Crvical Cancer Research Paper

Most symptoms for cervical cancer are not shown. The symptoms may take years to start showing. Studies have shown that some women ignored symptoms or did not recognize the changes their body was undergoing (Binka, Doku, & Awusabo-Asare, 2017). Symptoms do not begin until the cancer starts to interfere with the lining of the cervix. When the cells become invasive, symptoms can include unusual discharge from the vagina, pain during sexual intercourse, and abnormal bleeding in the vagina, such as bleeding after menopause and bleeding in between periods. Specifically, the vaginal discharge may be thick, watery, and has a foul odor. When symptoms are ignored this could cause the cancer to advance at a more progressive rate, which in turn could affect …show more content…
The earlier the stages of cancer, the easier it is to treat it rather than stages three or four (Binka, Doku, & Awusabo-Asare, 2017). Treatment options can depend on the stage it is in, the size of the cancer, and other general health problems. Surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation are all options for treatment of cervical cancer. Depending on the severity of the cancer, all three treatment options may have to be used. The early stages of cervical cancer are treated with surgery. The surgery treated for the early stages of cervical cancer is called a hysterectomy. A hysterectomy is an operation that surgically removes the uterus from the female body. There are various types of hysterectomies that treat cervical cancer. The hysterectomies that treat cervical cancer are simple and radical hysterectomies. Women also have the option to have a radical trachelectomy. In a simple hysterectomy, the uterus and the cervix are removed to get rid of the cancer. In a radical hysterectomy, the cervix, uterus, and lymph nodes are removed to get rid of the cancerous cells. In a radical trachelectomy, stage one of cervical cancer, only some of the cervix is removed so that the woman may become pregnant in the future. More than fifty percent of women give birth after having cervical surgeries (Weinmann et al., 2017). Chemoradiotherapy is another treatment for the early stages of cervical cancer. Chemoradiotherapy is chemotherapy and radiotherapy combined. The chemotherapy helps to destroy cancer cells using anti-cancer medication. Radiotherapy is the use of x-rays to kill the cancer cells. Completing chemotherapy and radiotherapy together reduces the risk of the cancer coming back. Treatments for advanced stages of cervical cancer is pelvic exenteration. In a pelvic exenteration, the cancer has spread to the lowest part of your cervix and hips, therefore the cervix, womb, and all ovaries must be