Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer develops in the lining of the cervix, the lower part of the uterus that enters the vagina. Normal cervical cells may undergo gradual changes to become precancerous and then cancerous - a process which may take several years.

Cancer of the cervix is the 10th leading cause of cancer deaths

Many women will become infected with high risk HPV types, however, even without any intervention, only 2% will develop precancerous lesions that might progress to cancer. Persistent infection with high risk HPV types is a major determinant for developing high grade pre-invasive cervical lesions. Persistent infection has been defined as detection of HPV DNA of the same HPV type in 2 or more consecutive tests at least 6 months apart.

In 2006, an estimated 9,710 cases of invasive cervical cancer were diagnosed in the United States and an estimated 3,700 women died from the disease. Globally, cervical cancer is the second most common cause of cancer death in women, with an estimated 510,000 newly diagnosed cervical cancer cases and 288,000 deaths.

The National Cancer Institute estimates that there will be 11,150 new cases and 3,670 deaths from cervical cancer in the United States in 2007.

Half of all women who develop cervical cancer in the United States have never been screened, and an additional 10% have not been screened within 5 years of their diagnosis.

The treatment of cervical cancer depends upon the stage of the disease, the age and overall condition of the patient, her desire to bear children in the future, and, in the advanced stages of the disease, her goals of care (i.e., aggressive treatment versus focus on comfort).

In general, the treatment options for women with cervical cancer include:

• Ablative or excisional procedures intended to destroy or remove abnormal cervical tissue
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation therapy
• Surgery (e.g., hysterectomy; radical trachelectomy; pelvic exenteration)

Learn more by ordering your MediFocus Guidebook on Cervical Cancer, the most comprehensive, up-to-date source of information available. You will get answers to your questions, including:

• What are the risk factors of Cervical Cancer?
• What standard and alternative treatment options are available?
• Where are the leading doctors, hospitals and medical centers that specialize in Cervical Cancer research and treatment?
• What are the results of the latest clinical trials?
• Where are the support groups and additional resources in my area?
• What are the promising new treatments on the horizon?

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