What is Cervical Cancer? Learn and Recognize Symptoms Before Risk

Phyathai 1

5 Min

Su 24/03/2024

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What is Cervical Cancer? Learn and Recognize Symptoms Before Risk

Cervical Cancer: A Dangerous Threat Women Should Know and How to Recognize Symptoms

Cervical Cancer is one of the most serious diseases that women should be especially aware of and cautious about. Most female cancer patients are diagnosed with cervical cancer, second only to breast cancer. The cause of cervical cancer comes from a virus transmitted through sexual intercourse. Patients infected in the early stages often do not realize it because symptoms are not clearly apparent. The disease usually shows symptoms when patients are between 30-50 years old.

 

Therefore, cervical cancer screening is very important. If abnormalities are detected at a young age, patients have a better chance of timely treatment. Every woman can get screened for cervical cancer immediately without waiting for abnormal symptoms to appear. The earlier it is detected, the faster the problem can be resolved.

 

What is Cervical Cancer and Why is it Dangerous?

Cervical Cancer is cancerous cells that develop in the lower part of the uterus near the vagina. These cancer cells originate from a virus called Human Papillomavirus, commonly known as HPV. This virus is transmitted through sexual contact. If a patient contracts this virus, it causes abnormalities in the cervical lining cells, which can eventually lead to cancer.

 

How to Recognize Symptoms of Cervical Cancer

If you have never undergone cervical cancer screening, you can easily assess your risk based on daily lifestyle behaviors to observe initial abnormal symptoms as follows:

 

Abnormal symptoms after menstruation that can be seen with the naked eye include excessive vaginal discharge or discharge mixed with blood. Normal discharge is clear, odorless, and does not cause itching or irritation.

 

Abnormal symptoms during sexual intercourse often include vaginal bleeding after intercourse, sometimes accompanied by pain.

 

Abnormal symptoms from daily life include a dull lower abdominal pain, back pain radiating to the pelvis, difficulty with bowel movements, blood in urine or stool, loss of appetite, fatigue during the day, easy tiredness, lack of energy, and in some cases, swollen legs due to cancer spreading to the lymph nodes.

 

Stages of Cervical Cancer and Their Symptoms

Many people wonder if cervical cancer is curable. Before treatment, the stage of cervical cancer must be determined. Specialists will check by taking a tissue biopsy from the cervix and assess how much the cancer has spread to other organs to plan appropriate treatment.

  • Cervical Cancer Stage 1 (Initial)

The cancer cells are still confined to the lining of the cervix. At this stage, doctors can evaluate the tumor size under a microscope. No matter how large the tumor grows, it remains only in the uterus and has not spread to other organs.

  • Cervical Cancer Stage 2 (Spread)

The cancer begins to spread to nearby organs such as the tissues beside the cervix and the upper vaginal wall but has not spread to the pelvis. At this stage, doctors can treat by removing the uterus. For some patients who cannot undergo surgery, radiation therapy will be used instead.

  • Cervical Cancer Stage 3 (Advanced)

The cancer has spread to the pelvic area and the lower vaginal wall. This stage may affect the kidneys and lymph nodes because the tumor presses on the ureters causing hydronephrosis. Treatment involves removing pelvic lymph nodes followed by radiation and/or chemotherapy.

  • Cervical Cancer Stage 4 (Final)

This is the most dangerous final stage, where cancer has spread to the bladder, rectum, colon, and other organs such as bones, lungs, and lymph nodes. Treatment at this stage requires chemotherapy only.

 

It can be seen that the severity of cervical cancer increases with the duration of cancer spread. Therefore, every woman should pay attention to internal examinations, plan for HPV vaccination, and undergo cervical cancer screening immediately without waiting for abnormal symptoms to appear.

 

How is Cervical Cancer Treated?

Many may think that cervical cancer treatment is complicated and difficult to understand. Patients can know their cancer stage and whether it has spread to other organs through diagnosis by specialists. Doctors will assess the severity and determine the treatment direction. Nowadays, cancer treatment techniques have advanced, becoming more effective and accessible, including surgery, radiation, and various anti-cancer drugs. These are new treatment options depending on the specialist’s decision.

 

Patients undergoing cervical cancer screening will be referred to a gynecologic specialist at the Women’s Health Center. If diagnosed with cervical cancer, the results will be presented at the MDT Cancer Committee meeting, a team of medical professionals from various fields including gynecology, radiology, radiation therapy, pathology, and medical oncology.

 

The medical team will collaboratively plan personalized treatment at the Cheevit Suk Cancer Center, which focuses on increasing patients’ chances of recovery and preventing cancer recurrence. Doctors will plan precision cancer medicine tailored to the cause of the cancer. Treatment plans may include hormone therapy, immunotherapy, or cell therapy. The Cheevit Suk Cancer Center continuously evaluates and monitors treatment outcomes for the best patient results.

 


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