Cervical Cancer FAQs

The bad news is that too many women are still getting cervical cancer and are still dying. It's estimated that globally, one in every 123 women will develop cervical cancer, if screened only with the Pap test. This, however, can change for the better. In addition to regular Pap testing of all eligible women, cervical cancer prevention can be improved with the use of the HPV test (if age 30 or older) and the new HPV vaccine (ages 9-26).

However, other factors can increase the likelihood that an HPV infection develops into cervical cancer:

• Exposure while in the womb to a medication called diethylstilbestrol (DES), which was prescribed to many women to prevent miscarriage between 1938 and 1971.
• Infection with chlamydia or herpes simplex virus type 2 (both different types of sexually transmitted diseases).
• A first-degree relative (mother or sister) with a history of cervical cancer, which the International Journal of Cancer reports increases personal risk three-fold.
• Conditions that weaken the body's immune system, such as HIV/AIDS.
• Smoking, which interferes with the body's ability to fight off infection. [In fact, one study showed that smokers are 60 percent more likely to develop cervical cancer, and former smokers are 12 percent more likely.]
• Low levels of folic acid (a type of Vitamin B).

There also are some data that suggest that long-term use of oral contraceptives (10 or more years) may increase the risk of some types of cervical cancer.

However, when they do, they may include:

• unusual vaginal discharge or bleeding (especially after sexual intercourse).
• lower back pain.
• painful urination (particularly when there is also pain in the lower abdomen).
• pain during sex.

Treatment options depend on the following:

• The stage of the cancer.
• The size of the tumor.
• Your age.
• Your desire to have children.

Treatment typically involves one or more of the following:

• Surgery to remove the uterus (hysterectomy). However, for young women with small tumors, minimally invasive surgery that preserves the ability to have children may be an option. This procedure is called "radical vaginal trachelectomy with laparoscopic pelvic lymphadenectomy."
• Radiation therapy, in which high-energy x-rays or other types of radiation are used to kill the cancer cells. Radiation therapy can be delivered using a machine positioned outside the body to bombard the cancer, or through a radioactive substance sealed in a wire, catheter or other device and then placed in the body in or near the cancerous area.
• Chemotherapy, which uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells. Chemotherapy can be taken by mouth, or injected into a vein, muscle, spinal column, organ or body cavity.