Cervical Cancer: Symptoms & Treatment

Cell types

The cervix is covered with a layer of skin-like cells on its outer surface, called the ectocervix. Inside of the cervix, there are glandular cells that produce mucus. This is called the endocervix.

The skin-like cells of the ectocervix can become cancerous, leading to squamous cell cervical cancer. This is the most common type of cervical cancer.

The glandular cells of the endocervix can also become cancerous, leading to adenocarcinoma of the cervix.

Transformation zone

The area where cervical cells are most likely to become cancerous is called the transformation zone. It is the area just around the opening of the cervix that leads on to the endocervical canal.

The endocervical canal is the narrow passageway that runs up from the cervix into the womb.

Cervical screening

The transformation zone is the area that your doctor or nurse checks during cervical screening.

Cervical screening is not a test for cancer. It is a test to pick up abnormal cervical cells. If left untreated, the abnormal cells might develop into cancer.

Lymph nodes

Like all other areas of the body, there are lymph nodes around the womb and cervix. The nearest large group of lymph nodes are at the top of the leg (the groin area).

Lymph nodes (also called lymph glands) are part of the lymphatic system. They:

• help to protect the body against infections
• filter, drain and circulate the tissue fluid that bathes all body cells and tissues

Lymph nodes are also important in cancer. The tissue fluid that bathes the area containing the cancer, drains to the nearest lymph nodes. So if any cancer cells break away from the tumour, the first place they can go is to the nearest lymph nodes.

When you have surgery for cervical cancer, your surgeon usually takes out some lymph nodes. They send them to the laboratory to check for cancer cells.

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women with estimated around more than half a million new cases annually in the world and 122,844 cases in India with mortality of up to 17/100,000.

Cervical cancer is more common in younger women under the age of 45.

The main cause of cervical cancer is long lasting (persistent) infection of certain types of the human papilloma virus (HPV).

HPV is a common virus, and in most cases your immune system clears the infection without any problems.

We do not have a national screening program.In other parts of the world women aged between 25 and 64 have cervical screening. The screening test can pick up abnormal cells that could develop into cervical cancer if left untreated. Smear test is done every three years between 21-29 and every 3-5 years between 30-64.

The stage of a cancer tells you how big it is and whether it has spread. The type means the type of cell the cancer started from. The grade means how abnormal the cells look under the microscope.

Your doctor uses all of this information to help them decide on which treatment you need.

Types and grades

There are different types of cervical cancer. The most common type is squamous cell cancer. Cancer cells are divided into 3 grades and the other variety is adenocarcinoma arising from the glandular cells that line the cervical canal.

Stage 1

Stage 1 means that the cancer is only in the neck of the womb (cervix).

Stage 2

Stage 2 means the cancer has spread outside the cervix, into the surrounding tissues.

Stage 3

Stage 3 means the cancer has spread from the cervix into the structures around it and lymph nodes in lower half of the abdomen.

Stage 4

Stage 4 means the cancer has spread to the bladder or back passage (rectum) or further away.

Cervical cancer is the second most common cancer and the commonest gynecological cancer in India and amongst Indian women. The cervix the opening of the uterus into the vagina.

Cancer of the uterine cervix occurs due to infection by the human papilloma virus. Most infections of the human papilloma virus can be prevented be vaccination which should ideally be carried out prior to initiation of sexual activity.

A simple outpatient test called a Pap smear, which is examination of cells scraped off from the cervix, under a microscope, can help detect changes pre cancerous changes and non invasive cancer in asymptomatic patients. Regular pap smear examinations, carried out once every 3 years, are strongly recommended for prevention and early detection of cervical cancer.

Apollo team offers you comprehensive care with compassion, clinical excellence and with multi-disciplinary team (MDT). We have nationally and internationally recognized doctors treating you, and are up to date with current evidence and research.

We discuss every patient in the tumour board to decide what treatment options are available and tailor it as appropriately on an individual basis.

We offer full range of treatment options under one roof in all aspects of cancer care such as chemotherapy, radiotherapy and surgery. We offer Laparoscopic, Robotic and open surgery options. We have state of the art radiotherapy equipment along with proton therapy to minimize complications associated with radiation.

We offer fertility preserving options, nerve sparing procedures and treatment on par with the best results in the world. We offer sentinel node dissection on the robot.

For fertility preserving we offer trachelectomy (removal of cervix along with tissues around it) and preserving the uterus we are one of the few centers in the world offering this procedure so that woman can have babies who are diagnosed with early cervical cancer.

We are currently offering clinical trials in treating some of the cervical cancers which could turn out to be tomorrows cure.

We can assure you that we support you in all aspects during and after your treatment and give you the best possible care available in the world.