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Cervical cancer is characterized by the presence of abnormal, malignant cells in the cervix. The cervix forms the bottom part of a woman’s uterus, connecting it to the vagina.

In the body, healthy cells divide and grow in a regulated manner. Healthy new cells replace aging, dying cells. Cancer cells, however, continue to divide in an unregulated manner until they form a mass called a tumor. Tumors may remain within the cervix or can spread to surrounding tissue, as well as to organs and other bodily regions. Symptoms of cervical cancer typically appear only when the cancer begins to invade nearby tissue, such as the vagina. When this occurs, the most common symptom is irregular vaginal bleeding.

The major risk factor for cervical cancer is exposure to a group of common viruses called human papillomavirus (HPV). There are more than 100 types of HPV but only a few of them have been associated with causing cervical cancer. Although many women are exposed to HPV, only a small percentage of them develop cervical cancer. Other risk factors for cervical cancer include exposure to other sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), having multiple sex partners, smoking and oral contraceptives.

Diagnosis involves a complete medical history and physical examination, as well as laboratory tests such as a Pap smear, which examines the cells of the cervix for precancerous or cancerous changes. If cancer is suspected, other tests will follow, such as a colposcopy, a procedure that uses a thin lighted tube with a lens to view the cervix and remove tissue for analysis. Methods for treating cervical cancer include surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Cervical cancer was once quite common among women in the United States and is still common in much of the world. The use of the Pap smear to screen for changes in the cervix has greatly decreased the number of cases of invasive cervical cancer in the United States. Invasive cervical cancers are generally rare in women who are screened. Regular screenings have greatly lowered the incidence of invasive cervical cancer by catching the disease in its early stage.

In 2006, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the first HPV vaccine (Gardasil). The vaccine protects against certain types of the virus, including two of the strains that cause 70 percent of cervical cancer cases. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all girls age 11 and 12 receive the HPV vaccine, preferably before they are sexually active. Research studies have shown that this vaccine can help prevent infection with certain types of HPV and reduce the risk of cervical cancer.

The 5-year survival rate for cervical cancer is 92 percent when detected at its earliest stage, according to the National Cancer Institute. For these reasons, it is crucial for women to have regular Pap smears to monitor gynecological health and detect any precancerous changes in the cervix.