preview

Causes And Treatment Of Cervical Cancer

Better Essays

INTRODUCTION
Cervical cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the cervix or cervix uteri. Cervical cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the fourth leading cause of cancer death in females worldwide with over 527,000 new cases 1,2 and perhaps the second most common cancer among women in the third world countries 3-5 It accounts for 9% of the total new cancer cases and 8% (more than 265,000) of the total cancer deaths among females.1,2 More than 80% of these cases and deaths occur in developing countries.1-4
Although cancer of the cervix is known to be a preventable cancer, it still remains one of the major causes of cancer deaths in females under 60 years old.1,2 In developed regions, …show more content…

BACKGROUND
The cervix is the lower part or neck of the uterus (womb) connecting the body of the uterus to the vagina (birth canal). It is a cylindrical structure, which lies below the internal os.11-13 The upper third of the cervix is made up of columnar/glandular cells (similar to the rest of uterus). The lower two-thirds of the cervix is made up of squamous cells (similar to the vagina) see figure 1. The normal squamocolumnar junction (transformation zone or T-zone) is located in the ectocervix and can be exposed to carcinogens, resulting in cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN), an abnormal proliferation or overgrowth of the basal cell layer.11,12 The T-zone is the most common site for cervical dysplasia which is a premalignant condition to cervical cancer that results from an abnormal proliferation of cells characterized by changes in cell size, shape, and loss of cellular organization.11,12
Approximately 90% of cervical cancers are squamous cell carcinomas.11,12,,14 Another 10% of cervical cancers are of the adenocarcinoma type.11,12,14 Occasionally, the cancer may have characteristics of both types and is called adenosquamous carcinoma or mixed carcinoma.11,12,14
Figure 1: Adapted from http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=anatomy+of+cervix&id=4B21A47DFDF1FD4269F79CD47453E03D15FE3FA7&FORM=IQFRBA
Cause/Risks of Cancer of Cervix
The etiological role of

Get Access