Symptoms Of Cervical Cancer

Symptoms Of Cervical Cancer

Uterine Cancer - treatment for ovarian cancer

The symptoms of cervical cancer depend largely upon which stage of progression the cancer has reached. In the early stages of cervical cancer, for instance, very few symptoms can be observed and many individuals experience no symptoms whatsoever. This is one of the reasons that it's vital to get regularly screened for cervical cancer and other types of health issues because an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, particularly with something as potent as cancer of the cervix.

The reason there are typically no early symptoms of cervical cancer is due to the way in which this disease grows. It's a disease that is rather slow to develop and the location does not lend itself to particular sensitivity or visibility. Even though the cells of the cervix are undergoing changes (technically known as dysplasia), the direct effects may not be obvious. Some malignancies that develop close to a strong blood supply, for instance, may chip off and produce a bloody appearan ce. In the early stages of cervical cancer this does not occur.

As the disease progresses, there may be several symptoms that appear which are discussed below. It's important to note, however, that even in later stages of cervical cancer, many women are completely asymptomatic and only prevention, regularly screenings and pap smears will catch it early enough to be treated with maximum efficacy.

Some of the symptoms of cervical cancer in women who have had the disease for a while are:

• Vaginal Bleeding - Most women will experience somewhat unusual and seemingly random vaginal bleeding following various routine occurrences. For instance, vaginal bleeding can be observed after having sex, in between periods of menstruation and after a woman reaches menopause.

• Vaginal Discharge - Most women are quite in tune with their bodies and notice minute changes in odor, color and appearance of their vaginal secretions even if they are only paying attention passively. A bloody, watery vaginal discharge with an unpleasant odor and a somewhat heavy consistency may be an indication of the disruption of a woman's normal functioning.

• Pain During Sex - This is another potential indicator that a woman may have cancer of the cervix. You might also notice pelvic pain where there was none before.

Some of the advanced symptoms of cervical cancer may include:

• Back Pain - The various parts of the body are intimately connected and it's possible that problems in the cervix can manifest as back pain.

• Bone Fractures - This is typically a sign of advanced cervical cancer and indicates a general weakness of the body.

• Swollen lymph nodes - The lymph nodes are stations of immunity that swell up any time the body is facing some sort of microscopic threat. Swollen lymph nodes are a quintessential symptom of many types of disease, not just cancer, but they're excellent indicators of health problems that sh ould be taken seriously.

• Fatigue - This is another advanced symptom and occurs when the body is so occupied with trying to fight off the threat and the cancer cells drain so many resources from the body, that the patient simply lacks their usual quantities of energy.

• Loss of appetite - This is a pretty serious symptom and points to a severe disruption of homeostasis within the body.

• Weight loss - This is also a rather generic symptom and should be considered in combination with other symptoms that may occur.

• Urine and/or feces coming from the vagina - This is a very severe symptom that should prompt you to seek immediate medical attention. Feces in the vagina are very dangerous for reasons of infection and their presence indicates a severe problem.

• Leg pain/swollen leg - This may seem like a disconnected symptom but like the others, should be thought of as only potentially indicative unless it is seen in conjunction with seve ral others.

If you observe any of these indicators, be calm. Here's why: all of the signs and symptoms of cervical cancer have to be taken into account in the context of everything else. For instance, many women experience pain during sex because their partner is too rough or too large. Additionally, many women may have an unusual vaginal discharge that can be due to a yeast infection or an STD or any number of other non-cancer factors!

If, on the other hand, you experience several of these symptoms and the onset is rather sudden and unexpected, then it's certainly a good idea to go see you physician and have the appropriate tests conducted as soon as possible.

There is also a connection between HPV and cervical cancer that women should be aware of because it's been shown that up to 70% of all cervical cancer can be attributed to 2 specific types of HPV (16 and 18). The reason for this is that HPV causes abnormal cell changes and growth in the cervix. For t his reason women who carry HPV should be especially vigilant for any symptoms and signs of cervical cancer.

It's important for women to begin seeing a gynecologist in their teenage years, which is the default recommendation by the American Congress Of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. This will help young women understand how to avoid risky behaviors that can lead to HPV infection (a major player in cervical cancer cases) and also make them aware of the symptoms associated with this disease.

Symptoms of cervical cancer after menopause are typically the same as for pre-menopausal women but would most noticeably include vaginal bleeding where it had largely stopped.

Every woman should certainly be on the lookout for the symptoms of cervical cancer and should be getting screened with pap smears and other diagnostic tools regularly to catch any abnormalities before the become a serious problem.

