Cervical cancer is the 2nd most common type of cancer among women, and 98% of cancer is caused by HPV (Human Papilloma Virus). It is known that at least 2 out of every 100 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer at some point in their life. However, with the precautions taken against cervical cancer, the rate of women not encountering cancer throughout their lives is very high. Although it usually occurs around the age of
50, its incidence has increased in young women in recent years.
Common causes
The most important cause of cervical cancer is sexually transmitted HPV infection. % of patients with cervical cancer
HPV infection was detected in 98 of them. In addition, the disease is more common in people who have had multiple births at an early age, who have had sexual intercourse at an early age, and who smoke. HPV can rarely be transmitted by means other than sexual
intercourse (Skin contact, contact with contaminated material, etc.) HPV' There are more than a hundred types of
. While HPV types 16 - 18 cause cervical cancer, types 6 - 11 cause warts on the external genital organs.
Symptoms of cervical cancer
Symptoms of cervical cancer, which usually do not cause any significant symptoms in the early stages. It mostly occurs in the advanced stages of the disease. Symptoms such as bloody discharge, bleeding after sexual intercourse and irregular menstrual bleeding are among the symptoms of cervical cancer. In advanced cases, the tumor may be noticed during
examination. As cervical cancer progresses, urinary problems, defecation difficulties and leg pain occur. Cervical smear screening
programs are carried out to detect cervical cancer at an early stage. If cancer precursor cells are detected, the suspicious area is examined by colposcope
A definitive diagnosis is made by taking a biopsy from the cervix.
Cervical cancer screening is performed by Pap smear, HPV test or a combination of the two. There are different practices around the world regarding when
scans will begin, how often they will be carried out, and when they will be terminated. In the USA, the starting age for screening is 21 years old. The screening interval has been decided as every 3 years if only smear is performed
and every 5 years if smear is performed together with HPV test after the age of 30.
In Turkey, the Ministry of Health started screening with smear after the age of 30 and every 5 years. It recommends that it be done once a year. In recent years, the Ministry has only started HPV screening. In women who are HPV positive, smear smear and further evaluation are performed. The upper limit of screening is 65-70 years of age. If there is no abnormal
smear within ten years and 3 consecutive smears are normal, it is completed at the age of 65-70...
Cervical Cancer Vaccine
Getting the cervical cancer vaccine without ever encountering HPV prevents most of the cervical cancer cases.
can prevent it. In addition to cervical cancer, it is also protective against vaginal and vulva cancers. The ideal vaccination time for cervical
cancer vaccine is the period before sexual experience begins, that is, before contact with the HPV
virus. When HPV is infected, the vaccine may not be as effective as getting it at the recommended time.
There are 2 vaccines developed for cervical cancer. While one of them protects only from cancer, the other also protects from warts caused by HPV
. The ideal thing for this is to vaccinate 9-12 year old girls
. Because it is seen that as the age progresses (especially after the age of 26), the immunity developed in the body decreases. Cervical cancer will become rare in the coming years. People who have received this vaccine, which is thought to cause a common disease
and has not been observed to have any serious side effects to date, should definitely continue to have check-ups and smear tests.
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