Cervical Cancer

• Cervical Cancer Overview
• Cervical Cancer Causes
• Cervical Cancer Symptoms
• When to Seek Medical Care
• Exams and Tests
• Cervical Cancer Treatment
• Self-Care at Home
• Medical Treatment
• Surgery
• Next Steps
• Follow-up
• Prevention
• Outlook
• Support Groups and Counseling
• For More Information
• Web Links
• Synonyms and Keywords
• Authors and Editors
• Related cervical cancer articles:
  Cervical cancer - on WebMD
  Cervical cancer - on MedicineNet

Cervical Cancer Overview

The uterine cervix is the lowest portion of a woman's uterus (womb). Most of the uterus lies in the pelvis, but part of the cervix is located in the vagina, where it connects the uterus with the vagina.

Cancer of the cervix occurs when the cells of the cervix change in a way that leads to abnormal growth and invasion of other tissues or organs of the body.

Like all cancers, cancer of the cervix is much more likely to be cured if it is detected early and treated immediately.

• One of the key features of cervical cancer is its slow progression from normal cervical tissue, to precancerous (or dysplastic) changes in the tissue, to invasive cancer.
  
  
• The slow progression through numerous precancerous changes is very important because it provides opportunities for prevention and early detection and treatment.
  
  
• These opportunities have caused the decline of cervical cancer over the past decades in the United States.

Invasive cancer means that the cancer affects the deeper tissues of the cervix and may have spread to other parts of the body. This spread is called metastasis. Cervical cancers don't always spread, but those that do most often spread to the lungs, the liver, the bladder, the vagina, and/or the rectum.