Welcome to Cervical Screening Edu

Are you due for a test, awaiting results or just curious about the process?

Here you can find information about cervical cancer, the screening process and the disease itself.

Cervical cancer is the growth of abnormal cells in the cervix (the opening of the uterus into the vagina). It can affect anyone who has a cervix, but especially those that have been sexually active because infection of the HPV virus can make someone 6 times more likely to develop cervical cancer.

In someone with cervical cancer, the cells in the lining undergo changes that cause them to reproduce uncontrollably, resulting in a tumor or damage to the cervix and surrounding tissues.

How does it affect your health?

Cervical cancer usually has no symptoms in the early stages but can cause vaginal bleeding between periods (even after menopause), pain and bleeding during intercourse, unusual discharge and longer or heavier periods. Advanved cervical cancer is rare if detected in the early stages, but can cause exessive tiredness, leg pain or swelling and lower back pain.

Treatment options include:

• Surgery to remove the cervix, uterus and fallopian tubes (total hysterectomy and bilateral saplingectomy) and sometimes nearby pelvic tissue (radical hysterectomy).
• Radiation therapy to control or kill the cancer. A machine directs radiation at the cancer to kill the affected cells.
• Chemotherapy where drugs are put into the body through an IV drip to kill the cancer.

When cancers spread around the body they can affect the immune system and cause new tumours to grow.

• If pieces of the primary tumor reach the cardiovascular system or lymphatic system they can grow and form another tumour at a secondary site in a process called metastasis.
• If a cancer reaches the lymph nodes through the lymphaic system it can encourage the immune system to protect the tumour and allow it to spread further

How does it affect society?

Cervical cancer can have a financial burden on the affected person as well as an emotional burden on them and their loved ones.

• Physical burden: Treatment for cervical cancer can lead to changes in bladder, bowel and sexual function which may require additional treatment, as well as side effects of their treatment plan.
• Psychological burden: Unwellness from treatment, shame or loss of dignity, uncertainty of outcomes, fear of death and stress from costs can have a negative impact on the individual and their family and friends as a result of cervical cancer.

The financial burden of cervical cancer treatment changes from person to person, depending on whether they are treated in the public or private system, has to take time off work, lives rural and needs to travel for treatment and whether they have private health insurance.

Health behaviours associated with the condition

• Unprotected sex leading to a HPV (human papillomavirus) infection is responsible for 95% of cervical cancer cases. The HPV virus can cause changes in the DNA of the cells in the cervix that cause them to replicate uncontrollably and develop into cancer.
• Smoking cigarettes regularly is known to cause cancers, with cervical cancer being one of the 16 known to be caused by cigarettes. Similar to HPV, the chemicals in cigarettes can travel through the bloodstream to the cervix and damage the DNA in the cells, causing cancer to develop.
• Avoiding having an HPV test regularly (every 2 years after becoming sexually active) can allow a cervical cancer to go unnoticed and become more severe, though some cancers can develop and worsen between test periods.