Cervical Cancer

 Cervical cancer is cancer that impacts the cervix. To understand cervical cancer, you must first understand what cancer is and how it affects the body’s production of cells. Cancer is an illness that causes the body’s cells to divide at an uncontrollable rate. In normal circumstances, the cells in your body will divide at a rate of once per 24 hours. If a cell becomes mutated in this process, the cell will then undergo apoptosis, also referred to as cell death, to prevent the division and accumulation of mutated cells. In cancer cells, mutations continue to divide and do not undergo apoptosis. This can spread to tissues in the body, or create growths called tumours. 

Despite what we know about cancer, there are still many unanswered questions. Carcinogens have been discovered, and there are some effective methods of treatment, but the true cause of cancer is largely unknown; hence why there is currently no cure for the disease. A cause of cervical cancer has been discovered though, the human papillomavirus (better known as HPV) has been shown to be one cause of cancer. HPV is a sexually transmitted virus that can have many symptoms or none at all. Different strains can either go away on their own with no medical intervention, cause genital warts, or cause cancer. 

Cervical cancer can be treated in a variety of ways. If a tumour has been identified in the cervix, it can be surgically removed; but unfortunately, some tumours are too complex to operate on. If a tumour is embedded in the cervical tissue, some will choose to undergo a hysterectomy. A hysterectomy is a surgical procedure where the ovaries, womb, and cervix are removed. Undergoing a hysterectomy can be a good option if the cancer has not metastasized to other parts of the body. Some more common methods of treatment include chemotherapy and radiation therapy. 

“Apoptosis.” Genome.gov, www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/apoptosis#:~:text=Apoptosis is the process of,a role in preventing cancer.

“What Is Cancer?” National Cancer Institute, www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/understanding/what-is-cancer.

“How HPV Relates to Cervical Cancer.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 27 Aug. 2019, www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cervical-cancer/expert-answers/cervical-cancer/faq-20057909.