Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer grows in the cells within the cervix. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus in the female reproductive system. The cervix connects the uterus and the vagina.

Types of cervical cancer include:

  • Squamous cell carcinomas — Cancer that begins in the cells that line the bottom of the cervix. These make up 80% of cervical cancers.

  • Adenocarcinomas — Cancer that forms in the top glandular cells of the cervix.

Causes of Cervical Cancer

The cause of cervical cancer is typically human papillomavirus (HPV) or a genetic mutation in your DNA. DNA mutations cause healthy cells to change and grow at a rapid rate, causing a tumor. Not everyone with HPV will develop cervical cancer.

Risk Factors for Cervical Cancer

Some people who get cervical cancer have a specific mutation in their DNA that increases their risk of getting cervical cancer. Our heredity cancer program can provide important information to you and your family so we can identify cancer early, when it is most treatable, and plan your treatment.

Cervical cancer is associated with the following risk factors:

  • Early sexual activity.
  • Family history of cervical cancer.
  • HIV infection.
  • Inherited gene mutations BRCA1 and BRCA2.
  • Many sexual partners.
  • Sexually transmitted diseases.
  • Smoking
Doctor consulting woman patient

Make an appointment

For more information, please contact your oncologist or the Cancer Care Center at (859) 301-2237, option 2.

Symptoms of Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer often has no symptoms. If it has spread, symptoms include:

  • Bleeding after intercourse.
  • Pain during sexual activity.
  • Pelvic pain.
  • Vaginal discharge (may be bloody and foul-smelling).

Diagnosing Cervical Cancer

If your doctor suspects that you have cervical cancer, they may run tests to determine the stage of cancer to develop the best treatment plan. These tests include:

  • Biopsy
  • Blood tests to check genetic makeup and blood markers.
  • CT scan.
  • HPV DNA test.
  • MRI
  • Pap test.
  • PET/CT scan.

If you’ve been diagnosed with cervical cancer, we can provide a second opinion and present treatment options.

Treating Cervical Cancer

At St. Elizabeth Healthcare, we believe in caring for you, not just treating your cancer. Our holistic approach means we combine cancer treatment with working to minimize side effects and help you manage them. Our goal is to make you as comfortable as possible while we use innovative approaches to treat your cancer.

Treatment for early-stage cervical cancer usually begins with surgery. We have expertise in robotic-assisted surgery and minimally invasive surgical techniques. Our surgeons are experts in diagnosing and treating gynecologic cancers.

Depending on the stage of your cancer and whether it has spread, your treatment may include

  • Chemotherapy — Therapy that uses drugs injected through IV, taken by mouth or applied on the skin to attack and kill cancer cells.

  • Clinical trials — Innovative drug and genetic therapies used to treat Cervical cancers.

  • Immunotherapy — Medication therapy that stimulates your own immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells.

  • Interventional radiation procedures — Nonsurgical, minimally invasive procedures to kill or shrink tumors. We use radiofrequency ablation and embolization to destroy small tumors without surgery and chemoembolization to deliver chemotherapy drugs directly to the tumor.
  • Radiation therapy — Therapy that uses high-energy radiation to shrink tumors and kill cancer cells.
  • Surgery — A procedure to remove cancer while preserving as much healthy tissue as possible.
  • Precision medicine — Medication therapy that uses your DNA to specifically target the cells that lead to cancer and stop cancer from forming and spreading.

  • Supportive care — Helping you coordinate appointments and treating the side effects of your cancer or cancer treatment.

Preventing Cervical Cancer

Steps you can take to reduce your risk of cervical cancer include:

  • Avoid smoking — Smoking is linked to many cancers, including cancers of the gallbladder.

  • HPV vaccination — The HPV vaccine will protect you from the types of HPV that cause cervical cancer.

  • Practice safe sex — Sexually transmitted diseases and having multiple sexual partners increase your risk of developing cervical cancer.

  • Routine Pap tests — A test to look for abnormal cervical cells. Testing should begin at age 21. Based on your risk factors, your doctor will determine how often you should have a Pap test.

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