Cervical cancer (CC) is a carcinoma that originates in the cervical cells. Cervical cancer is one of the main causes of cancer mortality in women across the world, and symptoms of cervical cancer in females are similar to those of a low-infectious venereal illness. Early age of first intercourse and various sexual partners have been demonstrated to have a significant impact on risk.
The cervix, which is the opening from the vagina to the uterus, is where cervical cancer begins to grow in women. High-risk human papillomaviruses (HPV), a prevalent virus spread by sexual contact, are implicated in 99 percent of instances of cervical cancer. While the majority of HPV infections go away on their own without any symptoms, persistent infections can lead to cervical cancer in women.
Early Signs of Cervical Cancer in Women
The “cervix” is the end, narrow opening of the uterus, or womb. The womb and vaginal canal connect by the cervix. Typically, cervical cancer originates and grows gradually.
Early symptoms of cervical cancer in females
- bleeding from the vagina after intercourse.
- bleeding from the vagina after menopause.
- vaginal bleeding that is stronger or longer than usual.
- vaginal discharge that is watery and smells strongly.
- vaginal discharge that contains blood.
- pelvic discomfort or pain during intercourse
Advanced Symptoms of Cervical Cancer in Females
Cervical cells undergo a process called dysplasia, in which abnormal cells start to show up in the cervical tissue, prior to cancer developing in the cervix. The abnormal cells may eventually develop into cancer cells and begin to proliferate and spread more into the cervix and adjacent regions if they are not eliminated.
Advanced cervical cancer is when the cancer begins in the cervix and moves to another organ of the body.
The position of the cancer in the organs affects the symptoms of cervical cancer in females. Advanced symptoms of cervical cancer in females includes:
- fatigue and feeling ill.
- experiencing abdominal discomfort.
- feeling bloated.
- constipated.
- throwing up a lot.
- blood in the urine
- bleeding from the rectum.
- leg swelling.
- dull backache.
Related: Stage 1 Cervical Cancer Symptoms
Recognizing Abnormalities That Could Signal Cervical Cancer
Typically, women with precancerous and early cervical malignancies show no symptoms. Frequently, symptoms don’t appear until the disease has spread to neighboring tissue and become bigger.
Normal cervical cells may often take several years to become cancer cells. A “Pap test” is able to find cancerous cells in the cervix. You might also take an HPV “human papillomaviruses” test.
If your findings are abnormal, you may require a biopsy or more testing. Regular screenings allow you to detect and treat issues before they develop into cancer.
The following are the most typical signs of cervical cancer when this occurs:
- Bleeding after vaginal intercourse.
- bleeding after menopause.
- bleeding and spotting in between periods.
- experiencing larger or longer-than-normal menstrual cycles are examples of abnormal vaginal bleeding.
- Bleeding may also happen after douching.
- A strange discharge from the vagina that may contain blood might happen after menopause or in between periods.
- Pelvic pain.
Reference
de Juan, A., Redondo, A., Rubio, M. J., García, Y., Cueva, J., Gaba, L., … Oaknin, A. (2020). SEOM clinical guidelines for cervical cancer (2019). Clinical and Translational Oncology, 22(2), 270–278. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12094-019-02271-z
Hou, X., Shen, G., Zhou, L., Li, Y., Wang, T., & Ma, X. (2022). Artificial Intelligence in Cervical Cancer Screening and Diagnosis. Frontiers in Oncology, 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2022.851367
National Cancer Institute. (2022, October 13). Cervical cancer symptoms – NCI. Retrieved from www.cancer.gov website: https://www.cancer.gov/types/cervical/symptoms
World Health Organization. (2019). Cervical cancer. Retrieved from World Health Organization website: https://www.who.int/health-topics/cervical-cancer#tab=tab_1
Zhang, S., Xu, H., Zhang, L., & Qiao, Y. (2020). Cervical cancer: Epidemiology, Risk Factors and Screening. Chinese Journal of Cancer Research, 32(6), 720–728. https://doi.org/10.21147/j.issn.1000-9604.2020.06.05