...And the most vital thing to reiterate is that these various symptoms of cervical cancer are NOT exclusive to this disease. Any number of disease including sexually transmitted diseases and other abnormalities may be responsible for a woman experiencing these indicators. A woman should still be on the lookout for symptoms of cervical cancer that may show up suddenly and with no seemingly good reason.

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Uterine Cancer Symptoms

Uterine Cancer Symptoms

Endometrial Cancer or Uterine Cancer is caused by cancer cell growth directly on the lining of the uterus. Most women mistake the vaginal bleeding to be caused by menopause. This misconception is quite common.

We are going to see some symptoms that may or may not indicate uterine cancer. They may be caused due to other maladies too. To confirm whether any of these symptoms actually leads to uterine cancer, you should go to a doctor to confirm.

Some of the symptoms that have been observed in uterine cancer patients:

* Pain in the pelvic region.
* Pain while urinating.
* Bleeding from the vaginal region.
* Difficulty while urinating.
* Discharge from the vagina.
* Painful sensation while indulging in sexual intercourse.

Studies have shown that bleeding from the vagina is the most common type of symptoms that have been observed. Initially, there might not be bleeding, rather a discha rge. This will turn to bleeding later.

Types who are most prone to uterine cancer:

* Women aged 50 years or more.
* Endometrial hyperplasia.
* Women who have an increase in their hormones. These may be women who have fewer children, who have had ovarian tumors or undergone therapy for estrogen replacement.

The treatment is not the same for every woman. Many factors have to be taken into consideration. Factors like age, advance of the cancer etc. have to be kept in mind.

Treatment is either one or a combination of these - surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

In the initial stages, if the spread of the cancer is not that advanced, doctors will try to completely remove the cancerous cells from the woman's uterus. If the disease has progressed, generally there is some surgery along with chemo or radiotherapy. This helps to stop the growth of cancerous cells in other parts of the body.

The good part about uterine cancer is that if it is detected early, then there is a very good chance of curing it completely. Patients are also advised to take part in trials which can sometimes give very good results.

Alternative treatments also exist for uterine cancer:

* Following special types of diets.
* Acupuncture.
* Meditating also helps.
* Taking sufficient quantity of vitamins.
* Visualization and Spiritual healing.

There are many recorded cases where women have felt that alternative treatments have helped them immensely. What is not recommended is to mix and match. It is always better to stick to a single plan of action - go the traditional way or the alternative, but not both.

ovarian cervical uterine cancer - source: via web

Cervical Cancer and Juanita's Story: The Power of the Pap

Cervical Cancer and Juanita's Story: The Power of the Pap

Uterine Cancer - treatment for ovarian cancer

JUANITA's STORY
Juanita was a 48-year old Hispanic female who noticed vaginal bleeding after she and her husband had intercourse. This symptom had been occurring off and on for about 6 weeks, when she decided to be evaluated at the local health department clinic. Juanita had not had a gynecologic examination or Pap smear in the past 5 years. She had been pregnant 5 times: 3 children and 2 miscarriages. She had a history of high blood pressure but was otherwise healthy. Her examination revealed a 3 cm mass on the cervix. The gynecologist obtained a biopsy of the mass which revealed squamous cell carcinoma, cancer of the cervix.

After her diagnosis, Juanita had a CT scan of her pelvis which revealed no grossly visible evidence of disease in her lymph nodes or elsewhere outside the cervix. A chest X-ray was also negative. Juanita's gynecologic oncologist performed a radical hysterectomy which revealed a squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix with no evidence of exten sion into the nearby tissues, and negative surgical margins. However, she had microscopic tumor cells involving 6 out of 8 lymph nodes that were removed from the left side of the pelvis. She also had tumor cells invading along the lymphatics and blood vessels near the cervix. Juanita was referred to a radiation oncologist who recommended post-operative chemotherapy & radiation together (chemoRT). She received 5.5 weeks of treatment utilizing intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT), in order to minimize radiation dose to the nearby small bowel and bladder. Concurrent weekly cisplatin chemotherapy was delivered by her gynecologic oncologist. She had a difficult time during her chemoRT due to severe fatigue and diarrhea. She required admission to the hospital for 3 days near the end of treatment to receive IV fluids due to dehydration. However, within 1 month after she finished chemoRT, Juanita had recovered completely from the side effects of her treatment. Four years aft er completion of her chemoRT, she remains free of disease or any long-term side effects.

BASICS
Cancer of the cervix is the most common killer of women among gynecologic cancers throughout a large part of the world. However, deaths due to cervical cancer are less common in the U.S., thanks to widespread use of the Pap test. According to the most recent NCI's SEER Cancer Statistics Review, the 5-year survival following a diagnosis of cervix cancer for all stages combined is 70%. If the disease is localized, then the 5-year survival is 91%.

