How Fast Does Cervical Cancer Spread
Published on May 27 2010, in the categories: Stages of disease
Cervical cancer is the developments of cancerous cells in the cervix, namely the passage that connects the uterus to the vagina. In recent years survival rates have grown incredibly because of more and more women taking the Pap test regularly. This is vital because, though the progression of cervical cancer is slower than other forms of cancer, it has almost no symptoms in its early stages, while it is 100% curable. Later stages are much more difficult to treat and offer a small chance for eliminating the cancer for good.
However, the fact that it spreads relatively slow gives you the chance to discover it on time and it gives the doctor the chance to develop a suitable treatment plan to also prevent relapse. It usually takes more years for the cancer to develop but that is not 100% sure as there have been cases of cervical cancers metastasizing in 12 months.
The cancer begins in its stage 0 with precancerous lesions on the cervix which is left untreated can develop into cervical cancer. But even before that, what represents the biggest risk for developing the disease is infection with HPV, the Human Papiloma Virus as this virus can generate abnormal growth that can become malignant. But the virus does not mean you'll automatically get cervical cancer. Doctors think that the cancer is not likely to develop in the case of women who live a healthy life and don't smoke.
If you do develop the cancer, the precancerous condition also known as dysplasia can turn malignant and then the cancer begins its development to complete invasiveness. During the early stage you will most likely experience symptoms like vaginal bleeding, vaginal discharge, weakness and discomfort. Treat such signs with great seriousness.
The cancer then progresses slowly but every day has a big impact on your chances for survival. 90% of women survive for 5 years or more after diagnosis at an early stage of development while a later stage offers very few chances for survival. Only 20% of the patients diagnosed at a later stage live for the next 5 years.
From the point it becomes malignant the cancer goes through stages graded from I to IV B. In stages I to II, the cancer grows from being only visible through the microscope to growing larger than 4 cm and spreading outside the cervix.
In the next stages the cancer continues to spread to the upper region of the vagina, then to lower vagina, to the pelvic wall and the bladder, until it finally spreads to other organs, such as the lungs.
In conclusion, even if inside the body the progress of cervical cancer is relatively slow, on the surface it can seem much faster as from the first day you notice a symptom and go in for a consultation, you may not have so much time to fight the disease.
However, the fact that it spreads relatively slow gives you the chance to discover it on time and it gives the doctor the chance to develop a suitable treatment plan to also prevent relapse. It usually takes more years for the cancer to develop but that is not 100% sure as there have been cases of cervical cancers metastasizing in 12 months.
The cancer begins in its stage 0 with precancerous lesions on the cervix which is left untreated can develop into cervical cancer. But even before that, what represents the biggest risk for developing the disease is infection with HPV, the Human Papiloma Virus as this virus can generate abnormal growth that can become malignant. But the virus does not mean you'll automatically get cervical cancer. Doctors think that the cancer is not likely to develop in the case of women who live a healthy life and don't smoke.
If you do develop the cancer, the precancerous condition also known as dysplasia can turn malignant and then the cancer begins its development to complete invasiveness. During the early stage you will most likely experience symptoms like vaginal bleeding, vaginal discharge, weakness and discomfort. Treat such signs with great seriousness.
The cancer then progresses slowly but every day has a big impact on your chances for survival. 90% of women survive for 5 years or more after diagnosis at an early stage of development while a later stage offers very few chances for survival. Only 20% of the patients diagnosed at a later stage live for the next 5 years.
From the point it becomes malignant the cancer goes through stages graded from I to IV B. In stages I to II, the cancer grows from being only visible through the microscope to growing larger than 4 cm and spreading outside the cervix.
In the next stages the cancer continues to spread to the upper region of the vagina, then to lower vagina, to the pelvic wall and the bladder, until it finally spreads to other organs, such as the lungs.
In conclusion, even if inside the body the progress of cervical cancer is relatively slow, on the surface it can seem much faster as from the first day you notice a symptom and go in for a consultation, you may not have so much time to fight the disease.
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