Cervical Cancer Risk

2023 Author: Leslie Forster | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-08-03 11:22

January is cervical cancer awareness month, a disease most commonly contracted by women between the ages of 20 and 50, with a lower percentage for women between the ages of 50 and 65, according to statistics from the American Society Against Cancer. Cancer.

“Every year about 12,000 women in the United States are diagnosed with cervical cancer, and a third of these (about 4,000) die from the disease. Globally, this type of cancer is the third most common and the fourth leading cause of cancer death in women,”said Karen Shea, director of medical standards for the Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

What is cervical cancer?

According to the Mayo Clinic, cervical cancer is a form of the disease that occurs in cells of the cervix, the narrow passageway found in the lower part of the uterus. Like other cancers, this occurs as a result of abnormal cell growth and, if not treated in time, can lead to death.

Most cancers are caused by the human papilloma virus, which is often sexually transmitted.

What are your symptoms?

Unfortunately, cervical cancer is particularly fatal for women since it can go unnoticed, without any symptoms until an advanced stage. This has been largely controlled with the development of the Pap test. Regular gynecological exams can detect this type of cancer.

Some of the symptoms that women with cervical cancer may experience include:

Irregular vaginal bleeding.

• Irregular vaginal discharge.
• Vaginal mucus with bleeding.
• Unexplained changes in the menstrual cycle.
• Bleeding when the cervix is touched.
• Pain during sex.
• Anemia due to vaginal bleeding.
• Urinary problems
• Back, leg or pelvic pain.
• Urinary incontinence.

Can it be cured?

The human papilloma vaccine (HPV) is a recommended measure against cervical cancer, which detected early has a percentage of 100% in the 5-year survival rate. As an important fact, Latinas are among the highest risk group for cervical cancer and that it is not detected until advanced stages.

Access to and cost of medical services are the main reasons why Latinas are in the high-risk group. Cervical exams, Pap tests, and human papilloma tests are the safest way to detect and treat this type of cancer early.