RISKS & CAUSES
The human papillomavirus (HPV) is found to be present in nearly all squamous cell cancers of the cervix. Infection with HPV is the leading risk factor for development of cervical cancer. Two strains of HPV, type 16 & 18, are the most often associated with cervical cancer. The two vaccines that have been produced to prevent cervical cancer are designed to protect against these strains of HPV. Vaccination is a pproved in the U.S. for females ages 9 through 26 (& now males also!). The available vaccines don't eliminate HPV in a woman who's already infected. The majority of women who develop HPV infection will clear it on their own within 1-2 years and will NOT develop cervical cancer. Activities that put women at risk for HPV infection (such as having multiple sexual partners) also place them at risk for cervical cancer. Much to the surprise of many young women, tobacco smoking also has been clearly linked to an increased risk for the development of cervical cancer. Therefore, most (but not all) of the risk factors for cervical cancer can be modified or changed by women who make the effort to protect themselves.

SIGNS & SYMPTOMS
The classic symptoms of cervical cancer are vaginal bleeding, most notably following intercourse, called post-coital bleeding. Some women may visit their gynecologist with complaints of pelvic pain without bleeding. Those patients who present with significant symptoms and are found to have more advanced cancer, usually haven't had routine gynecological exams including Pap testing. The Pap test is an extremely effective screening tool for the prevention and/or early detection of cervical cancer.

DIAGNOSIS
Most women are diagnosed with cervical cancer following examination and biopsy of the cervix by their gynecologist. Patients should then be referred to a gynecologic oncologist, a surgeon specializing in the care of patients with gynecologic cancers. Roughly 80% of cervical cancers are squamous cell carcinomas.

STAGING
Historically, the primary staging system for cervical and other gynecologic cancers was based on the FIGO system. Patients with very early stage disease have smaller cancers limited to the cervix. Locally advanced disease includes large cervical tumors that invade into the nearby tissues within the pelvis, as well as those that involve pelvic lymph nodes.

TREATMENT
Patients wi th early stage cervical cancer should be treated surgically by a gynecologic oncologist. The standard surgical procedure is called a radical hysterectomy, which differs from what most people think of as a hysterectomy. In addition to the uterus, the fallopian tubes, ovaries, parametria (tissue on the sides of the cervix), ligaments and tissues that support the uterus, and upper portion of the vagina are all surgically removed by the gynecologic oncologist. Cure rates exceed 80% overall. Potential acute side effects of radical hysterectomy include bleeding, infection, urinary or bowel injury, sexual dysfunction, and rarely life-threatening blood clots to the lungs.

Certain patients will benefit from post-operative radiation therapy (RT) to their pelvis. These groups include patients with cancer cells at the edge of where the surgeon removed the tumor (positive margins), involvement of lymph nodes, parametria, or within lymphatic and vascular channels. Post-operative con current chemoRT improves survival over RT alone and is the standard of care for these patients at high risk of cancer returning within the pelvis.

Locally advanced cervical cancer is fortunately becoming much less common throughout most of the U.S. due to the widespread use of Pap testing. The standard treatment for these patients is concurrent chemoRT. This regimen usually includes both external and internal RT. External RT is delivered over roughly 5 weeks of daily treatment. The internal RT may be delivered in the hospital over 2-3 consecutive days usually after completion of external RT, or as an outpatient once per week beginning midway through the treatment course. Medications are given to minimize discomfort.

The most frequent acute side effects of RT to the pelvis include irritation of bladder and bowel causing frequency and/or discomfort with urination or bowel movements. Fatigue and decreased blood counts are also common side effects of chemoRT in this setting. Approximately 5-10% of women will have chronic bladder or bowel problems that affect their quality of life long-term. Rarely, RT may cause permanent bowel or bladder injury requiring surgery to repair. There is also a small but real risk of vaginal stenosis, scarring at the top of the vagina, that may cause pain. The risk of this scarring can be minimized by using a medical dilator to keep the tissue healthy.

Cisplatin is the chemotherapy drug most commonly delivered during RT, usually in low doses once per week. The common acute side effects include decreased blood counts, poor appetite, fatigue, and nausea and vomiting (which are usually very well controlled on current anti-nausea medicines). Uncommon but serious long-term risks of cisplatin include possibility of damage to the kidneys and nerves, as well as loss of high frequency hearing.

Dr. Patrick Maguire's home reference book for the public, "When Cancer Hits Home," has received excellent reviews from cancer survivors and experts alike: http://www.amazon.com/When-Cancer-Hits-Home-Prevention/dp/0615391117.

To learn more or read Dr. Maguire's blog, visit: http://patrickmaguiremd.com/

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