The human papillomavirus (HPV) is the known cause of most Cervical Cancer. It occurs when abnormal cells in the lower part of the uterus (the cervix, or opening into the vagina) begin to grow out of control.  There are a number of HPV viruses, and not all of them could cause cancer or genital warts. You usually get HPV from sexual contact with an infected person and can have it for years without realizing it.   For this reason, it is important for women to have regular Pap tests (also called vaginal smears), as these tests can help find changes in cervical cells before they develop into cancer.  Experts are of the opinion that uterine cancer is preventable by treating these cell changes at the earlier stage.

Another important reason for testing is that abnormal cell changes in the cervix rarely cause any visible symptoms. By the time you start seeing the symptoms, the cell changes have grown into cervical cancer. At this point, the symptoms may include bleeding from the vagina (not due to the menstrual cycle) or changes in your cycle that are unexplained.  Also, watch for bleeding during sex, while putting in your diaphragm, or anytime anything else comes in contact with your cervix (this includes a vaginal discharge of mucus mixed with blood). A major symptom is pain during sexual intercourse.

Each year, roughly 15,000 women in the US get Cervical Cancer. The doctor, when choosing a treatment, will take into consideration your age, overall health and your desires to have children, as there are several treatment choices for this disease.

In early stages, it simply may be a matter of removing the cancer; however, for most stages, it means, along with the cancer removal, that you will most likely have to undergo a hysterectomy with subsequent removal of pelvic nodes.  Depending on the severity of the cancer, ovaries and/or fallopian tubes may be taken out as well.

For those who wish to take a chance on a Cervical Cancer Treatment after which they may still be able to bear children, there is radiation therapy, which uses a high-dose of X-rays in the vaginal cavity to kill cancer cells.

Chemotherapy is another form of uterine leukemia treatment; it uses medicine or other chemicals to kill cancer cells. Sometime a combination of chemotherapy and radiation are given at the same time, as studies have shown that the combination (chemo-radiation) improves the chances of survival without increasing side effects attributed to either treatment.

Prevention of Cervical Cancer includes limiting sexual partners (the more the number, the higher the risk) and sexual relations before 16. If you smoke, quit!  Women who smoke develop cervical cell changes at a higher rate, which in turn could lead to cancer.