Cervical Cancer Flashcards
What causes cervical cancer?
gene mutation
What are risk factors for cervical cancer?
- HPV infection (thus unsafe sex, sex with multiple partners)
- smoking
- history of STIs
How many strains of HPV are there?
over 100
Is HPV only sexually transmitted?
about 40 strains of HPV are sexually transmitted
Which strains of HPV cause genital warts?
strains 6 and 11 cause 90% of genital warts
Which strains of HPV cause cervical cancer?
strains 16 and 18 cause 70% of cervical cancer
Is HPV curable?
Yes! It is almost 100% curable if it is detected early. There is a period of nearly 2 years before it progresses to cancer.
What is the pathology of cervical cancer?
- mostly squamous cell origin
- initial dysplasia
- then carcinoma in situ (in epithelial layer)
- later, invasive cancer (into deeper layers)
- several years between pre-cancerous and invasive stage
- metastasis via lymphatic system
What is a PAP test?
- papanicolaou test is a staining technique used to detect if cells are squamous (normal) or abnormal
How are abnormal cells identified via PAP smear described?
abnormal cervical cells are staged using cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN):
mild dysplasia (CIN 1)
moderate (CIN 2)
severe dysplasia and carcinoma in situe (CIN 3) - not yet invasive
How is cervical cancer diagnosed?
- PAP
- colposcopy (scope to examine the cervix
What are the manifestations of cervical cancer?
- vaginal discharge (non-purulent) and bleeding
- metrorrhagia (bleeding in between normal menses)
- increased frequency in menses
- pain is late manifestation
How is cervical cancer treated?
- if caught early - excision
- if invasive - radiation and surgery
- cryosurgery
- conization (instrument to remove cone shaped malignancy)
- laser ablation
- radical hysterectomy
