How does a 19-20 year old woman get cervical cancer, and is it terminal?!
Question: How does a 19-20 year old woman get cervical cancer, and is it terminal!?
Answers:
Cervical cancers fall into two major groups!. Most are slow-growing and progress slowly over a period of 10-15 years, beginning with atypical cells on pap smears, later progressing to abnormal cells, then carcinoma in situ (meaning limited to the epithelium of the cervix and not invasive), then microinvasinve cervical cancer (which means one can only see superficial invasive growth when a biopsy is examined under a microscope, and finally, invasive carcinoma, followed by local and distant spread!. Most cervical carcinomas are of the squamous cell variety, arising from the covering epithelium of the cervix!.
However, there is a small proportion of cervical cancers that grow quickly and invade early!. One of my patients who was 21 years of age developed a clear-cell adenocarcinoma (adeno means it was a glandular type) of the cervix, and this tumor was already far advanced when it was first diagnosed, despite that fact that she had been seeing a competent gynecologist regularly!. Clear cell adenocarcinomas of the cervix have been related to diethylstilbesterol (DES) treatment of the victim's mother during pregnancy with the girl or young woman who later got the cancer, but my patient's mother had not taken DES!. DES is a synthetic estrogen, and it is no longer used because of this risk!. Other occasional cervical cancers are also rapidly growing, and so they become far advanced during the usual one-year interval between pap smears, not being detected in one, and having become advanced by the time of the next!.
However, if you're a woman, please don't conclude that pap smears aren't worthwhile -- they are, and they help detect early cervical cancers often enough to make them very important!.
There is a relation of cervical cancer to infection with certain types of human papilloma virus (HPV)!. Of perhaps seventy known types of this virus, six or seven are associated with an increased risk of cervical cancer, but those cancers are not usually the rapid-growing tumors!.
Recently, a vaccine against HPV, Gardasil, has become available and has been recommended for women up to age 23!. It is promoted on the basis that women who are immune to the dangerous types of HPV will not become infected with those virus types if they are already immune, and will therefore be spared the increased risk of HPV-related cervical cancer!.
Cervical cancer found early, before it has become invasive, can nearly always be successfully treated, but the more delay there is in diagnosis and treatment, the more chance there is for invasive growth and distant spread!. Carcinoma in situ has a better prognosis than microinvasive cervical cancer!. Microinvasive cervical cancer has a better prognosis than Invasive cervical cancer without distant spread, and the poorest prognosis is with cervical cancers that have spread beyond the uterus, into pelvic lymph nodes or, worst of all, to distant organs and tissues!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
However, there is a small proportion of cervical cancers that grow quickly and invade early!. One of my patients who was 21 years of age developed a clear-cell adenocarcinoma (adeno means it was a glandular type) of the cervix, and this tumor was already far advanced when it was first diagnosed, despite that fact that she had been seeing a competent gynecologist regularly!. Clear cell adenocarcinomas of the cervix have been related to diethylstilbesterol (DES) treatment of the victim's mother during pregnancy with the girl or young woman who later got the cancer, but my patient's mother had not taken DES!. DES is a synthetic estrogen, and it is no longer used because of this risk!. Other occasional cervical cancers are also rapidly growing, and so they become far advanced during the usual one-year interval between pap smears, not being detected in one, and having become advanced by the time of the next!.
However, if you're a woman, please don't conclude that pap smears aren't worthwhile -- they are, and they help detect early cervical cancers often enough to make them very important!.
There is a relation of cervical cancer to infection with certain types of human papilloma virus (HPV)!. Of perhaps seventy known types of this virus, six or seven are associated with an increased risk of cervical cancer, but those cancers are not usually the rapid-growing tumors!.
Recently, a vaccine against HPV, Gardasil, has become available and has been recommended for women up to age 23!. It is promoted on the basis that women who are immune to the dangerous types of HPV will not become infected with those virus types if they are already immune, and will therefore be spared the increased risk of HPV-related cervical cancer!.
Cervical cancer found early, before it has become invasive, can nearly always be successfully treated, but the more delay there is in diagnosis and treatment, the more chance there is for invasive growth and distant spread!. Carcinoma in situ has a better prognosis than microinvasive cervical cancer!. Microinvasive cervical cancer has a better prognosis than Invasive cervical cancer without distant spread, and the poorest prognosis is with cervical cancers that have spread beyond the uterus, into pelvic lymph nodes or, worst of all, to distant organs and tissues!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
That's a very sad situation!. She could have HPV, which can cause cervical cancer!. She could have a genetic predisposition!. She could have been exposed to something in the environment that set it off!. It would have to be tested to know for sure!.
As for prognosis, it all depends on the stage of her individual disease!. If caught early, her prognosis is much better than if it's already spread in her body!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
As for prognosis, it all depends on the stage of her individual disease!. If caught early, her prognosis is much better than if it's already spread in her body!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
As far as how a young woman can get it, who really knows!? It's just one of those things!. It doesn't necessarily have to be terminal, that depends on how early it was detected and the doctors!.Www@Answer-Health@Com
i had cervical cancer when i was 20-21!. its not terminal!.!. and it is something that needs to be treated through a biopsy or leap!.Www@Answer-Health@Com