How is cervical cancer transmitted?
Cervical cancer is an oncological disease, not an infectious disease. Accordingly, it cannot be transmitted from person to person. If we talk about the main virus that causes cervical cancer, then it is transmitted mainly through sexual contact. HPV is one of the most contagious infections. The virus has a maximum risk of infection with a single sexual contact. Penetration of the penis into the vagina is not even necessary for transmission of infection to occur. It is enough for biological fluids to get on the mucous membrane of the genital organs. But HPV is only a risk factor for the disease, and not its direct cause. This means that women who are not carriers of human papillomavirus infection can also develop cervical cancer. Conversely, HPV carriers often do not develop cancer. However, if this pathogen is present in the body, the likelihood of a malignant oncological process increases significantly.
What papillomavirus causes cervical cancer and how often?
There are more than 150 types of papillomaviruses. Not all of them can cause cervical cancer. All these types are divided into three categories, based on the frequency of cancer in patients who are their carriers.
HPV is distinguished:
- Low oncogenic risk
- Average oncogenic risk
- Highly tumorigenic
What type of HPV causes cervical cancer? Theoretically, anyone. But most often these are viruses of types 16 and 18. They are among the viruses with a high oncogenic risk. In addition, these types of virus have a fairly high prevalence.
Other common types of HPV:
- Moderately oncogenic – 31, 33, 35
- Low oncogenic – 6 and 11
If a woman becomes infected with a highly oncogenic type of HPV, cervical cancer still does not develop in most cases. In 90% of women, spontaneous elimination of the virus occurs (recovery), or its concentration in the body remains very low. Only 10% have long-term persistence of HPV. Of these, 30% will have viral DNA released from their smears within 3 years, indicating an increase in its aggressiveness towards the uterine mucosa.
How long does it take to develop cervical cancer? This can happen quite quickly. Already a year after infection, the risk of cervical dysplasia and malignant cancer increases. Often a sharp increase in the number of HPV in the structures of the reproductive system occurs against the background of an immunodeficiency state. It is during this period that the risk of changes in the cervical epithelium is highest.
CIN
When the cellular structure changes, cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) is diagnosed. Tissues become keratinized and cell polarity is disrupted.
The uterine epithelium consists of 3 layers: the deepest - basal, parabasal, intermediate, superficial. The severity of the disease is determined by the number of abnormal cells. CIN is classified as grades 1, 2 and 3.
When the changes reach the upper layer, CIN 3 is diagnosed - severe neoplasia, which can potentially develop into cancer.
Of course, the papilloma virus plays an important role here. HPV 16 and HPV 18 types are especially dangerous for the cervix.
Women with CIN have a 20 times higher risk of developing precancer than patients with normal organ epithelium.
Etiology of cervical cancer
Besides HPV, there are many other causes that can cause cervical cancer. Risk factors can be controlled or uncontrollable. Controlled risk factors are different in that they can be eliminated, thereby reducing the risk of developing the disease. Let's talk about what causes cervical cancer.
Controllable risk factors
Smoking . Statistics show that smoking is one of the significant factors why cervical cancer develops. In women who smoke, this disease is diagnosed 2 times more often than in non-smokers. Substances that a person inhales through the lungs enter the bloodstream and are distributed throughout the body. They are also found in cervical mucus.
Scientists identify 2 main mechanisms that cause cervical cancer due to exposure to tobacco smoke:
- Damage to cell DNA by carcinogenic substances.
- Suppression of the immune system.
Chlamydia . This is an infection that is sexually transmitted. It can cause cervicitis, an inflammation of the cervix. Chlamydia is one of the causes of cervical cancer. Many women do not experience symptoms of the disease and therefore are not treated promptly. But this risk factor is completely controllable.
Necessary:
- Avoid frequent sexual intercourse with unfamiliar partners
- Use a condom - it protects almost 100% from chlamydia if it does not break during sexual intercourse
- Detect and treat infection promptly
Diet . It has been established that too low amounts of fruits and vegetables in the diet increase the likelihood of cancer. Such a diet, among other things, may be one of the reasons why cervical cancer occurs. Fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, antioxidants, and bioflavonoids, which help prevent the occurrence of malignant tumors.
Obesity . Women who are overweight are more likely to develop adenocarcinoma of the cervix.
