One in three women will develop cancer in her lifetime. There are some risk factors that all women should know:

CERVICAL CANCER

States:
There are two types of cervical cancer, squamous cell cancer of the cervix (SCC) and adenocarcinoma of the cervix, with SCC representing about 90% of cases. Every year, more than 11,070 new cases of invasive cervical cancer and 3,870 women will die from the disease. African-American women have the highest death rate from cervical cancer (6.7 per 100,000), which is more than twice that of other ethnic groups.

Symptoms:
Signs of cervical cancer can include abnormal bleeding between periods or abnormal discharges. Such symptoms do not necessarily mean cervical cancer is present, but they do mean a woman should be examined to determine the cause.

Risk Factors:
Infection from certain types of the human papilloma virus (HPV) is the main cause of cervical cancer. Virtually all women who develop cervical cancer have been infected with certain types of HPV. However, not all women who contract HPV will necessarily develop cervical cancer. Factors such as sexual activity at an early age, multiple sexual partners, sexually transmitted diseases, and cigarette smoking will all increase a woman’s risk of cervical cancer.

Early Detection:
Regular pap smear tests for women who are 18 and over who are sexually active can detect this disease early, while it’s easily treatable.

Treatment:
Treatment for pre-invasive lesions is electrocoagulation (the destruction of tissue through intense heat by electric current), cryotherapy, laser ablation, or local surgery. Invasive cervical cancer is generally treated by surgery, radiation, or both, as well as chemotherapy in certain cases.

Survival:
Survival depends at the stage at which cervical cancer is caught, with 92% survival for early stage disease. More than 88% of cervical cancer patients survive one year after diagnosis, and 72% survive five years or more after diagnosis.