by: kacycarr
Cervical and breast cancer are two types of cancer which not only affect a woman physically but mentally too e.g. dealing with all the trauma after being diagnosed with the disease. A large percentage of women admit to living in fear of the big C, however cervical or breast cancer free women admit that the thought of contacting the disease never leaves their thoughts.
Sadly, self breast examination seems to be unimportant for some women who choose to ignore a health issue as vital to secure their well being, ignoring any indication that breast cancer is developing can result in the patient having to fight for their life. If an examination of the breasts had taken place in some unfortunate cases the whole scenario would have just involved treating the breast cancer and no involvement of an undertaker. Women need to wise up because if they continue to carry ignorance as an ally to help beat this battle - then they lose. Winning includes modern medicines. Early cancer treatment betters survival odds hence giving a patient the chance to carry on with their life instead of throwing it away.
Aside from bosom blunders where ignorance may have prevailed we have cervical cancer. Women need to be aware of all involvements i.e. what to expect throughout any cervical cancer treatments. The cervix is the lower part of the womb or uterus and is commonly referred to as the 'neck of the womb'.
The cervix and its purpose are to help maintain a normal pregnancy. In non-pregnant women, the cervix has no obvious function. In the UK cervical cancer is down on paper as the sixth most common cancer in women. It is of the utmost importance for a woman to keep healthy in mind body and soul by having regular cervical cancer smear tests - oft times referred to as a Pap smear test. Smear tests are commonly carried out in order to detect any cell changes that come before cancer. It's a waiting game, meaning, it can take years for these cell changes detected at the time of a cervical smear test to become cancer. Luckily some changes have been known to go away by themselves.
Women who waited in anticipation for their cancer results said they found it more of an ordeal coping with the wait than that of receiving the actual prognosis (cervical cancer).
Suffering in silence is not healthy, not all abnormal test results indicate that cervical cancer is present. It is through early diagnosis and treatment of pre-cancerous changes that development of actual cancer can be prevented. Early detection is most profound to help fight the disease.
There are two types of this cancer; the squamous cell cancer and aden-ocarcinoma. Cervical smear tests detect the early changes of squamous cell cancer. Early stage growths of certain cancers can be treated with surgery or radiotherapy thus resulting in a cure.
Regular questions asked about cervical cancer are what the causes are; well there is no definite single cause, however study points the finger at a viral infection of the cervix or cancer sticks (cigarettes). Fags are a major health hazard relating to lung cancer, smoking is said to also increase the risk of developing cervical cancer and even the number of partners in youth trial runs of intercourse have also been linked to being connected to the cause. In the UK cervical tests are routinely performed every three years, lives are being saved because of this.
Females face a silent but deadly situation because; pre-cancerous changes of the cervix that show up on cervical smear tests unfortunately do not give symptoms. Undergoing a biopsy of the cervix is the way cervical cancer is diagnosed. The process is normally done with an internal examination called a colposcopy.
Treating cancer of the cervix will purely depend upon the severity of the disuse, meaning, has it spread to the pelvis. A radical hysterectomy or Wertheim's hysterectomy may be suggested as treatment. It is at this stage that a specialist gynaecologist will conduct surgery. Radiotherapy destroys tumour cells that the gynaecologist cannot see.
Remember "out of sight out of mind", is not a healthy approach for a cure; a healthy approach is to keep it in mind and any cervical cancer symptoms must be kept in sight.
Womens Cancer
Depressed Women
Cancer Concerns
source:searchwarp.com/
by juliet cohen
Cervical cancer is a malignant cancer of the cervix. Cervical cancer is cancer that starts in the cervix, the lower part of the uterus (womb) that opens at the top. The upper part, or body, of the uterus, is where a fetus grows. The cervix connects the body of the uterus to the (birth canal). The part of the cervix closest to the body of the uterus is called the endocervix.. Cancer of the cervix (also known as cervical cancer) begins in the lining of the cervix. Cervical cancers do not form suddenly. Normal cervical cells gradually develop pre-cancerous changes that turn into cancer. Cervical cancer is caused by several types of a virus called human papillomaviruses (HPV). The virus spreads through contact. Most women's bodies are able to fight HPV infection. Cervical cancer occurs when abnormal cells on the cervix grow out of control. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that opens. Cervical cancer can often be cured when it's found early. Cervical cancer is a carcinoma, typically composed of squamous cells, and is similar in some respects to squamous cell cancers of the head and neck and anus.
All three of these diseases may be associated with human papillomavirus infection. The remaining 10% to 20% of cervical cancers are adenocarcinomas. Adenocarcinomas are becoming more common in women born in the last 20 to 30 years. Cervical adenocarcinoma develops from the mucus-producing gland cells of the endocervix. Most (80-90%) invasive cervical cancer develops in flat, scaly surface cells that line the cervix (called squamous cell carcinomas). Approximately 10-15% of cases develop in glandular surface cells (called adenocarcinomas). Symptoms of cervical cancer may include is pain during discharge that is tinged with blood and bleeding from that is not normal, or a change in your menstrual cycle. Cervical cancer is staged by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system, which is based on clinical examination, rather than surgical findings. Cervical cancer is found only in women. Cervical cancers usually affect women of middle age or older, but it may be diagnosed in any reproductive-aged woman.
