Cervical cancer begins in the lining of the cervix.
The cervix is the lower part of the womb (uterus)
and it connects the body of the uterus to the
vagina, or birth canal.
Cancer of the cervix does not form suddenly. First,
some cells begin to change from normal to pre-cancer
and then to cancer. This can take a number of years,
although sometimes it happens more quickly. For some
women, pre-cancerous changes may go away without
any treatment. More often, they need to be treated
to keep them from changing into true cancers.
There are two main types of cancer of the cervix.
About 85%-90% of these cancers are squamous cell
carcinomas. The other 10%-15% are adenocarcinomas.
When found and treated early, cervical cancer often
can be cured. Cervical cancer used to be one of the
most common causes of cancer death for American women.
But between 1955 and 1992 the number of deaths from
cervical cancer declined by 74%. The main reason
for this change is the use of the Pap test to find
early cancer.
Source: American Cancer Society
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