Cancer is one of those diseases which can have prolonged life-changing consequences in an individual’s, along with the rest of their family’s and friend’s lives. As such, while some types of cancer can be cured, others are deadly and can even lead to death in the worst case. But with the right kind of medical support, cancer can be combated and one way to do so is to go to the right doctor. The right doctor will not only explain the causes of cancer to you but he or she will also explain the stages before moving on to precautionary, preventive and, if the case is a bit advanced, then will direct you towards the right medical treatment or therapy to make sure that you either get rid of the disease altogether, or that your life does not get affected by it.
Cervical cancer is actually caused by human papillomaviruses called HPV for short. While HPV is very common, there are hundreds of types of HPVs with only a few ever being associated with cervical cancer. HPVs spread through sexual contact as well as skin-to-skin contact in most adults. Cervical cancer is often detected through a cervical cancer screening test which is more commonly known as the Pap testing. It is only after pap testing is done that Cervical cancer treatment can be performed. There is no genetic link between individuals and cervical cancer, so you needn’t worry about your children developing it. However, if a family member has cervical cancer than the odds of their offspring developing it, especially women, will be higher than the normal population. Again, the best way to get checked for cervical cancer is by Pap testing and we highly recommend you do so. If you’ve had HPV for a long time, then it increases the chance of developing cervical cancer and if that’s the case then it’s best to contact a specialist as soon as possible.
The stages of cervical cancer are divided into five, starting from 0.
Stage 0: This isn’t really cancer per se. In fact, it is just an abnormal development or behavior of cells near the cervix. It can easily be treated by the doctor as this is just the pre-cancer stage.
Stage 1: This is where there’s a small tumor that hasn’t spread through the body.
Stage 2: In this case, the tumor spreads through the cervix and the uterus but not the pelvic walls.
Stage 3: Here, cancer spreads into the pelvis and lower part of the vagina.
Stage 4: Cancer spreads to other parts of the body including the bladder and the rectum.
Do note that with the right kind of medication and medical attention, even the most advanced stage of cervical cancer can be treated or at least subdued, to help you live a comfortable life.