Over the past decade, the number of patients diagnosed with cervical cancer has increased significantly. Many women, faced with this disease, regard it as a sentence, but is it really so? Is it possible to cope with the disease and, most importantly, prevent its occurrence?
General concept of the disease
Before talking about the symptoms and treatment of cervical cancer, you should understand the features and characteristics of the pathology.
A cervical tumor is an oncological disease in which malignant cells infect the tissues of this organ.
According to the frequency of occurrence, this type of oncology is in 4th place among all cancers diagnosed in women. About 600,000 women worldwide receive this diagnosis annually. The largest group of patients belongs to the age group of 35-60 years.
Girls and young women under 25 rarely suffer from this disease. However, doctors say that over the past decade, cervical cancer has noticeably "rejuvenated." In other words, women 25-35 years old are increasingly appearing among patients. This trend is associated with environmental degradation and an accelerated rhythm of life.
Uterine structure
The uterus is a small muscle organ that is located in the lower abdominal cavity. It is located between the rectum and the bladder. Numerous ligaments attached to the walls of the peritoneum help her to maintain a constant position.
The uterus is small in size - its height reaches 8 cm, its width is 4 cm, and its thickness is about 2 cm. There is a cavity inside the organ, a fertilized egg is attached to it from the inside of the wall. This is the main function of the uterus - reliable fastening of the fetus and providing the best conditions for its development.
The whole body of the uterus consists of 3 parts:
- the bottom is the upper part of the organ, which is simultaneously considered the widest, here the uterus connects to the fallopian tubes passing into the ovaries;
- the body is the middle part of the organ;
- the neck is the lower narrowest part, smoothly passing into the vagina.
The cervix consists of smooth muscles, which provides it with increased elasticity, compared with the tissues of the other parts of the organ. This is especially important, since the cervix prevents microbes from entering it from the outside and keeps the fetus from being born prematurely.
The length of the neck can vary depending on the individual structure of the organ, but does not exceed 3-4 cm. In the center there is a channel called the cervical. Its task is to connect the uterine cavity with the vaginal cavity. Another protective barrier is thick mucus, constantly located in the cervical canal. It blocks the entry of microbes and sperm into the uterus, but in the middle of the cycle its consistency changes. At this time, the mucus becomes more fluid, so that the sperm can get into the uterus to fertilize the egg.
Development reasons
The causes of the disease are still not known to medicine, however, numerous studies and statistics have revealed a number of factors that presumably affect the appearance of a malignant tumor of the cervix uteri:
- various injuries;
- papilloma virus infection;
- cervical erosion, dysplasia (other diseases that affect the tissue of the cervix);
- sexually transmitted infections (including herpes, chlamydia, HIV);
- numerous abortions (especially those that were performed at an early age);
- a sharp decrease in immunity;
- constant change of sexual partners, unprotected sex;
- frequent stress, depression, hard work;
- radiation exposure, the effect of chemical toxins on a woman's body.
The risk of the onset of the disease increases in the case of the influence of poor ecology, heredity and lack of certain vitamins.
Types of cancer
This disease varies according to morphological characteristics. During the diagnosis, this feature is certainly revealed, since it to some extent affects the nature of the disease and requires a special approach in the treatment of cervical cancer.
- Adenocarcinoma. This form is characterized by the defeat of glandular cells located in the tissues of the cervix.
- Squamous cell carcinoma. This form occurs much more often than the previous one. Squamous cell carcinoma develops from squamous cells covering the cervix and the inner walls of the vagina.
Clinical picture
Cervical cancer (like many other cancers) at the initial stage of development practically does not manifest itself. This becomes the main difficulty in the diagnosis, because women begin to complain only at the moment when the disease is actively progressing. Late treatment significantly complicates the treatment of cervical cancer, since therapy at the initial stage gives the maximum chance of recovery.
What symptoms should alert?
- Pain At first, they can appear during or after sexual intercourse, and with the development of a tumor, pain in the lower abdomen becomes frequent, independent of sexual contact and load.
