People often panic just speaking and thinking about cancer; after all, cancer is a deadly disease. However, the good news is that cervical cancer falls into a different category. As in, cancer that you can prevent and detect very early with regular Pap tests. If you detect cervical cancer early, it’s one of the most successfully treatable cancers.
Prevention of cases with cervical cancer is close to 100%.
If
you have cervical cancer, the chances of survival are almost 63%. Of
course, that depends on the stage and type of cervical cancer
Signs of cervical cancer
Let’s take a look at some of the signs of cancer. It’s also worth noting that people rarely manifest symptoms in the early stages. And during the early stages, chances of survival are higher due to easier and more manageable treatment. That’s why it is important to schedule regular Pap tests.
The following symptoms and signs of cervical cancer manifest when the cancer cells grow through the top layer of your cervical tissue (invasive cervical cancer stage). I should also note that some of the symptoms may manifest due to other conditions as well (e.g., vaginal infections cause similar symptoms). However, don’t wait for the infections to clear.
Do not ignore the symptoms:
Irregular bleeding
This is the most common sign of invasive cervical cancer. There is no specific timetable when the bleeding might occur. It might happen between menstrual periods. It might happen just after sex. And vaginal bleeding can also happen in women post menopause (menopausal women should never bleed). That is why bleeding is one of the warning signs.
Another thing to note: irregular bleeding can sometimes be mistaken for spotting. The reason is simple. Bleeding sometimes shows as blood-streaked vaginal discharge.
Vaginal discharge
Vaginal discharge is another sign you should not ignore. There are different types of vaginal discharge, but when it comes to signs of cervical cancer, your discharge will have one of the following characteristics: white, watery, foul smelling, clear, brown, or tinged with blood.
Pain during sex
In some rare cases, it’s usual to feel little pain during sex (e.g., if you are taking vaginal pessaries to treat an infection). But if you feel pain during sex for unusual and unexplainable reasons, check with your doctor.
Severe signs of cervical cancer
In the later stages, if left untreated, there are more severe signs of cancer. Bleeding and vaginal discharge are the early symptoms, and it’s still possible to treat it during the early stages. When cancer progresses to the later stages, treatment becomes more complicated.