Cervical Cancer Facts

Cervical cancer is caused by abnormal changes in the cervix. It is the only gynecologic cancer that can be prevented by regular screening.

Today, women facing cervical cancer have better treatment options than they did even a few years ago. Most of the women who come to Seattle Cancer Care Alliance for treatment for cervical cancer will be treated with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation, or some combination of these.

Types of Cervical Cancer

There are two main types of cervical cancer: squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. These, as well as more rare types of cervical cancer, are classified according to how they look under a microscope.
About 85 percent to 90 percent of cervical cancers are squamous cell carcinomas. They begin in the ectocervix, the part of the cervix next to the vagina.

The remaining 10 percent to 15 percent of cervical cancers are adenocarcinomas, which develop from the mucus-producing gland cells of the endocervix, the part of the cervix next to the body.

More rare are cervical cancers that have features of both squamous cell carcinomas and adenocarcinomas. They are called adenosquamous carcinomas, or mixed carcinomas.

Symptoms

The most common symptom is abnormal vaginal bleeding. Bleeding may occur between menstrual periods, or after intercourse, douching or a pelvic exam. Increased vaginal discharge is also a warning sign.

Precancerous changes of the cervix usually do not cause pain. Symptoms usually do not appear until abnormal cervical cells become cancerous and invade nearby tissue.
Regular Pap tests are important to your survival: about 90 percent of women whose cervical cancer was detected by a Pap test will survive. The figure is much lower--only 40 percent--for women whose cancer was not diagnosed until they experienced vaginal bleeding.

Diagnosis

If a Pap test shows an abnormality in the cells on the cervix, a doctor will perform a biopsy. A gynecologist will often use a colposcope--a viewing tube attached to magnifying binoculars--to find the abnormal area and remove a tiny section of the cervix surface.

If the diagnosis isn't clear, a surgeon may perform a cone biopsy--removal of a larger, cone-shaped piece of tissue. More than 90 percent of cervical cancers can be halted by removing the abnormal tissue in this way, and no further treatment is necessary.