Cervical Cancer Facts

I read a fantastic news about cervical cancer prevention. I read from newspaper that study in japan show that drinking coffee can prevent cervical cancer. Drinking coffee regularly can lowering cervical cancer risk. In this study, 54.000 women age 40 to 69 is studied for 5 years. Observer classified object into 4 group based on their degree of coffee consumption. While the study ran, 117 women is diagnosed with cervical cancer.
This study show that group who drink coffee more than 3 glass a day have  cervical cancer risk 60 percent less than group who drink less than two glass per week. How coffee can prevent cervical cancer? Coffee can lowering insulin so this effect is supposed can prevent cervical cancer.

I found a journal on BMJ which show increase of cervical cancer risk on female in whom the HPV persists for several months. Researcher show that women who have persist HPV infection are have a higher risk than who quickly clear the infection. This study is important for cervical cancer prevention, and for research into a vaccine against HPV.

Immediately after the onset of sexual activity, rates of HPV are very high as women become infected. In most women, the immune system will quickly clear the infection, but in a immunedefficience-women the HPV infection persists.

Latest cervical cancer study found that women were more likely to show cervical abnormalities called squamous intraepithelial lesions or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, which sometimes become cervical cancer, when their infection persisted over several months (JAMA 2001;286:3106-14). From that study we can surely make a conclusion that HPV infection is cervical cancer risk factor which must be prevented.

Cervical cancer stage is classification of cervical cancer based on how far the cancer has spread. The process to decide cervical cancer stage is called staging. Clinician make staging from information which gathered from physical examination and some diagnostic tests. Staging of cervical cancer is based on size of the tumor, depth of the invasion of the tumor, and metastasis (cervical cancer spread to the lymph nodes or distant organs).

Cervical cancer stage is classified based on FIGO System of staging. This system classifies cervical cancer in stages 0 through IV. FIGO system of staging is based on clinical staging rather than surgical staging. This means that the extent of cervical cancer is examined by the doctor’s physical examination and a few other diagnostic tests that are done in some cases, such as cystoscopy and proctoscopy.

Cervical cancer stage is important in choosing treatment and predict prognosis. Let’s take a look on cervical cancer stage based on FIGO that i found at cancer.org

Stage 0: The malignant cells are very superficial (only affecting the surface) are found only in the layer of cells lining the cervix, and they have not grown into (invaded) deeper tissues of the cervix. This stage is also called carcinoma in situ (CIS) or cervical intraepithelial neoplasis (CIN) grade III.

Stage I: In this stage the cervical cancer has invaded the cervix, but it has not spread anywhere else.

Stage IA: This is the earliest form of stage I. There is a very small amount of cancer, and it can be seen only under a microscope.

• Stage IA1: The area of invasion is less than 3 mm (about 1/8-inch) deep and less than 7 mm (about 1/4-inch) wide.

• Stage IA2: The area of invasion is between 3 mm and 5 mm (about 1/5-inch) deep and less than 7 mm (about 1/4-inch) wide.

Stage IB: This stage includes Stage I cancers that can be seen without a microscope. This stage also includes cervical cancers that can only be seen with a microscope if they have spread deeper than 5 mm (about 1/5 inch) into connective tissue of the cervix or are wider than 7 mm.

• Stage IB1: The cervical cancer can be seen but it is not larger than 4 cm (about 1 3/5 inches).

• Stage IB2: The cervical cancer can be seen and is larger than 4 cm.

Stage II: In this stage, the cervical cancer has grown beyond the cervix and uterus, but hasn’t spread to the walls of the pelvis or the lower part of the vagina.

• Stage IIA: The cancer has not spread into the tissues next to the cervix (called the parametria). The cancer may have grown into the upper part of the vagina.

• Stage IIB: The cancer has spread into the tissues next to the cervix.

Stage III: The cervical cancer has spread to the lower part of the vagina or the pelvic wall. The cancer may be blocking the ureters (tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder).

• Stage IIIA: The cancer has spread to the lower third of the vagina but not to the pelvic wall.

• Stage IIIB: The cancer has grown into the pelvic wall. If the tumor has blocked the ureters (a condition called hydronephrosis) it is also a stage IIIB.

Note: In the alternate staging system by the American Joint Committee on Cancer, stage IIIB is defined by the fact that the cancer has spread to lymph nodes in the pelvis.

Stage IV: This is the most dangerous stage of cervical cancer. The cancer has spread to nearby organs or other parts of the body.

• Stage IVA: The cancer has spread to the bladder or rectum, which are organs close to the cervix.

• Stage IVB: The cancer has spread to distant organs beyond the pelvic area, such as the lungs.