Epidemiology and health is concerned with the study of the distribution and the determinants of health and disease in human populations. This case study will review cervical cancer, firstly it will outline and define the condition. It will then present up-to-date data describing the impact, prevalence and mortality rates of the condition before moving on to discuss the distribution and trends of the disease among the Scottish female population. Finally it will conclude by exploring the main causes of the disease and the reasons for the trends identified in Scotland.
Cervical cancer is referred to medically as cancer of the cervix uteri. The international classification of disease (ICD) code for cervical cancer is ICD-10 C53 (ISD 2015). The cervix forms the narrow neck of the uterus connecting the body of the uterus to the vagina. The …show more content…
CIN 1= mildest form, CIN 3 = most severe
(Sun Kuie 2009).
There are two main types of invasive cervical cancer:
• Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC) develops in the cells of the squamous epithelial lining of the ectocervix. SCC is the most common form of cervical cancer and always ensues CIN.
• Adenocarcinomas develop in the glandular, mucus-producing epithelial cells of the endocervix (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/store/10.1002/9780470988046.ch1/asset/ch1.pdf?v=1&t=ik2twv0v&s=ba231b71f5272ab723f52cc7a016eac9411afe67)
These invasive leison have the potential to metastasize to nearby body tissues such as pelvic and distant lymph nodes which would significantly exacerbate the condition (Duarte-Franco and Franco 2004).
Table 1: Stages of cervical cancer
Stage …show more content…
Stage 0
Pre-cancer: there are no cancerous cells in the cervix, but there are biological changes that could trigger cancer in the future; cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) or carcinoma in situ