Cervical Cancer or cancer of the cervix (the lower part of the uterus) is caused by abnormal cells in the cervix which get infected. They then become cancerous tumors. While there are various causes of cervical cancer such as weakened immunity, smoking and ageing, the most common cause is the HPV or Human papillomavirus that can be transmitted from infected skin to skin contact. An HPV infection that affects women at any given point of life in respect to contracted risk from physical association with infected partners. However one must note that cervical cancer isn’t caused from every instance of such infections which are usually fought by the body’s immunity. However it is certain types of the virus which may develop into cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer is the fourth most frequent cancer in women worldwide. In the US alone, about 12, 820 women will be diagnosed with invasive forms of the disease in 2017, 4210 are expected to die from the disease. Here are 8 common symptoms of cervical cancer you need to be careful about.
1 Abnormal or Excessive bleeding
While unusual and abnormal bleeding can be a cause of other factors, it is also a sign of cervical cancer. Heavy and excessive bleeding during your menstrual cycle, bleeding after menopause and after physical interaction, lengthy menses and cervical irritation are indicators of the disease. Bleeding of any kind should be brought to a doctor’s attention immediately.
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2 Abnormal discharge
Most discharge is due to bacterial and yeast infection, or a symptom of menopause, they are considered harmless and can be treated. But, discharge with a change in color that appears brownish, pale or yellowish, or if the discharge has a foul odor, then this could be a sign of cervical cancer. Always inform your doctor even if you notice any type of unusual discharge for a correct diagnosis.
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