Cervical cancer is the most common cause of cancer deaths among women in India. Nearly 130,000 new cases of cervical cancer occur each year in our country. The advanced stage at first diagnosis (ranging from 70 – 95% in different centers) accounts for the poor survival of the cervical cancer patients in our country. Cancer of cervix develops slowly, over 10 to 15 years following oncogenic Human Papilloma Virus infection. Hence frequent screening in women can help in detecting cervical cancer early

Symptoms of Cervical Cancer

• Vaginal bleeding: This includes bleeding between periods, after sexual intercourse (post coital) or post-menopausal bleeding.
• Unusual vaginal discharge: A watery, pink or foul-smelling discharge is common.
• Pelvic pain: Pain during intercourse or at other times may be a sign of abnormal changes to the cervix.

All of these cervical cancer symptoms should be discussed with your doctor.

Signs of advanced stages of cervical cancer

Cervical cancer may spread (metastasize) within the pelvis, to the lymph nodes or elsewhere in the body. Signs of advanced cervical cancer include,

• Back pain
• Leg pain or swelling
• Leakage of urine or faeces from the vagina
• Weight loss
• Fatigue

Screening for cervical cancer can be considered in women aged 30 to 50 years, as the chances of detecting pre-cancerous lesions are maximum in this age group.

There are number of screening methods like

• Pap test
• Visual inspection with acetic acid (VIA),
• Visual inspection with lugols iodine (VILI).

Pap`s test is standard screening test. Patient lies on an examination table, a health care professional inserts a speculum into vagina. The health care provider then collects a sample of cells from the cervix by scraping it with a wooden /plastic spatula. An endocervical brush is rotated in the central opening of the cervix. There are two types of pap`s test. In a conventional Pap test, the specimen (or smear) is placed on a glass microscope slide and a fixative is added. In an automated liquid-based Pap cytology test, cervical cells collected with a brush or other instrument are placed in a vial of liquid preservative. The advantage of this method is it helps in HPV testing also. The samples are sent to pathologist for reporting.