Cervical Cancer Awareness and The Collection
What is Cervical Cancer?
Cervical cancer is a disease in which cells grow out of control within the cervix.
Who Is Affected By Cervical Cancer?
Females are affected by cervical cancer, and it primarily occurs in women who are between 35-44 years of age, with the average age being 50. Furthermore, more than 20% of cervical cancer cases are found in females over the age of 65. Within the United States, nearly 15,000 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year, and approximately 4,300 females will die from the condition, especially when they do not seek early treatment, according to the American Cancer Society. This type of cancer occurs on the cervix that is located near to a female’s internal reproductive organs, and the cancerous cells can spread into the other reproductive organs, the bloodstream or the bones, leading to additional deaths from cancer.
What Are the Symptoms from Cervical Cancer?
Cervical cancer awareness can save a woman’s life, and there are several symptoms that occur with cervical cancer, including:
- Extreme fatigue
- Weight loss
- Nausea
- Vaginal discharge
- Heavy or irregular menstrual periods
- Spotting between menstrual periods
- Pain in the pelvis
Many women have no symptoms from cervical cancer, and the condition is only diagnosed after the cancer has spread to other regions of the body.
Physicians recommend routine Pap smears or tests for adult females to detect cervical cancer in the earliest stages. This test requires a visit to a physician’s office where a female will recline on an examination table with special stirrups so that the physician can collect a sample from the woman’s cervix. This sample is sent to a medical laboratory to determine if there are cancerous cells. If the Pap smear is positive, then the physician will conduct more laboratory tests to determine if the cancerous cells have spread to other areas of the woman’s body or if the cancer is localized to the cervix.
What Is the Treatment for Cervical Cancer?
The most common treatment for cervical cancer is surgery to remove a localized tumor or to remove portions of the cervix. Many females have a hysterectomy that might include the removal of the ovaries. In some cases, other surrounding tissues are removed from the abdominal area. Today, most of these surgeries require tiny incisions that will heal faster and cause less discomfort. A surgeon may recommend additional treatment with chemotherapy or radiation to eliminate cancer cells.
When Does a Woman Need Treatment?
Some types of cervical cancer spread rapidly, so a physician will typically recommend treatment within a few days to save a woman’s life. It is important for a woman to make plans for treatment as fast as possible to have the best outcome.
When Does Remission Occur?
After surgery or other types of treatments for cervical cancer, physicians will continue to collect tissue and blood samples to look for cancerous cells. A woman must continue to visit her physician for examinations to determine if the cancer has spread to her other organs. According to the American Cancer Society, if cervical cancer is caught early, the survival rate, after five years, is over 90%. Nearly 50% of women who are diagnosed are at an early stage. If the cancer has spread to the surrounding area, the five year survival rate is close to 60%. If the cancer has spread throughout the body, nearly 20% is the five year survival rate.
What Causes Cervical Cancer?
With research, scientists have learned that cervical cancer occurs more in females who have multiple sexual partners or who have engaged in sexual contact at a younger age. Additional reasons for developing cervical cancer include taking birth control pills, smoking cigarettes or having a HPV infection. However, most females today do have one or more types of HPV infection, and many of these women do not develop cervical cancer. An important part of cervical cancer awareness is for females to understand the risk factors so that women can protect themselves from this health problem.
Cervical cancer awareness month is January. Show your support with the colors teal and white. Sabrina Hartel Home is showing their support by donating 10% of the profit of its Cervical Cancer Awareness Collection to cervical cancer awareness organizations and education.