In the article, we consider the symptoms and signs of cervical cancer.
Tumors of the cervix are very common among cancers of the reproductive system in women. In modern medical practice, it is customary to single out the two most common oncological diseases of a similar area, which are cervical cancer and cancer of its tissues themselves.
The cervix is a particularly common localization of malignant tumor processes in the genitals in women. Due to the fact that it consists of multilayer epithelial tissue located on the eve of the uterus and glandular tissues of the uterine canal, this area is highly susceptible to various kinds of cell transformations that occur as a result of infection with a dangerous virus - human papilloma. Thanks to these facts, this type of cancer develops an order of magnitude more often than other oncological diseases in women.
Symptoms and signs of cervical cancer in women are important to identify in advance.
Malignant tumors of this organ are most common among middle-aged and older women. The negative course of this disease, which has been observed in oncological and gynecological practice in recent years, indicates that the number of cases of this disease in young women is growing rapidly. Cervical cancer in most cases is very treatable, however, it should be noted that a favorable prognosis occurs only with early diagnosis. Identifying the first symptoms of cervical cancer is quite difficult.
Every woman should know about the causes of this dangerous pathology. This will help her to determine this problem in her time and consult a doctor in a timely manner. Treatment of malignant processes affecting the cervix should be carried out at the very initial stages, and the sooner attempts are made to stop the development of the disease, the greater the woman's chances of a full recovery.
Symptoms of cervical cancer are discussed below.
Varieties of this pathology
It is believed that malignant neoplasms of the cervix uteri differ depending on what cells the tumor represents, therefore, there are two such forms of cancer - squamous and adenocarcinoma, which is also called glandular cancer.
In the first situation of the formation of a malignant tumor, the pathological process develops from flat cells located on the bottom of the uterus, and in the second - from the epithelial cells that make up the glandular tissue that covers the cervical canal of the uterus. Regardless of the type of disease, its main symptoms will be largely similar to each other. In this case, the right to make a diagnosis is reserved exclusively to an oncologist who evaluates all the results of the patient’s diagnostic tests, including laboratory ones, which are able to confirm the presence of one or another form of cancer.
Cervical Cancer Symptoms
Common symptoms of cervical malignancy are:
- sharp weight loss resulting from a significant decrease in appetite;
- causeless increase in temperature;
- dryness and pallor of the skin;
- state of weakness;
- periodic dizziness;
- excessive sweating.
A doctor will show a photo of the symptoms and signs of cervical cancer.
Such signs can indicate general violations in the work of the female body and are observed, as a rule, with a variety of oncological pathologies, not only of the cervix, but also of other human organs. However, the above conditions do not always talk about malignant processes, since there are a lot of other diseases that are characterized by these symptoms. Cervical cancer is not always confirmed.
Specific symptoms of the disease
This kind of pathological processes occurring in the cervix has a rather peculiar symptomatology that distinguishes the disease from others. The main sign of the formation of a malignant tumor on the cervix is a variety of uterine bleeding, or the release of blood-containing fluid from the vagina. This phenomenon can be observed after sexual intercourse or during it, as well as on any day of the menstrual cycle. Depending on the stage of development of the disease, such discharge can have a very different consistency and smell. In the early stages of the malignant process, the discharge may differ from the late ones. They are characterized, as a rule, by insignificant secretions of blood, which do not have a specific smell.
What other symptoms of cervical cancer are possible?
Pain in cervical oncology
During this period, a woman may also complain of pain and various pulling sensations in the lower abdomen and sacral region. A similar pain syndrome is also observed in the more advanced stages of cancer, when a tumor grows into neighboring tissues and organs. The occurrence of soreness can also indicate that inflammation has joined the process of tumor development, caused, as a rule, by infection of the lesion site and surrounding tissues.
The early symptoms of cervical cancer in women are of interest to many.
The presence of pain can also be a sign of swelling, and in the later stages - the spread of metastases in the lymph nodes of the pelvis, blockage of the lymphatic ducts and blood vessels. Such patients may experience edema not only of the genitals, but also of the legs, impaired outflow of urine, provoked by the pressure of the enlarged lymph nodes and the tumor itself on the ureters. This often causes hydronephrosis and the development of purulent inflammation in the urinary system.
