Cervical cancer was considered one of the most serious cancers for women. Today, by effective screening with the vaginal Pap smear (also called a Pap test), which can detect cervical precancers and cancers early on, most of the women diagnosed with this illness can be cured.

The cervix is the lower part of the uterus (womb) that extends into the upper end of the vagina. Most cervical cancers begin in an area called the transformation zone, where the inner part of the cervix closest to the uterus (the endocervix) meets the outer part of the cervix closest to the vagina (the ectocervix).

Cervical cancer usually grows slowly, over many years. Before actual cancer cells in the cervix develop, the tissues of the cervix undergo changes at the cellular level — called dysplasia, or precancers.
TYPES OF CERVICAL CANCER

About 70 percent of cervical cancers are thin, flat cells covering the outer part of the cervix closest to the uterus while the rest of cervical cancers begin in the mucus-producing gland cells that line the inner part of the cervix closest to the uterus. These are known as adenocarcinomas.
SYMPTOMS

Most women with cervical cancer, especially in its earliest stages, do not notice any symptoms — which is why early screening is so important for women. Most common symptoms include:

Pain or bleeding during or after intercourse or douching, or following a pelvic examination.
Pelvic pain.
Unusual discharge from the vagina.
Blood spots or light bleeding other than what a woman would expect from a normal menstrual period.

DIAGNOSIS & STAGING

Cervical cancer is usually diagnosed through a routine office visit screening with a Pap smear followed by other diagnostic and staging tests in the event that cancer cells are found.
TREATMENT

Apollo Cancer Institutes have access to an array of services that include therapy to recovery.

The multidisciplinary team approach to screen, counsel, diagnose, and treat women with cervical cancer includes surgical oncologists, medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, gynaecologists, radiologists, pathologists, nurses, and paramedics. Advances in screening and diagnosing cervical cancer at early stages, and progress in minimally invasive surgical techniques have transformed the treatment of this cancer in recent years.Use of robotic technologies during operations result in benefits such as decreased pain after surgery, better cosmetic results, and faster recovery.

In more advanced cases of cervical cancer, our innovative approach to measuring the potential spread of cancer to lymph nodes in the pelvis – known as sentinel lymph node mapping – has made it possible to spare many women the long-term discomforts and complications that can otherwise occur.
Radiation Therapy & Chemotherapy

Our multidisciplinary team approach gives each patient the benefit of our expertise and skill in treating every aspect of cervical cancer. When surgery alone is not likely to be an effective cure, our doctors may recommend a combination of radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or hormonal therapy.

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Apollo Hospitals