Your body's immune system can clear it within 18 months. But in some cases, the HPV virus can remain and cause changes to cells in the cervix. Over time, these cells can develop into cancer. You are still at risk of cervical cancer if you have had the HPV vaccine. The vaccine does not protect you from all types of HPV. Read more about causes of cervical cancer.
If you get a cervical cancer diagnosis early, it's usually possible to treat it using surgery. In some cases, it's possible to leave the womb in place. But it may need to be removed. Surgery to remove the womb is called a hysterectomy. Read more about treatment for cervical cancer. Find out more about the complications of cervical cancer. Page last reviewed: 30 December Next review due: 30 December Read our cookies policy to find out more about our cookies and how we use them. Cervical cancer - Overview.
Cervical cancer is a cancer of the cervix the neck of the womb. In most cases, it takes 10 to 15 years for these cells to go from normal to abnormal to cancer. You can reduce your risk of cervical cancer by: having regular cervical screening tests to pick up any early cell changes quitting smoking getting the HPV vaccine at school - the vaccine is most effective in young people between 9 and 15 years old talking to your GP about any concerns or symptoms Find out more about how to reduce your risk of cervical cancer Who can get cervical cancer If you have a cervix and have had any kind of sexual contact, you could get cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer mostly affects people aged 30 to 50 who have ever been sexually active. Chemotherapy involves using either a single chemotherapy medication called cisplatin or a combination of different chemotherapy medications to kill the cancerous cells. Chemotherapy is usually given using an intravenous drip on an outpatient basis, so you'll be able to go home once you've received your dose.
As with radiotherapy, these medications can also damage healthy tissue. Side effects are therefore common and can include:. Some types of chemotherapy medication can damage your kidneys, so you may need to have regular blood tests to assess the health of your kidneys. After your treatment has been completed and the cancer has been removed, you'll need to attend regular appointments for testing.
This will usually involve a physical examination of your vagina and cervix if it hasn't been removed. As there's a risk of cervical cancer returning, these examinations will be used to look for signs of this. If anything suspicious is found, a further biopsy can be carried out. If cervical cancer does return, it usually returns around 18 months after a course of treatment has been completed.
Follow-up appointments are usually recommended every four months after treatment has been completed for the first two years, and then every six to 12 months for a further three years. Complications of cervical cancer can occur as a side effect of treatment or as the result of advanced cervical cancer. If your ovaries are surgically removed or they're damaged during treatment with radiotherapy , it will trigger an early menopause if you haven't already had it.
Most women experience the menopause in their early fifties. The menopause is caused when your ovaries stop producing the hormones oestrogen and progesterone. This leads to the following symptoms:. These symptoms can be relieved by taking a number of medications that stimulate the production of oestrogen and progesterone. This treatment is known as hormone replacement therapy HRT.
Radiotherapy to treat cervical cancer can often cause your vagina to become narrower, which can make having sex painful or difficult. There are two main treatment options if you have a narrowed vagina. The first is to apply hormonal cream to your vagina. This should increase moisture within your vagina and make having sex easier. The second is to use a vaginal dilator, which is a tampon-shaped device made of plastic.
You insert it into your vagina and is designed to help make it more supple. It's usually recommended that you insert the dilator for 5 to 10 minutes at a time on a regular basis during the day over the course of 6 to 12 months. Many women find discussing the use of a vaginal dilator embarrassing, but it's a standard and well-recognised treatment for narrowing of the vagina.
Your specialist cancer nurse or radiographers in the radiotherapy department should be able to give you more information and advice. You may find that the more times you have sex, the less painful it becomes. However, it may be several months before you feel emotionally ready to be intimate with a sexual partner. The Macmillan Cancer Support website has more information about sexuality and cancer.
If the lymph nodes in your pelvis are removed, it can sometimes disrupt the normal workings of your lymphatic system. One of the functions of the lymphatic system is to drain away excess fluid from the body's tissue. A disruption to this process can lead to a build-up of fluid in the tissue known as lymphoedema.
This can cause certain body parts to become swollen — usually the legs, in cases of cervical cancer. There are exercises and massage techniques that can reduce the swelling. Wearing specially designed bandages and compression garments can also help. Read more about treating lymphoedema. The emotional impact of living with cervical cancer can be significant. Many people report experiencing a "rollercoaster" effect. For example, you may feel down when you receive a diagnosis, but feel better when removal of the cancer has been confirmed.
You may then feel down again as you try to come to terms with the after-effects of your treatment. This type of emotional disruption can sometimes trigger depression. Typical signs of depression include feeling sad, hopeless and losing interest in things you used to enjoy.