In these cases, the appearance of blood in the urine may be observed, which is facilitated by the germination of a malignant neoplasm in the bladder. Fistulas in the intestine may develop, which impede the movement of feces. However, these signs are observed, as a rule, in the most advanced stages of cancer and suggest that treatment of such a pathology will present serious difficulties, and the patient has very few chances for recovery.
So, the main cause for concern is the allocation of blood from the genital tract in women, which may be the first signal of a dangerous disease.
Symptoms and signs of cervical cancer depend on the stage.
Oncological tumor stages
In total, there are five main stages of cervical cancer, the symptoms of which differ from each other. They are:
- Stage 0. The danger of this period of the disease is that the cancer process does not cause certain symptoms. At this stage, there is a slight change in the structure of cells that can be defeated by the immune system on their own or to begin further development of the malignant process. The causes of such changes at the cellular level can be erosion of the cervix or infection of a woman with the human papillomavirus. This stage of cancer can continue in some cases for several years without causing much concern and symptoms. Cell changes can only be detected by special histological and cytological studies.
- Stage 1 cervical cancer. Symptoms may be completely absent. In some cases, there is the appearance of blood secretions in different periods of the menstrual cycle, or associated with sexual activity. In the first stage, the malignant tumor has a size of approximately 1 cm or less. It, as a rule, is not visualized outside the cervical canal of the uterus and affects the epithelial layer of cells at a depth of not more than 3-5 mm. At this stage of the development of cancer, gynecologists can not always determine its presence by conducting a routine examination of a woman. At this stage, a full recovery is possible only with the removal of the affected tissues and the corresponding concomitant therapy.
Symptoms of cervical cancer at an early stage can be detected only by an experienced specialist.
- Stage 2. In this case, the malignant neoplasm is no longer limited to the cervix and grows in certain directions, but does not affect neighboring organs located in the pelvis. At this stage, there is usually always a discharge of blood from the genitals, which appear spontaneously, regardless of external and cyclic circumstances. The occurrence of such symptoms is due to damage to the blood vessel oncology. In addition, almost always this stage of cancer is accompanied by pain in the lower abdomen and weight loss.
- Stage 3 cervical cancer. Symptoms are already pronounced. Malignant neoplasm begins to penetrate into the pelvic area and affect neighboring organs. The signs of this process are similar to those that arise in the previous stage of cancer, but become more clear. The growth of a malignant tumor can already affect the organs of the urinary system, as a result of which signs of hydronephrosis and other renal pathologies are often observed. Cancer in this case is treated operatively, however, medical practice shows that relapses often occur. After removal of the tumor, a long stage of remission can follow, which lasts up to several months, but often the patient's condition worsens due to new cancer lesions.
- Stage 4. The malignant tumor becomes significant and begins to extend beyond the pelvic and affect other organs. At this stage, irreversible destructive processes in the female body develop. The main symptoms of the disease can be attributed to: spotting with a purulent smell, metastases in neighboring organs. The presence of purulent discharge indicates that the process of tumor decay has begun, which causes severe intoxication, when the patient can die only from poisoning. There are serious difficulties with urination. The prognosis of the disease at this stage is extremely unfavorable - in most cases it ends in death.
A photo of cervical cancer symptoms will help distinguish one stage of the disease from another.
Other symptoms
The characteristic signs of the onset of oncological changes occurring in the cervix at the cellular level are specific leucorrhoea, which often have a milky or brownish color, and sometimes differ in that they contain streaks of blood.
Many doctors also consider cancer anxiety and irritability a symptom of cancer. psychosomatic changes in the body. These include vegetative-vascular dystonia, especially if the patient already suffers from this disease, then in such cases, as a rule, it worsens or recurs. In addition, there is a sleep disturbance, the occurrence of sudden panic attacks, even if there are no prerequisites for this, for example, in the form of stress.
Diagnostic confirmation of disease
The diagnosis of cervical cancer can be made only after passing a whole range of research activities, both laboratory and instrumental. The main reason for the start of the examination may be the occurrence of symptoms characteristic of this pathology. However, if a woman goes to the doctor at an early stage, this symptomatology is most often absent or characterizes a precancerous disease.
