Cervical Cancer / Cancer of the cervix

The cervix is found at the top of a woman's vagina and is also called the neck of the womb. It is usually between 2 and 3 cm long and connects the vagina to the womb. The cervix is a strong muscle with a narrow canal that has only a small opening to let sperm in to the womb (to fertilise eggs) and to let the flow from periods out of the womb. However, when a woman is in labour the cervical canal widens and opens up to let the baby out of the womb. Cervical cancer occurs if cells in the cervix starts to grow in an abnormal way, i.e., they become cancerous. This can happen to cells that cover both the outer surface and the inner surface (the inner lining) of the cervix. We don´t know the cause of all cervical cancers but we do know that certain types of Human Papilloma Viruses (HPV) are the most important cause. There are many different types of Human Papilloma Viruses and most are transmitted through sexual contact. It is very common for sexually active women to become infected with HPV sometime in the lifetime. For most women the virus goes away without any treatment and doesn´t cause any harm, but some of the virus types can develop into cancer in some women. Another factor that increases the risk of developing cervical cancer is smoking. It is thought that certain chemicals from cigarette smoke damage certain cells in the cervix that are there to help fight against disease. Cervical screening is offered by the NHS to all women in the UK between the ages of 25 and 64 and this is a test where a nurse or a doctor takes a small sample of cells from the surface of the cervix so they can be inspected in the laboratory to see if there are any abnormal cells. This is done because the earlier any abnormal cells can be found, the better the disease can be treated. There are different types of cervical cancer and you may want to find out more about a specific type.

To help you find reliable information, we have linked to Maggie’s CancerLinks where you will be signposted to high quality information about cervical cancer. The information on these websites is not written specifically for young people but it is written using simple language in a way that most people will be able to understand. Don’t worry if there are lots of links to different websites. Have a look on the description of the links and very often you will find the information you are searching for on the first website that you look at. If you just want general information about cancer you could read the ‘About cancer’ section on riprap.

Remember that the information on these sites is general. Within each cancer type, there are different variations, different stages, different treatments and people may also respond differently to the same treatments. Each person is an individual and because of this, generic information may not fit the situation you are thinking of. Often your parents or someone else who knows the details can answer your questions best. Also, please feel free to get in touch with us here at riprap. We can help you sorting through information or discuss things you’ve heard or read or anything at all that’s on your mind.

Don’t forget that there are lots of effective treatments for cancer these days and many cancers can be completely cured. There are also very good treatments to control cancers that cannot be cured and research is going on all the time to find new treatments that can control and cure cancers.

Page updated 13 July 2017