2023-08-14 12:04:00
This seemingly innocuous symptom may show that you have cervical cancer.
Each year in France, nearly 3,000 new cases of cancer of the cervix are recorded. It is the 12th most common female cancer. “Cervical cancer develops from the superficial cells of the cervix. The cervix is the narrow, lower part of the uterus connecting the body of the uterus to the vagina. It consists of two parts: the endocervix on the side of the body of the uterus and the exocervix on the side of the vagina.explains the Health Insurance website.
Most cases of this type of cancer are carcinomas, “that is to say, cancers that are born at the level of the superficial layer (or epithelium) lining the cervix”. There are two types: squamous cell carcinomas, in 85% of cases, which develop in the exocervix, and adenocarcinomas, in 15% of cases, which appear in the endocervix.
What is the main risk factor for cervical cancer?
Most of the time, cervical cancer comes from a “persistent infection, lasting 10 to 15 years, with viruses called human papillomaviruses (human papillomavirus or HPV, short for humanpapillomavirus) that are high risk and sexually transmitted”. In most cases, this infection goes away on its own and does not cause cancer. However, in 10% of cases, “the virus persists in the mucous membrane of the cervix and can then cause changes in the epithelium called precancerous lesions, likely to progress to cancer”.
To prevent the risk of human papillomavirus, there is a vaccination that is recommended for all young girls and boys, aged 11 to 14 years. “The vaccine is all the more effective as young girls and boys have not yet been exposed to the risk of HPV infection”, specifies the Health Insurance. If it was not done in this age group, it is still possible to do it from 15 to 19 years old.
Whether you have received the vaccine or not, it is essential to get tested. Indeed, for women, regular screening smears are strongly recommended from 25 to 65 years old. For women who are between 25 and 29 years old, the first two tests are to be carried out 1 year apart, then every three years if the results are normal. Otherwise, you have to do it “every 5 years, for women aged 30 to 65 by the HPV-HR test (detection of HPV viruses at High Risk) during the smear. More effective for this age group, it replaces the cytological examination of the smear”.
According to the Health Insurance, other risk factors can cause the appearance of cancer of the cervix. The precocity of sexual intercourse, the multiplicity of sexual partners, smoking or even certain sexually transmitted infections, such as chlamydiosis or genital herpes, can promote its development.
What are the symptoms of this type of cancer?
Several symptoms can alert you and possibly mean that you have cervical cancer. These can then be vaginal bleeding after intercourse, bleeding outside the period of menstruation, pain during intercourse, pain in the lower abdomen and lower back pain.
A more innocuous symptom can also alert you: your vaginal discharge. According to experts from the National Health Service – the public health system of the United Kingdom, care should be taken for changes in their texture, color, consistency and smell. A change can also show that you have a mycosis, for example.
“Vaginal discharge can change for many reasons unrelated to cervical cancer, such as infection or hormonal change. It is important to inform your GP of any changes so that they can reassure you”, warn NHS doctors. Your doctor can then prescribe a screening to eliminate any suspicion and find the appropriate treatment.
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