The initial diagnostic procedure in this case is a gynecological examination, which nevertheless is considered uninformative, since at the early stage, the symptoms of cervical cancer in women cannot be visually determined.
One of the most informative and at the same time accessible diagnostic methods is colposcopy, with the help of which it is possible to identify and separate altered epithelium from a healthy one, as well as a preliminary assessment of the quality of the tumor and the exact location of its location. Using this diagnostic method, it seems possible to take an aimed smear to determine the presence of oncologically mutated cells, as well as a biopsy to increase the information content of cytological and histological studies.
This technique can be of two varieties - simple, when medications are not used, and extended, when treatment of the areas affected by the oncological process is applied with a solution of Lugol and acetic acid. The advanced method, as a rule, allows you to get a more accurate picture of the disease.
An even more modern and improved procedure is the so-called chromocolposcopy. This method is characterized by the use of special nuclear dyes, for example, 0.1% hematoxylin solution or 1% holuidin blue solution. Malignant cells are characterized by polyiferative activity, so pathological tissues are stained with a dark blue color.
What else needs to be done with the symptoms and signs of cervical cancer?
Cytological studies
Cytological screenings for malignant cervical tumors are very important studies in the early stages of the disease. A similar method allows us to detect malignant cells at the beginning of malignancy even before the appearance of visual manifestations on the cervical epithelium.
Cytology makes it possible to ascertain the presence of oncological pathology with an accuracy of 97%, as well as to determine the degree of differentiation, stromal reaction and histological type of malignant neoplasm.
Cytological studies have a very high information content during routine examinations and are able to detect not only the presence of cancer, but also precancerous conditions.
Histological and morphological examinations
A biopsy is a very important technique that affects the accurate diagnosis and identification of a particular form and quality of the tumor with its various localizations. Samples of pathological tissues can be taken in various ways, however, the study is to identify the histological and morphological qualities of the neoplasm.
Histological tests for cervical cancer are performed, as a rule, after all the procedures and are clarifying examinations.
It is very important that the biopsy is carried out on purpose, that is, the pathological tissue should be taken for analysis, since if this does not happen, the results of the study are considered not informative.
Tumor markers
Blood tests for malignant neoplasms of the cervix for tumor markers have extremely high information content, but this can only be said with blood tests at stages 3 and 4 of the disease. At earlier stages, these laboratory activities may not give a clear picture of the clinical picture of cancer.
In more than 93% of all cases of the disease, it is squamous cell carcinoma that is detected as a type of oncological pathology of the cervix. For its diagnosis, as a rule, the SCCA tumor marker is used.
Instrumental methods
In addition to the above studies, some types of instrumental diagnostics are also used. Ultrasound in this case can determine cancer of more serious stages, and CT and MRI of the pelvic organs are considered the most informative methods. A layered section of the cervical epithelium allows specialists to clearly determine the presence of pathological tissues, as well as to clarify their size and location.
We examined the diagnosis and the main symptoms and signs of cervical cancer.
Treatment
Removal of the uterus and appendages can be done using laparoscopy. The method avoids extensive incisions, trauma to internal organs and the formation of adhesions. The duration of hospitalization with laparoscopic intervention is much shorter than with traditional surgery, and is 3-5 days. Additionally, vaginal plastic can be performed.
Radiation therapy for cervical cancer can be performed before surgery by an accelerated method to reduce the size of the tumor and facilitate its removal. In many cases, surgery is first performed, then tissue is irradiated to destroy the remaining malignant cells.
If the operation is contraindicated, a combination of remote and intracavitary radiotherapy is used.
Often used adjuvant (postoperative) chemotherapy with the use of "Fluorouracil" and / or "Cisplatin". Chemotherapy can be prescribed before surgery to reduce the size of the tumor. In some cases, chemotherapy is used as an independent treatment method.
How many live with cervical cancer symptoms?
Forecast
– , . 1 78 %, 2- - 57 %, 3- - 31 %, 4- – 7,8 %. 55 %.
. 2 SCC, , 1 , 3 – 1 . 2 .
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Reviews
Reviews about the treatment of this pathology are contradictory. There are a large number of comments left by women who managed to defeat the ailment. But with all this, there is a great risk of an adverse outcome. It depends on the stage at which oncopathology is detected. So it is important to regularly visit a doctor, monitor your health.