the outer part of the cervix that can be seen from the outside during a speculum examination by a doctor. It is covered by squamous cells. The transformation zone is the place where these two cell types meet in the cervix.
There are two main types of cervical cancer:
Squamous cell carcinoma and Adenocarcinoma. Out of these two, Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common type of cervical cancer. In squamous cell carcinoma, there is uncontrollable growth of cells in the exocervix.
Squamous cell carcinomas
These cancers develop from cells in the exocervix and they are also the most common type of cervical cancer.
Adenocarcinomas
These cancers develop from glandular cells of the cervix.
Other Epithelial tumours
Adenosquamous carcinoma and other undifferentiated carcinoma can also develop in the cervix.
Although there’s no proven way to completely cure or prevent this disease, it is possible to prevent cervical cancer by making yourself aware of the preventive measures and talking to your doctor. HPV vaccination and regular screening tests can prevent cervical cancer. Talk to your doctor to know more about the cervical cancer vaccine and routine screening tests for prevention of cervical cancer.