The cervix is the lower part of the uterus which connects it to the vagina. Sometimes called the “neck of the womb,” the cervix plays an important role in allowing fluids to pass between the uterus and vagina.
Cervical cancer is cancer of the cervix. It is due to an abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body.
It is predominantly caused by infection with types 16 and 18 of the human papillomavirus (HPV).
Research has found that it can take 5 to 10 years for HPV-infected cervical cells to develop into precancers and about 20 years to develop into cancer.
HPV infection can be contracted from any skin-to-skin contact of the genital area, vaginal-, anal- or oral sex, or sharing sex toys.
There is also an increased risk of cervical cancer associated with smoking tobacco, taking the contraceptive pill for more than 5 years, being HIV positive or having a weakened immune system, giving birth to multiple children under the age of 17 years, if your mother took the hormonal medicine diethylstilbestrol (DES) while pregnant with you, or if you’ve previously had vaginal, vulval, kidney or bladder cancer.
There are approximately 3,300 new cases of cervical cancer diagnosed in the UK every year making it the fourteenth most common cancer. Cervical cancer causes approximately 850 deaths each year in the UK.
Whilst cervical cancer can occur at any age, it most commonly affects women aged between 30 – 35 years.
Early stage cervical cancer often has no symptoms. Later symptoms include vaginal bleeding that’s unusual compared to a typical menstrual period, pain during sex, changes in vaginal discharge, and lower back or pelvic pain.
The HPV vaccine protects against most cases of cervical cancer. It’s recommended for children aged 12 to 13 years old and people at higher risk from HPV.
It’s usually administered by school nurses to pupils in year 8.
In clinical trials, the HPV vaccine was over 99 percent effective at preventing pre-cancer caused by HPV types 16 and 18 in young women, which are linked to 70 percent of cervical cancers.
Cervical screening is one of the best ways to protect yourself from cervical cancer.
All women between the ages of 25 to 49 years are invited for a cervical smear every 3 years and between the ages of 50 to 64 years every 5 years.
It’s a test that checks the health of your cervix and helps to find any abnormal cells and high-risk types of HPV, namely types 16 and 18, before they can turn into cancer.
If abnormal cells are found and you harbour HPV types 16 and 18, you will be invited for a special test called a colposcopy, which is a microscopic examination of the cervix, to assess this further and to treat these abnormal cells so they do not get a chance to turn into cervical cancer.
If HPV is found but there are no abnormal cell changes the you will be invited for screening in 1 year and again 1 year later if you still have HPV. If you still have HPV after 2 years, you’ll be asked to have a colposcopy.
Most cases of cervical cancer are curable with surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy or immunotherapy.
I would urge anyone who is worried about cervical cancer to consult with their GP.