Contact your GP if you think you may be depressed. There is a range of effective treatments available, including antidepressant medication and talking therapies, such as cognitive behavioural therapy CBT. You may also find Jo's Cervical Cancer Trust a useful resource. It's the UK's only charity dedicated to women affected by cervical cancer. Local cancer support groups may also be available in your area for women affected by cancer. Your specialist cancer nurse should be able to provide contact details.
Read more about feelings and cancer. A number of effective painkilling medications can usually be used to control the pain. Depending on the levels of pain, they can range from paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs NSAIDs such as ibuprofen , to more powerful opiate-based painkillers, such as codeine and morphine.
Tell your care team if the painkillers you're prescribed aren't effective in reducing your pain. You may need to be prescribed a stronger medication. A short course of radiotherapy may also be effective in controlling the pain. Macmillan nurses , who work both in hospitals and in the community, can also provide expert advice about pain relief. Your kidneys remove waste material from your blood. The waste is passed out of your body in urine through tubes called the ureters. Kidney function can be monitored by a simple blood test called serum creatinine level.
In some cases of advanced cervical cancer, the cancerous tumour can press against the ureters, blocking the flow of urine out of the kidneys. The build-up of urine inside the kidneys is known as hydronephrosis and can cause the kidneys to become swollen and stretched.
Severe cases of hydronephrosis can cause the kidneys to become scarred, which can lead to the loss of most or all of the kidneys' functions. This is known as kidney failure.
Treatment options for kidney failure associated with cervical cancer include draining urine out of the kidneys using a tube inserted through the skin and into each kidney percutaneous nephrostomy. Another option is to widen the ureters by placing a small metal tube called a stent inside them. As with other types of cancer, cervical cancer can make the blood "stickier" and more prone to forming clots.
Bed rest after surgery and chemotherapy can also increase the risk of developing a clot. Large tumours can press on the veins in the pelvis, which slows the flow of blood and can lead to a blood clot developing in the legs. A major concern in these cases is that the blood clot from the leg vein will travel up to the lungs and block the supply of blood.
This is known as a pulmonary embolism and can be fatal. Blood clots in the legs are usually treated using a combination of blood-thinning medication, such as heparin or warfarin , and compression garments designed to help encourage the flow of blood through the limbs. Read more about treating deep vein thrombosis. If the cancer spreads into your vagina, bowel or bladder, it can cause significant damage, resulting in bleeding.
Bleeding can occur in your vagina or rectum back passage , or you may pass blood when you urinate. Minor bleeding can often be treated using a medication called tranexamic acid, which encourages the blood to clot and stop the bleeding.
Radiotherapy can also be highly effective in controlling bleeding caused by cancer. Major bleeding may be treated temporarily by vaginal packing using gauze to stem the bleeding and later by surgery, radiotherapy or by cutting off blood supply to the cervix.
A fistula is an uncommon but distressing complication that occurs in around 1 in 50 cases of advanced cervical cancer. A fistula is an abnormal channel that develops between two sections of the body. In most cases involving cervical cancer, the fistula develops between the bladder and the vagina. This can lead to a persistent discharge of fluid from the vagina.
A fistula can sometimes develop between the vagina and rectum. Surgery is usually required to repair a fistula, although it's often not possible in women with advanced cervical cancer, because they're usually too frail to withstand the effects of surgery.
In such cases, treatment often involves using medication, creams and lotions to reduce the amount of discharge and protect the vagina and surrounding tissue from damage and irritation. Another uncommon, but distressing, complication of advanced cervical cancer is an unpleasant-smelling discharge from your vagina.
The discharge can occur for a number of reasons, such as the breakdown of tissue, the leakage of bladder or bowel contents out of the vagina, or a bacterial infection of the vagina. Treatment options for vaginal discharge include an antibacterial gel called metronidazole and wearing clothing that contains charcoal. Charcoal is a chemical compound that's very effective in absorbing unpleasant smells.
If your doctors can't do any more to treat your cancer, your care will focus on controlling your symptoms and helping you to be as comfortable as possible.
This is called palliative care. Palliative care also includes psychological, social and spiritual support for you and your family or carers. There are different options for terminal care in the late stages of cancer. You may want to think about whether you'd like to be cared for in hospital, in a hospice or at home, and discuss these issues with your doctor.
Some organisations who provide care for people with cancer include:. The impact of cervical cancer on your daily life will depend on the stage of cancer and the treatment you're having. Many women with cervical cancer have a radical hysterectomy. This is a major operation that takes around 6 to 12 weeks to recover from. During this time, you need to avoid strenuous tasks and lifting, such as lifting children or heavy shopping bags.
