What is the difference between early cervical cancer and cervicitis? What are the common causes of cervical cancer?

What are the symptoms of cervical cancer? Cervical cancer is a common tumor disease in life. There are many symptoms after the disease occurs. So, what are the symptoms of cervical cancer? Let us introduce them.

Cervical Cancer Symptoms

Cervical cancer has no symptoms in the early stages. As the disease progresses, patients may experience abnormal vaginal bleeding. Since young women are sexually active, their estrogen levels and frequency of sexual intercourse are higher, so it is more likely that bleeding during sexual intercourse will be the first symptom. In addition, increased vaginal discharge is also a common symptom of cervical cancer, accounting for about 80% of cervical cancer patients.

According to clinical follow-up observations, it takes about 10 years for general cervical precancerous lesions to develop into cervical cancer. From this perspective, cervical cancer is not terrible, it is a disease that can be prevented and cured. The key to prevention and treatment is to conduct regular gynecological examinations, timely detect and treat cervical precancerous lesions, and end the development of cervical cancer. If prevention and control measures can be implemented, the cure rate of cervical cancer is very high.

There are no symptoms in the early stage, and there is no obvious difference from chronic cervicitis. Sometimes the cervix is ​​even smooth, especially in elderly women. The main symptoms are:

Irregular vaginal bleeding: Early manifestations include 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.

Vaginal discharge: Patients often complain of increased vaginal discharge, which is white or bloody, thin like water or rice soup, and has a fishy smell. In the late stage, due to rupture of cancer tissue, tissue necrosis, secondary infection, etc., a large amount of pus or rice soup-smelling leucorrhea is discharged.

Symptoms of advanced cancer: secondary symptoms appear according to the extent of the lesion invasion. When the lesion affects the pelvic connective tissue, pelvic wall, compresses the ureter or rectum, sciatic nerve, frequent urination, urgency, anal swelling, constipation, urgency, lower limb swelling and pain, etc., severe lead to ureteral obstruction, hydronephrosis, and eventually lead to uremia. At the end of the disease, the patient may experience weight loss, anemia, fever and systemic failure.

The diagnosis of cervical cancer is mainly based on medical history and clinical manifestations. Especially for those with contact bleeding, detailed systemic examination and gynecological triple examination are required, and cervical scraping cytology, iodine test, nitrogen laser tumor intrinsic fluorescence diagnosis, colposcopy, cervical and endocervical canal biopsy, cervical conization, etc. After the diagnosis of cervical cancer, chest X-ray should be performed to determine the clinical stage, line photography, lymphangiography, cystoscopy, proctoscopy, etc. should be performed according to the specific situation.

Causes of cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is the only gynecological malignancy with a clear etiology. The occurrence of HPV cervical cancer is also related to the following factors:

1. Sexual behavior: Early sexual activity, irregular sexual partners, and sexually transmitted diseases are all high-risk factors for cervical cancer.

2. Smoking: After women consume nicotine, their immunity decreases and their ability to clear HPV viruses decreases, leading to an increased risk of cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

3. Long-term oral contraceptives: Survey data show that women who take oral contraceptives for more than 8 years have twice the risk of cervical cancer as ordinary women.

4. Menstrual and childbirth factors: If female friends do not pay attention to menstrual hygiene, early marriage, premature birth, multiple births, etc., it will increase the risk of cervical cancer.