Cervical cancer that is caught early can usually be cured. Microinvasive cancer (stage IA) is usually treated by hysterectomy (removal of the whole uterus). Vaccines have been developed that can protect women from HPV infections. A vaccine that offers protection from the virus responsible for most cases of cervical cancer is the latest addition to the official childhood immunization schedule. The cervical cancer vaccine currently available in Australia is called Gardasil. This vaccine prevents infection with HPV types 16, 18, 6 and 11. HPV 16 and 18 are responsible for the majority (70% internationally; 80% in Australia) of cervical cancers. Cervical cancer strikes more than 10,000 U.S. women each year, killing more than 3,700. The vaccine appears to be virtually 100 percent effective against two of the most common cancer-causing HPV strains. A vaccine for girls and young women protects against the four types of HPV that cause most cervical cancers. Practicing safe (using condoms) also reduces your risk of HPV.
Cervical Cancer Treatment Tips
1. Surgery treats the cancer in the cervix and the area close to the tumor.
2. Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells.
3. Chemotherapy uses anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells.
4. Anticancer drugs for cervical cancer are usually given through a vein.
5. Electrosurgery, cryosurgery, podophyllum, and trichloroacetic acid are methods used to remove HPV in mucosal tissue.
6. A vaccine that offers protection from the virus responsible for most cases of cervical cancer
7. Practicing safe (using condoms) also reduces your risk of HPV and STD diseases
8. Avoid Cigarette smoking is associated with an increased risk of cervical cancer.
About the Author
Juliet Cohen writes articles on diseases and conditions and women health care. More information on health related topics visit our site at http://www.health-care-articles.info.
source:www.goarticles.com
by: Natasha Smith
Each year, millions of women take a Pap smear test during their yearly gynaecological checkups. All women who have ever had sexual intercourse and women who are currently taking birth control pills are advised to take the test. Women who become pregnant, who are experiencing pelvic pain, who have unexplained abnormal discharge, or who notice anything unusual on their genitals (such as warts or pimples) should also take the test.
This test is performed during a woman’s internal pelvic exam by taking a sample of the cells on her cervix and examining them for changes and abnormalities. It is used as a screening tool for pre-cancerous changes in a woman’s genital tract, which are commonly caused by a sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV).
If done regularly, Pap smear tests can be a preventative measure for the development and progression of cancer or cell abnormalities that my lead to cancer. Any abnormal changes can be spotted early, and if hazardous, they can be dealt with quickly using simple procedures. Also, as with most types of cancer, cervical cancer is more likely to be treated successfully if it is detected early.
A Normal Pap Smear
A normal Pap smear result means that all cells in the sample were determined to be a healthy size and shape.
An Abnormal Pap Smear
About 6% of Pap smear results are abnormal and require medical follow-up. However, it is important to remember that an abnormal result does not always mean cancer, and some conditions are more likely to lead to cancer than others.
Sometimes, an abnormal result can be produced by a contamination of the test, such as interference by menstrual blood. This is why it is important to schedule a pelvic exam 10-20 days after the first day of your last period, and why you should not have intercourse, douche, or use spermicide 24 hours before your exam. These things may interfere with the results of the Pap smear.
If you do receive abnormal results after a Pap smear, the abnormalities may be categorised in several ways:
- Dysplasia: This term is used to describe abnormal cells. Although this is not cancer, it may develop into very early cancer of the cervix. The cells look abnormal under the microscope, but they do not invade the healthy tissue nearby. Dysplasia can be classified as mild, moderate, severe, or carcinoma in situ. Carcinoma in situ means that cancer is only present in the layer of cells on the surface of the cervix and it has not spread to nearby tissues.
- Squamous Intraepithelial Lesion (SIL): This means that abnormal cells are only present in the layer of cells on the surface of your cervix. SIL can be described as low-grade (early changes in the size, shape, and number of cells) or high-grade (precancerous cells that look very different from normal cells).
- Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia (CIN): This term also refers to abnormal cell growth on the surface of the cervix. The term CIN and the numbers 1 to 3 describe how far abnormal cells are into the thickness of the lining of the cervix.
- Atypical Squamous Cells: This means findings are unclear, and there is not a definite abnormality.
The Next Steps
If you get abnormal Pap smear results, the first thing your doctor will want to do is repeat the test. If the results were abnormal because of contamination, this may clear up any concerns. Also, cervical cell changes sometimes go away without treatment.
If you are a woman near or past menopause, your doctor may prescribe estrogen cream to apply for a few weeks. Sometimes abnormal changes are due to hormone levels, and this may clarify the cause of cell changes.
The doctor may also examine the vagina and the cervix further by using an instrument much like a microscope (called a coloscope) in a procedure called a coloscopy. During this procedure, the doctor coats the cervix with a dilute vinegar solution that makes any abnormal tissue turn white.
If abnormal tissue if found during the coloscopy, the doctor may perform a biopsy. This is the removal of cells from the abnormal area for further examination under a microscope. Under further examination, abnormal cells can be identified as problematic or not.
If the abnormal cells have a high chance of becoming cancer, further treatment is needed to remove these cells. This can often be done in simple, in-and-out procedures that although uncomfortable, can prevent the development and spread of cancer. Examples of such procedures include:
- Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure (LEEP): An electrical current is passed through a thin wire loop to act as a knife to remove the cells.
- Cryotherapy: Abnormal tissue is destroyed through freezing.
- Laser therapy: A narrow beam of intense light is used to destroy or remove abnormal tissue.
For more information on women's health issues, including information on general, mental, and reproductive health, as well as STDs, birth control, infertility, pregnancy, beauty, and fitness, please visit these helpful sites:
source:searchwarp.com Read More......
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