Symptoms
Cervical Cancer Symptoms

Cervical cancer may not give any symptoms in the early period. However, vaginal bleeding, feeling of fullness or mass in the vagina, vaginal discharge and painful sexual intercourse are among the common symptoms. Bleeding may occur during sexual intercourse or afterward with a drop-like and foul-smelling discharge.

The tumor may spread upwards into the endometrial cavity (intrauterine cavity), downwards into the vagina, and laterally into the pelvic wall. It can directly invade the bladder and rectum. Depending on these spreads, constipation, bloody urine, urine or stool coming from the vagina, enlargement of the urethra or enlargement of the kidney can be seen.

In addition, due to the spread of the pelvic wall, leg pain, severe back and groin pain can also be seen, while edema may occur. It can be in the form of distant organ metastases, extra pelvic lymph node involvement, spread to liver, lung and bone. Although cervical cancer is usually seen in middle-aged and older women, it can occur at any age.

Cervical Cancer Risk Factors

The most common cause of cell changes in the cervix is HPV infections. The HPV virus settles inside the cervical cells after sexual intercourse. 50-80 percent of women may encounter HPV infection at some point in their lives. Our immune system has a 90 percent chance of eliminating them within 12-18 months. Having an HPV infection does not mean that one will get cervical cancer.

Carcinogenic types of HPV infections can cause genetic changes in cervical cells and lead to carcinogenic changes. This period lasts about 10-15 years. Therefore, with follow-up and screening methods, physicians can detect and prevent cancer before it becomes cancer.

Diagnostic Methods
Cervical Cancer Diagnostic Methods

As the first finding, abnormal PAP smear results are seen in patients who undergo a PAP smear test during routine gynecological examination and follow-up.

After the abnormal PAP smear test, depending on the result of the test, a second PAP smear test can be performed after a while, or the cervix is visualized with a device called colposcopy. In addition, biopsy can also be performed during colposcopy if deemed necessary.

In addition to these, PAP smears are also used in regular check-ups to prevent cervical cancer and to provide early diagnosis. In addition, the test called HPV-DNA is among the methods that can be used together with PAP smear or alone in screening programs.

Under normal conditions, the probability of seeing HPV in women between the ages of 20-30 is 30-50 percent. Therefore, when the HPV test is performed in this group, the values are positive in most of the patients and the meaning of the HPV test is lost.

For this reason, between the ages of 20-30, follow-up with a smear test is recommended every three years. Afterwards, the chance of developing HPV drops to 7%.

Therefore, HPV DNA test is added to the cytological examination of PAP smear after the age of 30. Thanks to this screening, which is called co-test, in which PAP smear and high-risk HPV DNA test are performed together, the risk of taking unnecessary biopsies and procedures is reduced. Patients are offered the opportunity to be followed up at longer intervals.

In the diagnosis of the disease; If the result of this test, which reduces patient anxiety, reduces the cost of the examination, and increases the accuracy rate, is negative, the next follow-up of the patient is done five years later.

In the case of continuing with only the PAP smear, a test is required every three years.

Ways to Prevent Cervical Cancer
The risk of HPV virus can be minimized with vaccination. The HPV vaccine is a safe and effective way to protect against cancers caused by the virus.
National and international health organizations recommend that all boys and girls between the ages of 11-12 get two or three doses of HPV vaccine to prevent HPV-related cancers. If they have not been vaccinated before, HPV can be vaccinated up to the age of 21 for men and at any age for women.
Cervical cancer can be detected early with routine screening tests such as smear and HPV performed on women between the ages of 21-65.
To protect yourself from cervical cancer, if you are sexually active, you should use a condom every time you have sexual intercourse. Although this reduces the risk of viruses, HPV can infect areas not covered by the condom; therefore condoms may not provide complete protection against HPV. Mutual monogamy reduces the possibility of transmission of the virus.

Treatment Methods
Cervical Cancer Treatment Methods

The methods used in the treatment of cervical cancers are grouped under 2 main groups as surgery and radiotherapy. Radiotherapy is a treatment method that can be used in all stages of cervical cancer. Since the spread of the disease is much less in early-stage cancers, surgical treatment comes to the fore.

In advanced stages, the primary treatment is radiotherapy. In surgical treatment; location of the cervix