Get To Know Cervical Cancer: The Most Preventable Type of Cancer
The anatomy of men and women differs because of a specific orientation and their reproductive function. This means the hormones of men and women differ and affect the growth of every boy and girl. For example, boys stop growing at the age of 21, while girls stop growing at 18. According to Healthline, girls can even stop growing at the age of 14 or 15, or a couple of years after their first menstruation. Thinking about it, we can say that women are exceptional, and they have imaginable strength because they were able to carry their child for nine months inside their uterus.
Men and women have different anatomy when it comes to the reproductive system, then there will also be diseases unique for both sexes, just like cervical cancer that occurs in females. According to the American Cancer Society, 13,800 cases of invasive cervical cancer will be diagnosed. They added that cervical cancer was once the most common cause of cancer death among American women, but because of the Pap test, the disease's death rate dropped evidently. That is good news because that means the advancement of technology and treatments are getting effective.
What is Cervical Cancer?
It is known that cancers are named depending on where the tumors start to grow. In this case, cancer starts in the cervix, according to Mayo Clinic strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted disease that plays a role in most cervical cancers. Mayo Clinic also added that the body's immune system usually prevents more serious harm. Still, when some of the viruses survive, it will contribute to the process that will trigger cancer cells in the cervix. WebMD also added that this type of cancer could affect a deeper part of the cervix that may cause cancer to other parts of the body. They also added that cervical cancers are slow in development; that is why they noted, there is a time for treatment and diagnosis before it progresses and causes more trouble in your body.
READ ALSO: How to Recognize Signs of Cervical Cancer
According to the Mayo Clinic, the early stage of cervical cancer may not have any symptoms. However, WebMD added that you may notice some changes while the disease is not yet in progression, such as pain when having sex, unusual vaginal discharge, and unusual vaginal bleeding. Mayo Clinic also mentioned that watery vaginal blood that may have foul odor could also be a symptom of some cases.
How to avoid it
Even though it is treatable cancer, prevention is still better than cure. Active Beat mentioned that there is a vaccine available to prevent having HPV. Centers for Diseases Control and Prevention said that the vaccine could be administered at the age of 9 for the first dose, and the second dose is administered 6 to 12 months after the first dose. Because of the pap test, this cancer was known to be one of the most preventable cancer. That is why women need to take note and remember to have a regular check-up with their gynecologist to be safe and avoid having this disease.
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Dec 03, 2020 12:00 PM EST
