Momentum - Business to Business Online Magazine Momentum May 2017 | Page 24

Health Corner
What is
Cervical
Cancer?
By: Leticia Gonzalez
Clear Pix Ultrasound
A
s early as the 1940’s cervical cancer has been a
leading cause of cancer related deaths in women.
Cervical cancer today is now the second most common
cancer affecting women following breast cancer. It
occurs mostly in women over the age of 30 but can
still develop in teens and young adult women. The
diagnosis of cervical cancer will affect approximately
12,820 woman and families this year in the United
States according to united states department of
health and services. Worldwide cervical cancer is
the third most common cancer among women, and
is responsible for 300,000 deaths every year. What is
underestimated is the toll it has on women and their
families.
Cervical cancer begins
in the lining of the
cervix, as an abnormal
growth rate in cells
that will crowd out
normal cells. This can
cause a development
of a malignant tumor
in the cervix. The
causes and risk factors of cervical cancer can be from
a various number of things such as having multiple
sexual partners, birth control methods, smoking, and
the human papillomavirus infection. Women who
have been taking an oral method of contraception for
over five years have an increased risk of developing
the cancer. Carcinogens from smoking can suppress
the body’s immune system from eliminating the cells
invaders and increase the effect of HPV on the cervical
cells. The human papillomavirus is an infection that
causes warts in various parts of the body. There are
over 100 types of HPV in which 40 of them can be
sexually transmitted. The virus can lead to cervical
dysplasia, an abnormal growth in cells over the surface
of the cervix.
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MOMENTUM / May 2017
Considering there may be no symptoms of the
cancer, it is usually not detected without medical
diagnosis. People began using pelvic exams and
pap smear testing for any changes or abnormalities
in the cervix. A pap smear is a screening procedure
for cervical cancer that has been used since the
1950’s that tests for the presence of precancerous
or cancerous cells and precancerous lesions on
the cervix. Pap smears have been successful in
detecting these cells and if caught early, is one of
the most successfully treated cancers. Treatments
depend on the stage but may include surgery,
radiation, and chemotherapy.
This year the American Cancer Society predicted
there will be an estimated 4,210 women who will
lose their fight to cervical cancer. So, what is the
future for cervical cancer? Researchers are working
on developing new methods to prevent and treat
cancer. Some of these methods include sentinel
lymph node biopsy (SNLB), immunotherapy, HPV
vaccines, and targeted therapy. Overall cervical
cancer has declined by 50% in the last forty years
as a result from pap smear screenings. Although
there are precautions women may adapt into their
own lifestyle and health to decrease the chances
of cancer, nothing can be planned. Most women
are unaware of these causes and symptoms and
may be too late to detect. The dismaying weight
it has on families worldwide will always be thought
of.
This article was written in remembrance of my
dear friend Mila De La Cruz, a loving mother who
lost her battle to cervical cancer at age 42, as a
chance to share her voice.