If the biopsy shows that you have cancer, your doctor needs to learn the
extent (stage) of the disease to help you choose the best treatment. Staging is
a careful attempt to find out whether the tumor has invaded nearby tissues,
whether the cancer has spread and, if so, to what parts of the body. Cervical
cancer spreads most often to nearby tissues in the pelvis, lymph nodes, or the
lungs. It may also spread to the liver or bones.
When cancer spreads from its original place to another part of the body, the
new tumor has the same kind of cancer cells and the same name as the original
tumor. For example, if cervical cancer spreads to the lungs, the cancer cells in
the lungs are actually cervical cancer cells. The disease is metastatic cervical
cancer, not lung cancer. For that reason, it's treated as cervical cancer, not
lung cancer. Doctors call the new tumor "distant" or metastatic disease.
Your doctor will do a pelvic exam, feel for swollen lymph nodes, and may
remove additional tissue. To learn the extent of disease, the doctor may order
some of the following tests:
Chest x-rays: X-rays often can show whether cancer has spread to the lungs.
CT scan: An x-ray machine linked to a computer takes a series of detailed
pictures of your organs. A tumor in the liver, lungs, or elsewhere in the body
can show up on the CT scan. You may receive contrast material by injection in
your arm or hand, by mouth, or by enema. The contrast material makes abnormal
areas easier to see.
MRI: A powerful magnet linked to a computer is used to make detailed pictures
of your pelvis and abdomen. The doctor can view these pictures on a monitor and
can print them on film. An MRI can show whether cancer has spread. Sometimes
contrast material makes abnormal areas show up more clearly on the picture.
PET scan: You receive an injection of a small amount of radioactive sugar. A
machine makes computerized pictures of the sugar being used by cells in your
body. Cancer cells use sugar faster than normal cells, and areas with cancer
look brighter on the pictures.
The stage is based on where cancer is found.
These are the stages of invasive cervical cancer:
Stage I: The tumor has invaded the cervix beneath the top layer of cells.
Cancer cells are found only in the cervix.
Stage II: The tumor extends to the upper part of the vagina. It may extend
beyond the cervix into nearby tissues toward the pelvic wall (the lining of the
part of the body between the hips). The tumor does not invade the lower third of
the vagina or the pelvic wall.
Stage III: The tumor extends to the lower part of the vagina. It may also
have invaded the pelvic wall. If the tumor blocks the flow of urine, one or both
kidneys may not be working well.
Stage IV: The tumor invades the bladder or rectum. Or the cancer has spread
to other parts of the body.
Recurrent cancer: The cancer was treated, but has returned after a period of
time during which it could not be detected. The cancer may show up again in the
cervix or in other parts of the body.
Cervical Cancer - Risk Factors at Time of DiagnosisQuestion: Did you have any of the risk factors for cervical cancer at the time of your diagnosis? If so, what were they?
Lymph nodes help the body's immune system fight infections. Causes of swollen lymph nodes (glands) may include infection (viral, bacterial, fungal, parasites). Symptoms of swollen lymph nodes vary greatly. They can sometimes be tender, painful or disfiguring. The treatment of swollen lymph nodes depends upon the cause.
Sexually transmitted diseases, or STDs,
are infections that are transmitted during any type of sexual exposure,
including intercourse (vaginal or anal), oral sex, and the sharing of sexual
devices, such as vibrators. Women can contract all of the STDs, but may have no symptoms, or have different symptoms than men do.
Cysts are saclike structures that can occur throughout the body and usually contain a semisolid, liquid, or gaseous substance. Infections, tumors, genetic conditions, chronic inflammatory conditions, and wear and tear can cause cysts. Though some cysts may be palpable, others may not produce any symptoms. Treatment depends upon the location and cause of the cyst.
Menopause is the time in a woman's life when menstrual periods permanently stop, also called the “change of life." Menopause symptoms include hot flashes, night sweats, irregular vaginal bleeding, vaginal dryness, painful intercourse, urinary incontinence, weight gain, and emotional symptoms such as mood swings. Treatment of menopausal symptoms varies, and should be discussed with your physician.
Normal vaginal bleeding (menorrhea) occurs through the process of menstruation. Abnormal vaginal bleeding in women who are ovulating regularly most commonly involves excessive, frequent, irregular, or decreased bleeding. Causes of abnormal may arise from a variety of conditions.
Cervical dysplasia is a condition in which the cells of the inner lining of the cervix have precancerous changes. There are two types of cervical dysplasia; 1) squamous intraepithelial lesion, and 2) cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Cervical dysplasia is caused by infection of the cervix with HPV (human papillomavirus). There are various diagnostic measures for cervical dysplasia. Treatment generally depends upon the progression of the dysplasia, mild, moderate, or severe.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S. HPV is primarily transmitted by sexual contact. While some people develop warts in the genital region after infection, others experience no symptoms. Though genital warts can be removed, there is no cure for HPV infection. There is a vaccine to prevent infection from four common HPV types.
Cancer is a disease caused by an abnormal growth of cells, also called malignancy. It is a group of 100 different diseases, and is not contagious. Cancer can be treated through chemotherapy, a treatment of drugs that destroy cancer cells.
Hydronephrosis is a condition in which the kidney swells, due to a backup of urine. Hydronephrosis generally occurs with another disease.Symptoms of hydronephrosis include nausea, vomiting, urinary tract infection, fever, painful urination, increased urinary frequency and urgency, flank pain, and swelling of the abdomen. Treatment of hydronephrosis depends on the cause.
Vaginal cancer is fairly uncommon. There are two types of vaginal cancer: squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Risk factors include being 60 or older, exposure to DES while in the womb, HPV infection, and having a history of abnormal cervical cells. Painful intercourse, pelvic pain, vaginal lumps, and abnormal vaginal bleeding or discharge are all symptoms of vaginal cancer. Treatment depends upon the stage of the vaginal cancer and may involve surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and the use of radiosensitizers.
Though it's difficult to say why some people develop cancer while others don't, research shows that certain risk factors increase a person's odds of developing cancer. These risk factors include growing older, family history of cancer, diet, alcohol and tobacco use, and exposure to sunlight, ionizing radiation, certain chemicals, and some viruses and bacteria.
There are a number of different methods of birth control to include: barrier methods, IUDs, hormonal methods, natural methods, and surgical sterilization. Birth control methods can be reversible or permanent. In simple terms, all methods of birth control are based on either preventing a man's sperm from reaching and entering a woman's egg (fertilization) or preventing the fertilized egg from implanting in the woman's uterus (her womb) and starting to grow.
Most often, caregivers take care of other adults who are ill or disabled. Less often, caregivers are grandparents raising their grandchildren. The majority of caregivers are middle-aged women. Caregiving can be very stressful, so it's important to recognize when it's putting to much strain on you and to take steps to prevent/relieve stress.
Disease prevention in women includes screening tests that are a basic part of prevention medicine. All screening tests
are commonly available through your general doctor. Some specialized tests may be available elsewhere.
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