- Unpleasant odor from the vagina. It is often accompanied by copious discharge (watery, mucous or purulent).
- Bleeding. At first, the discharge of blood can be very insignificant. They appear after a cycle of menstruation, sexual contact, a gynecological examination by a doctor. Complaints of bleeding can also be in women of menopause.
- Digestive and stool problems. The uterus is located in close proximity to the intestine, so the tumor also affects the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. At later stages of the development of oncology, women note stool disorders (constipation is replaced by loose stools).
- Long cycle of menstruation. It increases to 7 days or more.
- Weight loss. The lack of treatment for cervical cancer leads to an aggravation of the condition. An alarming manifestation can be a sharp weight loss.
- General state. Women complain of poor health, fatigue. There is reduced performance, loss of appetite, apathy, earthy complexion. All this indicates pathological processes in the patient's body.
Stages and their characteristics
The development of the disease is usually divided into several stages. Each of them has its own characteristics, features of the course, symptoms and approach to treatment.
0 stage. Treatment of cervical cancer is most effective. This stage is the initial stage in which cancer cells only begin to appear in the tissues. Quite often, this condition is called the term cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. This manifestation refers to precancerous conditions.
I stage. The size of the tumor is 0.5-4 cm, cancer cells grow not only in width, but also deep into the tissues. Neighboring organs and tissues are not yet involved in the process. At the medical examination, the neoplasm can already be seen with the naked eye, but in general women may not notice any obvious signs and symptoms. Treatment of cervical cancer at this stage gives a good result.
II stage. The tumor extends not only to the neck, but also to the body of the organ. In this case, pathological processes in the vagina, abdominal space and lymph nodes are not observed. Quite often, pain, spotting, and discomfort in the lower abdomen appear at this time.
III stage. This stage includes cancer, in which the tumor has already spread to the peritoneal tissue, vagina or lymph nodes. At the same time, the size of the neoplasm can be both large and small. The main characteristic is the presence of near metastases. During this period, numerous characteristic symptoms appear. The treatment for stage 3 cervical cancer is quite lengthy, but gives good results.
IV stage. The last stage of tumor development, which includes neoplasms with impressive sizes and numerous metastases. In addition to the nearest organs (bladder and intestines), the lymphatic system, liver, and lungs are involved in the process. For patients, this stage is the most difficult, as it is accompanied by constant severe pain, bleeding and other symptoms.
Diagnostics
Patients are prescribed several laboratory tests and hardware studies. With their help, the doctor gets a complete picture of the disease and can prescribe the most effective course of treatment.
- Primary reception. This stage of diagnosis is extremely important. During it, the gynecologist collects data about the patient’s complaints, the presence of similar diseases in close relatives and the characteristics of the woman’s life. Such information will allow you to assess the risk group and general condition.
- Vaginal examination. Such an examination is carried out using special mirrors, allows you to determine the condition of the walls of the vagina and the surface of the cervix. This is a fairly effective diagnostic method, which allows in 95% of cases to establish the presence of a cancerous tumor. Difficulties with identifying pathologies arise in those cases when the malignant cells are located in the deep layers of the tissue.
- Gynecological examination is two-handed. This diagnostic method consists in palpating the uterus from two sides. With one hand, the doctor feels the uterus through the vagina, and the other at the same time through the wall of the abdomen. In the presence of oncology, the uterus becomes painful, more rigid and elastic, almost motionless (moves poorly to the sides).
- A smear from the cervix. Such a study is carried out under a microscope and reveals a change in the structure of cells. Of course, this does not indicate the presence of a malignant tumor, however, it indicates a serious pathology, in connection with which the doctor prescribes a further examination.
- Colposcopy - the study of the condition of the cervix using a colposcope device. It is a flexible tube with a camera. The resulting image is enlarged and displayed on a computer monitor.
