What are the early symptoms of cervical cancer? If these symptoms appear, timely treatment is required

Cervical cancer refers to a malignant tumor that occurs in the vagina and cervical canal. The metastasis of cervical cancer can spread directly to adjacent tissues and organs, from the bottom to the vaginal vault and vaginal wall, from the top to the uterus, from the pelvic tissue to the sides, from the front to the bladder, and from the back to the rectum. It can also metastasize to the cervical, internal iliac, external iliac, and inguinal lymph nodes through lymphatic vessels, and even to the clavicle and other lymph nodes throughout the body in the late stage. Let us understand the early symptoms of cervical cancer:

1. Increased vaginal discharge Most cervical cancer patients have increased vaginal discharge to varying degrees. In the early stages, the presence of cancer stimulates the secretion of cervical glands, producing mucous vaginal discharge. As cancer progresses, cancerous tissue necrosis, shedding, and secondary infection occur, and the vaginal discharge becomes turbid, like rice washing water or pus-like with blood, and has a special odor.

2. Irregular vaginal bleeding manifests itself in the early stages as a small amount of bloody leucorrhea and contact vaginal bleeding. Patients often experience a small amount of vaginal bleeding after sexual intercourse or defecation. People with vaginal bleeding after menopause should pay attention to finding the cause. Vaginal bleeding from cervical cancer is often very irregular, usually less at first and more later, sometimes more and sometimes less. Cauliflower bleeding occurs early and in large amounts. After advanced cancer erodes large blood vessels, it can cause a large amount of fatal vaginal bleeding. Due to long-term and repeated bleeding, patients often develop secondary anemia.

3. Pain is a symptom of advanced cervical cancer. The main cause of pain is that the pelvic nerves are infiltrated or compressed by cancer. If the obturator nerve, sacral nerve, large blood vessels or pelvic wall are affected, it will cause severe pain, sometimes radiating to the lower extremities. Other causes of pain are: lower abdominal pain occurs when the cervical canal is blocked by cancer, the drainage of intrauterine secretions is poor, or pus is formed in the uterine cavity; cancer invades the parauterine tissue. When the ureter is compressed or infiltrated, it can cause hydroureteral or renal pelvis ureteral accumulation, causing swelling or spasmodic lower abdominal pain on one or both sides; when cancer compresses the iliac lymph and iliac blood vessels to block reflux, the lower extremities may swell and ache.

4. When advanced cervical cancer invades the bladder, other symptoms may lead to frequent urination, painful urination or hematuria, or even vesico-vaginal fistula. If the ureters on both sides are compressed and blocked, it may cause urinary retention and uremia, which is one of the main causes of death. When the cancer spreads backwards and compresses or invades the rectum, there will often be urgency, blood in the stool or difficulty in defecation, and even the formation of a recto-vaginal fistula.

In the survey, it is often found that carcinoma in situ and early invasive cancer have no symptoms. The main symptoms of cervical cancer are vaginal bleeding, increased vaginal discharge and pain. The form and degree of its manifestation are related to the early or late stage of cervical cancer and the pathological type.