Cervical Cancer - Causes, Symptoms, Health Insurance Coverage

Cervix is a part of the uterus that connects to the vagina. Cervical cancer is a medical condition in which cells of the cervix coverts into cancerous cells. One of the major causes of cervical cancer is human papillomavirus (HPV), which is a sexually transmitted infection. When your body is exposed to HPV, the immune system of your body protects you. However, this virus can survive inside your body for several years, which can change cervical cells into cancerous cells. 

One should know that it is difficult to diagnose cervical cancer at an early stage as there are no signs and symptoms. Given below are the signs and symptoms of cervical cancer: 

Given below are the list of tests that your doctor will ask you to go through to diagnosed cervical cancer: 

Pap test: In this test, cells of your cervix will be scraped and brushed, which are later examined in a laboratory. This test detects the cancerous cells in the cervix. 

HPV DNA test: In this type of test, the cervical cells are collected which are later tested that determine whether HPV is present in the cells of the cervix or not. 

Cone biopsy: In this procedure, a small part of the tissue of the infected area is extracted as a sample and is sent to the laboratory for testing. 

Once cervical cancer is diagnoses, then your doctor determines the stage of cervical cancer. Staging is important as only after knowing the stage of cancer, your doctor can prescribe treatment. Staging is done with the help of X-ray, computerized tomography scans, positron emission tomography (PET) scans, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

If cervical cancer is diagnosed at an early stage, then the best option is surgery. Now, the type of surgery depends on the size of your cancer, its stage, and other factors. Here is the type of surgeries that one might have to go from: 

There are other treatment options also: