Cervical Cancer: The Best Way to Protect Yourself

Cervical cancer—the fourth most common form of malignant tumor in women worldwide. You’ve probably heard of it, maybe you know a woman who has it, or has had it in the past. All the more reason to be aware of it and go to regular checkup appointments. So, let’s talk a bit more about what cervical cancer is and the best way to protect yourself.

• What is cervical cancer? What you need to know
• Checkups can save lives: everything you can do to protect yourself
  • Regular appointments with your gynecologist
  • The cervical cancer vaccination
  • How to avoid risk factors
• What happens if you are diagnosed with cervical cancer?

What is cervical cancer? What you need to know

Cervical cancer is the name given to tumors that are found in the lower part of the uterus, where they are formed as a result of changes to the tissue in the cervix. The cervix is the entrance to the uterus from the vagina. It is made up of a muscular tube lined with a mucous membrane which produces cervical mucous. This mucous protects the uterus from germs that could enter from the vagina.

The cause of most cervical cancers is previous viral infections, generally the Human Papillomavirus (HPV). These viruses get to the cervix during sex or through skin contact in the genital area, and attack skin and mucosal cells there. There are no symptoms, so the infection goes undetected, although it often causes changes to the tissue known as dysplasia. In many cases they simply disappear again. However, if they don’t, HPV takes hold in the mucous membrane and can develop into cancer. It can take years or even decades before the changes to the tissue cause cervical cancer. Women generally become infected with HPV in their 20s. Men can also be carriers of HPV, and pass it on to women who they are intimate with.

Cervical cancer tumors are usually found on the surface of the cervix. Experts call these types of tumor a squamous cell carcinoma. However, if the cancer is found in glandular cells, experts call it an adenocarcinoma. But this is rare.

You might be wondering what cervical cancer looks like. Here are a few of the possible symptoms to look out for:

• You experience unusual bleeds, for example after sex, outside of your period, or after your last period if you are already in the menopause.
• You notice an unusual and sometimes smelly discharge.
• You are increasingly tired and have lost weight.
• You have abdominal and pelvic pains that are different to what you experience usually, for example at the start of your period.
• Urinating is painful.

All these symptoms could potentially be a sign of cervical cancer. If you have these symptoms already, cervical cancer could be advanced already. Either way, you should discuss them with your doctor. However, it is far more important to not wait for symptoms, and go to regular checkups. There is also a vaccination which reduces the risk of the disease. We’ll discuss that more now.

Checkups can save lives: everything you can do to protect yourself

Regular appointments with your gynecologist

Precursors of cervical cancer can be easily detected through checkups, and then treated early on or monitored. As many women are infected with HPV at a young age, a Pap smear is covered by medical insurance for women over the age of 20, and can be carried out annually by your gynecologist. Since this smear test was introduced in the 1970s, far fewer women are diagnosed with cervical cancer, meaning the test is very effective. From the age of 35, women in Germany also have the right to a combined examination that includes a Pap test and an additional test specifically for HPV. This combined examination also investigates changes to cells, making early detection even easier from this age.

The cervical cancer vaccination

There is also now a vaccination that has an effect against the most common cancer-causing forms of HPV. The vaccination does not provide complete protection, but is still recommended. However, it is best for the vaccination to be administered before any sexual contact. It is therefore recommended for girls and boys between the ages of 9 and 14, and should not be given beyond the age of 18. The vaccination also protects boys from penis and anal cancer, and they can no longer pass on HPV once they have been vaccinated. The HPV vaccination protects against cervical cancer by reducing the number of changes to tissues, which is what causes cervical cancer. In Germany the vaccines Cervarix and Gardasil are used.

If you are still young, your parents might well have spoken to you about getting vaccinated. If not, your gynecologist or a GP can tell you more about it. The vaccination is a good way to prevent yourself from getting cervical cancer. It is administered in two separate doses five months apart into the muscle in the upper arm. If the young person is already over 14 years old when they have the injection, they will need three doses.

How to avoid risk factors

Looking after your own health generally lowers the risk of getting sick. This also applies to cervical cancer. For example, experts believe that smokers get sick more often because their immune system struggles more to fight off viruses. You can also make sure you eat a healthy diet and exercise regularly, which will also protect you from getting sick. There are other factors that can weaken the immune system, like the medication taken after an organ transplant. This can make you more susceptible to HPV infections and therefore require particular care.

Women are primarily infected with HPV during sex, so you can reduce the risk of getting cervical cancer by taking precautions against being infected with sexually transmitted diseases. For example, having lots of different sexual partners increases the risk of an infection. You should always use condoms, even though they are not one hundred percent proof, as they do not cover all the parts of the skin where the virus could enter. So, behave responsibly when it comes to your sexuality and protect yourself as best as you can.

What happens if you are diagnosed with cervical cancer?

If changes to the tissue are suspected, generally a sample of tissue is taken during a biopsy. This tissue sample is examined in a laboratory, to work out how advanced the changes are. If there are small changes or tumors, a conization is carried out. This is where the cervix and other affected areas are removed. If the cancer is in deeper layers of tissue, other examinations such as ultrasound, x-ray, MRI, or a computed tomography are carried out. A laparoscopy is often recommended, which is where lymph nodes are removed and then examined. This determines how advanced the cancer is.

The earlier the cancer is diagnosed, the better the chances of recovery.

But, to diagnose cancer early and treat it appropriately, whatever the type of cancer, it is important to go to regular checkups. It is particularly important to take up these opportunities for cancers like cervical cancer which are so common and where early detection is so easy. Protect yourself properly, have regular checkups, and look after yourself and your health!

Image sources: Bildquellen: pexels-thirdman-5327584 ; pexels-mart-production-7089329