- Biopsy. Under this name is the procedure for taking tissue samples from the cervix for further histological examination. Such a detailed diagnosis allows not only to detect the presence of a neoplasm, but also to characterize its nature (benign or malignant cells).
- Palpation of the lymph nodes. This approach is effective for identifying nearby metastases.
- Ultrasound of organs located in the pelvic area. Such diagnostic measures are resorted to when necessary data on the spread of cervical cancer - the nearest metastases.
- CT scan. A study of the entire body of a woman will make it possible to judge the presence or complete absence of metastases in many other organs.
Surgical treatment
Despite the emergence of new modern methods of treating cervical cancer, surgery remains the most effective. The patient's treatment at the initial stage allows a gentle operation (organ-saving). During it, only part of the cervix is removed. This allows you to save the uterus and other reproductive organs, which makes it possible in the future to become pregnant and have a baby.
In cases where a malignant tumor has already spread to the vagina and other parts of the uterus, Wertheim surgery is performed. In this case, parametric fiber, uterus, lymph nodes, appendages and the upper part of the vagina are subject to removal. Most often, after treatment of cervical cancer in this way, other treatment options are prescribed.
Radiotherapy
Another effective way to combat the disease is radiation therapy (or, as it is often called, radiotherapy). The main point is that a woman's body is exposed to x-rays, which leads to the destruction of the structure of malignant cells. As a result, pathological cells lose their ability to grow and divide.
Radiotherapy according to the method of exposure is divided into:
With external irradiation, an external effect occurs, that is, through the abdominal wall. This approach has a significant drawback - the impact on a large area of healthy tissues, which leads to severe side effects.
During intracavitary therapy, a special device is inserted into the vagina and acts directly on the malignant tumor. This allows you to most accurately adjust the direction of radiation, increase the efficiency of the procedure and reduce the number of side effects.
The use of chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a treatment with powerful drugs that are delivered intravenously to the human body (i.e., via droppers). Such treatment takes courses.
Chemotherapy is prescribed mainly in the late stages of oncological processes, when the tumor has already given near and distant metastases. With these signs, cervical cancer treatment gives a high chance of remission. Under the influence of drugs, malignant cells lose their ability to grow and are destroyed.
This treatment option is quite effective, but it is difficult to tolerate by patients and has numerous side effects.
Cancer Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is often present in the complex treatment of cervical cancer. During it, women are prescribed the strongest drugs with antiviral effect. This is necessary for the immune support of the body, which spends all its efforts to fight the disease.
Doctors note: the greatest efficiency can be achieved in the first stages of the disease. At the same time, only a doctor selects medicines and their dosages.
Treatment of cervical cancer with folk remedies
There are numerous recipes of traditional medicine aimed at combating cancer. At the same time, doctors do not recommend self-medication.
Important! Herbal medicine, beekeeping products and other traditional medicine cannot be used as the main treatment for any cancerous tumor. They are used in combination with the methods of traditional medicine and contribute only to reduce the intensity of symptoms.
In other words, alternative treatment for cervical cancer only helps to reduce pain, inflammation in the body, increase immunity and increase appetite. Before using this or that approach in the fight against oncology, you should definitely get recommendations from your doctor.
Cervical Cancer Treatment: Predictions
The prognosis largely depends on several factors, among which: the stage of the disease, the presence or absence of metastases, the woman's age and her general condition.
If treatment begins at stage I of oncology, then the prognosis is quite favorable. In 80% of patients, survival is more than 5 years.
Stage II has a less favorable outcome. About 45-50% survive for 5 years.
Stage III is characterized by the presence of metastases and an extensive tumor process. Survival rate is 30%.
At stage IV, oncology is extremely difficult to treat. Doctors use supportive care. Survival at this stage is less than 10%.
In other words, the effectiveness of treatment and the forecasts of doctors directly depend on the time of treatment. So, treatment of stage 1 cervical cancer will require less time and effort, while giving a good result. It is for this reason that you should not miss another gynecological examination - this is how every woman can increase her chances of a healthy and fulfilling life.