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Recent News and Articles on the Keywords: cervical cancer + cervical cancer: + cancer  Related to the article below (Last Update: 8/5/2008)

German Association of Gynecology and Obstetrics Recommends HPV ... MarketWatch - "By using both tests for women 30 and over, when cervical cancer is most common, we hope to greatly reduce the number of women suffering and dying from this ... A survivor?s battle with cervical cancer Inquirer.net all 17 news articles » Ottawa Citizen Christina Applegate's Breast Cancer: FAQ WebMD - Applegate, star of the ABC comedy Samantha Who?, has a family history of cancer -- her mother has had breast cancer and cervical cancer. ... AssociatedPress Breast MRI Helps Diagnose Christina Applegate's Breast Cancer KLAS-TV Christina Applegate fighting cancer Reuters ITN - Now Magazine Online all 980 news articles » Kenya lacks guidlines to manage cervical cancer Africa Science News Service, Kenya - Although cervical cancer is killing close to 2, 000 Kenyans annually, there is no guideline to help manage the ever threatening disease that mostly afflict ... Does the Pill Increase the Risk of Cervical Cancer? InjuryBoard.com, FL - There has been much talk about recent studies that find that women who use birth control pills have an increased risk of developing cervical cancer. ... The Pill Raises Cervical Cancer Risk Newsinferno.com, NY - A recent study states that women who use birth control pills have an increased risk of developing cervical cancer. Although the risk does fall once the pill ... Vitamin C jabs may combat cancer New Scientist (subscription), UK - ... the safety of giving intravenous vitamin C, plus other antioxidants given orally, on top of existing therapies for ovarian, cervical or uterine cancer. ... Bay girls offered cancer jab Hawke's Bay Today, New Zealand - From next month, young women who were born in 1990 and 1991 will be offered a vaccine that offers protection from a virus that can cause cervical cancer in ... Twenty years on from the Cartwright inquiry Scoop.co.nz (press release) all 3 news articles » MDL Receives GBP600k in New Funding Round for World-Beating Cancer ... MarketWatch - ... product has been clinically validated in Gloucester Royal Hospital and University College Hospital on cervical, oesophageal and oral cancer tissues. ... TV 'giving a warped view of cancer rates' NEWS.com.au, Australia - Aug 2, 2008 An investigation of news and current affairs shows has found that cancers affecting women, like breast, ovarian and cervical cancer, and stories about ... TV bias on cancer The Australian all 18 news articles » Cervical cancer Globe and Mail, Canada - Aug 1, 2008 Cervical cancer is one of the most common types of cancer a woman can get, and oncologists say it is increasingly striking at younger ages. ...

Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is a common type of slow-growing cancer in women that affects the mouth of the womb (uterus). The cervix connects the uterus to the vagina. Each year in the U.S., about 16,000 new cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed. The condition may start with changes in the shape, size or formation of cervical cells called dysplasia.

Pre-cancerous cervical conditions are generally painless. They are not easily detected unless the patient has a pelvic exam and a Pap smear. Symptoms include:

• Abnormal bleeding. This happens only after the cervical cells become cancerous and invade neighboring tissues.

• Unusual vaginal discharge

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• Increased bleeding during menstruation

• Bleeding between regular menstrual periods or after sexual intercourse, douching or a pelvic exam

• Difficulty or pain in urination
  

• Pain during intercourse
  

• Pain in the pelvic area
  

• Pre- or post-menopausal bleeding.
  

These symptoms may also be caused by other less serious health problems. Patients are encouraged to visit their doctors when experiencing similar symptoms.

A virus called human papillomavirus (HPV) is believed to cause cells and tissues in the cervix to grow abnormally to develop into cervical cancer. About 6 million women in the U.S. are infected with HPV. While researchers work to learn more about this form of cancer, certain risk factors are known:

• Having many sexual partners

• First intercourse at a young age
  
  

• History of smoking

Pelvic exams, Pap smears and biopsies are methods used to detect cervical cancer and abnormal, pre-cancerous cervical lesions.

A pelvic exam involves the doctor probing for lumps or abnormalities in shape or size of the uterus, vagina, ovaries, fallopian tubes, bladder and rectum using a speculum. This instrument enlarges the vagina and allows the doctor to see the upper portion of the vagina and the cervix.

A pap smear is a simple and painless test often done during a pelvic exam. A small wooden scraper (spatula) and/or a small brush is used to collect cell samples from the upper portion of the vagina and the cervix. Samples are looked at under a microscope to check for abnormal cells. Pap smears examine only cervical cells and are not indicators of uterine cancer.

Biopsy requires a doctor scraping or removing a small amount of tissue from the cervix while the patient is under anesthesia. The sample is sent to the laboratory to see if cancer cells are present.

After test and examination results are in, the doctor will discuss with the patient what treatments will likely work best for her condition. Treatment plans depend on:

• Patient's age
  

• Patient's general health
  

• Tumor size
  

• Stage of the disease
  

• Speed of cell growth and degree of spreading (tumor grade)
  

• Effect of female hormones on tumor size
  

• Patient's desire to have children in the future
  

Treatments for cervical cancer include:

• Surgery

• Radiation therapy

• Chemotherapy

• Biologic Therapy