Le Cervical cancer starts in the cells that line the lower, narrow part of the uterus. It is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers. However, women who regularly undergo Pap test (= cervical smear) are often diagnosed and treated in time. This cancer usually develops slowly and the vast majority of women treated recover completely.

Causes

Cervical cancer is caused by sexually transmitted infection (ITS) whose origin is human papillomavirus (HPV). There are over XNUMX strains of viruses in the HPV family, some of which are more easily transmitted than others.

HPV infections are very common. In the majority of cases, the infection is controlled by the immune system and the virus is eliminated, with no further consequences for the body. In some women, the virus causes genital warts (condyloma) on the vulva, in the vagina or on the cervix. The doctor often needs to treat these warts in order to help the immune system clear the virus. More rarely, the virus persists for years and transforms the cells lining the cervix into precancerous cells, then into cancer cells. These then multiply at an uncontrolled rate and give rise to a tumor.

Two types of cancer

80-90% of cervical cancers start within squamous cells, cells that look like fish scales and line the bottom of the neck. This type of cancer is called squamous cell carcinoma.

10 to 20% of cancers start within glandular cells mucus-producing cells found in the upper part of the cervix. We call this type of cancer adenocarcinoma.

How many women are affected?

Cancer of the cervix is ​​the leading cause of cancer death, men and women alike, in several African and Latin American countries. 500 new cases are diagnosed each year worldwide.

In 2004, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), the death rate from cervical cancer was 1 in 100 people in Canada, compared to 000 in 31 in Bolivia and exceeded 100 for 000 in many countries¹.

In 2008, 1 Canadian women were diagnosed with Cervical cancer, or 1,6% of female cancers, and 380 died. In Canada, since the introduction of the Pap test in 1941, the death rate from cervical cancer has fallen by 90%.

When to consult?

If you have a bleeding abnormal vagina or pain unusual during sex, see your doctor right away.