What are the typical symptoms of cervical cancer

What are the typical symptoms of cervical cancer?

Cervical cancer has no symptoms in the early stages. As the disease progresses, patients may experience abnormal vaginal bleeding. The severity of clinical symptoms is related to the early or late onset of the disease.

Common symptoms in late stage are as follows:

1. Pain is a symptom of advanced cervical cancer. Cancer extends along the tissue, invades the pelvic wall, and compresses the peripheral nerves, with clinical manifestations of persistent pain in the sciatic nerve or sacroiliac nerve. The tumor compresses or erodes the ureter, causing narrowing and obstruction of the ureter, leading to hydronephrosis, which manifests as low back pain or even severe pain, and further develops into renal failure or even uremia. Invasion of the lymphatic system leads to lymphatic obstruction, edema and pain in the lower limbs.

2. Patients with advanced cervical cancer have a fever due to cancer tissue metabolism, necrotic tissue absorption or combined infection. The body temperature is generally 38°C, and a few can reach above 39°C. Anemia, weight loss and even cachexia are caused by bleeding and consumption.

3. The metastatic symptoms of advanced cervical cancer can invade the bladder. Patients may experience frequent urination, urgency, pain, falling, and hematuria, which are often misdiagnosed as urinary tract infections, delaying diagnosis. Severe bladder can form a vaginal fistula. The spread of cancer backwards can invade the rectum, and symptoms such as falling, difficulty defecating, urgency, and bloody stools may occur. Further development may lead to vaginal rectal fistulas. Remote metastasis may occur in the late stage of the disease. The symptoms vary depending on the site of metastasis, and clavicular lymph node metastasis, nodules, or masses are more common. Cancer infiltration can spread to distant organs through the blood vessels or lymphatic system, and corresponding metastatic sites and their corresponding symptoms will appear.

4. Metabolism In patients with advanced cervical cancer, cancer tissue metabolism, absorption of necrotic substances and infection lead to fever in the body. The fever is generally low-grade, and a few can exceed 39°C. Bleeding and tumor consumption affect metabolism and produce cachexia.