A Descriptive Medical Problem: Cervical Cancer

Cancerous Cells appear when the body no longer needs the new cells that are continuously being formed within the body, and the old cells do not die when they should. As a result, these extra cells can form a mass of tissue called a growth, also known as a tumor. There are two specific tumors that constitute this growth, they are: benign and malignant. Benign tumors are non-cancerous, rarely life threatening, can be removed and usually do not grow back. Malignant tumors on the other hand are generally more serious, may be life threatening, can also be removed although have greater chances of growing back (Cancer of the Cervix).

Cancer of the Cervix is a very invasive cancer that attacks a woman's reproductive system. The cervical canal is a passageway where blood flows from the uterus through the canal into the vagina during a women's menstrual period. During pregnancy, the cervix is tightly closed to help keep the baby inside the uterus. Throughout childbirth, the cervix dilates to allow the baby pass through the vagina (Cancer of the Cervix). The most common form of cancer of the cervix is squamous cell carcinoma and develops from the flat cells, which cover the outer surface of the cervix at the top of the vagina. Another frequent type is adenocarcinoma and expands itself through the glandular cells, which line the cervical canal (Cancer Bacup). As a result, cervical cancer is now the second leading death rate among women.

The American Cancer Society estimates that within 2005 about 10,370 cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the United States and another 3,710 women will die from cervical cancer during this time period. Cervical cancer was once one of the most common causes of cancer death for American women. Fortunately, with the assistance of the advancement within technology between the years 1955-1992, the number of cervical cancer deaths in the United States has dropped by 74% and continues to decline by 2% every year, primary reason accounting for the increase is the use of the Pap test. This screening procedure not only allows professionals to locate and discover changes in the cervix prior to the development of cancer but also detects early cancer in its most curable stage (Cervical Cancer: American Cancer Society).

Although cervical cancer tends to occur in midlife, half of the women diagnosed with cervical cancer are between the ages of 35 and 55 and rarely occurs among women younger than 20 years of age. The 5 year relative survival rate for the earliest stage of invasive cervical cancer is 92%, while the overall 5 year survival rate is approximately 73%. This specific rate refers to the percentage of patients who live at least 5 years after their diagnose of cancer and are used to produce a standard way of discussing prognosis.

Risk factors are extremely critical in determining the development of a disease. As in the case of cervical cancer, these factors include the Human papillomaviruses in which a group of viruses infect the cervix and can be transmitted through sexual contact (Ingledue, Cottrell, & Bernard). Other risk markers include; lack of regular Pap tests, weakened immune system, age, sexual history, smoking cigarettes, low socioeconomic status, the use of birth control pills over a long period of time, and lastly having many children (Cancer of the Cervix).

"The high prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) among adolescent and young adult women and the causal association between certain types of HPV and cervical cancer make regular gynecological screening and Pap smear testing essential health practices for young women" (Burak & Meyer). The most imperative risk factor concerning cervical cancer is the infection of the human papillomavirus (HPV). Professional medical personnel believe that most women must have had this virus before they will develop cervical cancer. HPVs are a group of more than 100 types of viruses called papillomaviruses because they can cause warts or papillomas which are noncancerous [benign] tumors. More than 30 of these viruses are sexually transmitted, and they can infect the a woman's vulva as well as linings of the vagina, cervix or rectum (Cervical Cancer Health Awareness and Pap Test Information). The types of HPV that infect the genital area are spread primarily through genital contact in which most infections display no signs or symptoms resulting in most infected individuals becoming unaware of their diagnosis. The best way to eliminate risk for genital HPV infection is to refrain from genital contact from another individual and for those who choose to be sexually active; a long-term, mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner is the strategy most likely to prevent future genital HPV infections.

Smoking in addition to HPV is an extremely important risk marker regarding the onset of cervical cancer. Women who smoke are approximately twice as likely as nonsmokers to become diagnosed, smoking not only exposes the body to many cancer-causing chemicals that affect more than the lungs but these harmful substances are absorbed by the lungs and carried into the bloodstream throughout the body. Tobacco by products have been found and displayed in the cervical mucus of many women who smoke which has lead researchers to firmly believe that such substances damage the DNA of cells in the cervix and may contribute to the development of cervical cancer (Cervical Cancer: American Cancer Society).

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