You won't be able to drive for 3 to 8 weeks after the operation. Most women will also need 8 to 12 weeks off work to recover after having a radical hysterectomy. Some of the treatments for cervical cancer can make you very tired, particularly chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Because of this, you may need to take a break from some of your normal activities for a while. Don't be afraid to ask for practical help from family and friends if you need it.
Practical help may also be available from your local authority. Ask your doctor or nurse about who to contact. Having cervical cancer doesn't necessarily mean you'll have to give up work, although you may need quite a lot of time off. During treatment, you may not be able to carry on as you did before. If you have cancer, you're covered by the Disability Discrimination Act. This means that your employer isn't allowed to discriminate against you because of your illness. They have a duty to make "reasonable adjustments" to help you cope.
Examples of these include:. The definition of what's "reasonable" depends on the situation, such as how much it would affect your employer's business, for example. You should give your employer as much information as possible about how much time you'll need off and when.
Speak to a member of your human resources department, if you have one. Your union or staff association representative can also give you advice. If you're having difficulties with your employer, your union or local Citizens Advice Bureau may be able to help.
Macmillan Cancer Support also has more information and advice about work and cancer. If you have to reduce or stop work because of your cancer, you may find it difficult to cope financially.
If you have cancer or you're caring for someone with cancer, you may be entitled to financial support. For example:. It's a good idea to find out what help is available as soon as possible. You could ask to speak to the social worker at your hospital, who can give you the information you need.
Many women feel nervous about having sex soon after treatment for cervical cancer, but it's perfectly safe. Sex won't make the cancer come back and your partner can't catch cancer from you. If you want to, you can resume your normal sex life within a few weeks of finishing radiotherapy or having surgery.
This will give your body time to heal. If you're having chemotherapy, male partners should wear a condom when you have sex, because it's not clear if having sex after chemotherapy can have an effect on them. Some women find sex difficult after being treated for cervical cancer, because the side effects of some treatments can include vaginal dryness and narrowing of the vagina. In these cases, there are treatments that can help, such as vaginal dilators. See complications of cervical cancer for more information.
Macmillan Cancer Support has more information on how treatment for cervical cancer may affect your sex life. There's no single way to completely prevent cervical cancer, but there are things that can reduce your risk. Most cases of cervical cancer are linked to an infection with certain types of human papillomavirus HPV. HPV can be spread through unprotected sex, so using a condom can reduce your risk of developing the infection.
However, the virus isn't just passed on through penetrative sex — it can be transmitted during other types of sexual contact, such as skin-to-skin contact between genital areas and by using sex toys.
Home Cancer. Cervical cancer. Actions for this page Listen Print. Summary Read the full fact sheet. On this page. Function of the cervix The cervix lies at the base of the uterus womb and opens into the vagina.
Some of the functions of the cervix include: producing lubrication for the vagina producing mucous to help the movement of sperm holding the baby in the uterus during pregnancy. Symptoms of cervical cancer Most cervical cell changes have no symptoms.
Types of cervical cancer There are two main types of cervical cancer: squamous cell cancer - this is the most common type of cervical cancer. It starts in the cells that cover the outer surface of the cervix at the top of the vagina. The Cervical Screening Test can usually detect early cell changes that could lead to squamous cell cancer.
It starts in the glandular cells, which are found in the cervical canal. The Cervical Screening Test cannot easily detect early changes that lead to this cancer, although sometimes these changes are picked up. Risk factors for cervical cancer Cervical cancer almost always develops from cell changes caused by the human papillomavirus HPV , which is spread through genital skin-to-skin contact during sexual activity.
Cervical cancer and the Cervical Screening Test The Cervical Screening Test is a quick and simple test that checks for changes in the cervical cells that may lead to cervical cancer. Diagnosis of cervical cancer Various tests are used to detect cervical cancer including: colposcopy - examines the vagina and cervix with a magnifying instrument to check for abnormalities biopsy - a small tissue sample is taken from the cervix during a colposcopy cone biopsy - a larger tissue sample is removed from the cervix under anaesthetic.
Treatment for cervical cancer Some of the treatments for cervical cancer include: cone biopsy - if detected early, some cervical cancers can be removed during a biopsy hysterectomy - the removal of the uterus radiotherapy - the use of x-rays to destroy the cancer cells chemotherapy - the use of anti-cancer drugs that stop cancer cells from multiplying. When a cure for cervical cancer isn't possible If cervical cancer has been diagnosed in its later stages, the cancer may have spread to the point where a cure is no longer possible.
Cervical cancer , Cancer Council Victoria. More information here. Department of Health - Screening and Cancer Prevention. Give feedback about this page. Was this page helpful? Yes No. View all cancer.
Related information. Support groups Cancer Council Victoria - Support groups. From other websites Cancer Council Victoria.
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