Oral contraceptives . Birth control pills are another reason why you may have cervical cancer. Only long-term use of drugs leads to a significant increase in the likelihood of pathology. Moreover, there is a direct correlation between the duration of oral contraception and the incidence of cervical cancer. That is, the longer a woman takes the pill, the higher the risk of developing cervical cancer.
But this risk decreases after stopping the drugs. This happens gradually. On average, 10 years after stopping oral contraception, the risk of cervical cancer drops to the same level as in women who have never taken birth control pills.
Frequent childbirth . Three or more full-term pregnancies increase the risk of developing the disease. Doctors do not yet know why cervical cancer develops more often in women who have given birth frequently. There are several theories. It is believed that hormonal changes during pregnancy, as well as suppressed immunity, make the cervical mucosa more susceptible to the effects of papillomavirus. The infection progresses faster, leading to changes in the epithelium.
Economic status . Women with low incomes are not examined and not treated in a timely manner for underlying and precancerous diseases. Today, doctors already know where cervical cancer comes from. It usually does not develop on intact mucosa. It is preceded by background and precancerous diseases that can last for years. By curing these diseases, it is possible to eliminate the main causes of cervical cancer, thereby preventing the development of oncopathology.
Sex life . Another reason why cervical cancer develops is the patient’s large number of sexual partners. Moreover, it has been established that women who lead an active and varied sex life more often prefer men who have had 20 or more partners during their lives. This means that the risk of contracting HPV increases even more. It has been statistically established that women who have had 10 or more sexual partners during their lives suffer from cervical cancer 3 times more often.
As you can see, most of the reasons from which cervical cancer can develop are completely amenable to complete or partial control. There are significantly fewer uncontrollable risk factors.
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Uncontrollable risk factors
Heredity . If a woman has first-degree relatives (mother, sister) who suffered from this disease, then its risk increases significantly. Doctors do not yet know what causes cervical cancer in the case of a family history. It is assumed that this is due to defects in the immune system, which do not allow the body to effectively resist human papillomavirus infection.
Age . Most types of malignant tumors occur mainly in old age. But this does not apply to cervical cancer. The age of the patients may vary. There are no clear patterns when cervical cancer occurs. It can develop in almost both older and younger women. But the main risk group is age 35-45 years. After 65 years, the disease occurs rarely - about 15% of all cases of this cancer.
Women often wonder at what age can cervical cancer occur. There is no age limit for this disease. There are cases where cervical cancer develops at age 20 or even earlier. It all depends on when the woman began to be sexually active. If she became infected with human papillomavirus infection several years ago, she may well experience transformation of the cervical epithelium with subsequent degeneration into cancer. But note that cases of cancer occurring before the age of 20 are very rare.
Immunodeficiency conditions . Immunity plays an important role in protecting the body from tumor processes. Suppression of the immune system is one of the causes of cervical cancer. Immunity can weaken with age due to infections (HIV) due to medications. Drugs that suppress the immune system are used mainly in the treatment of autoimmune and dermatological diseases, as well as after internal organ transplantation.
Most causes of immune dysfunction cannot be eliminated. A woman has to take medications if necessary. She cannot avoid age-related immunosuppression. HIV can be prevented, but not completely cured.
Favorable factors
Favorable factors reduce, rather than increase, the risk of cancer. These should be taken into account to protect yourself from cervical cancer.
Intrauterine device . This is one of the safest and most effective methods of contraception. We have already discussed that birth control pills may be one of the causes of cervical cancer. Against this background, the intrauterine device looks like an excellent alternative to drugs. This type of contraception can reduce the likelihood of developing cervical cancer and endometrial cancer. A reduction in risk is observed within a year after installation of the IUD. This effect persists even after stopping the use of intrauterine contraception.
But it should be remembered that the spiral does not protect against infections. Therefore, women who frequently change partners should use condoms.
First pregnancy after 25 years . It has been established that early pregnancy is one of the reasons that can cause cervical cancer. It does not directly cause disease. But in women who became pregnant for the first time before the age of 17, the likelihood of pathology in the distant future increases if this pregnancy ends in childbirth. The lowest risk is observed in women who had their first full-term pregnancy after 25 years.
Background and precancerous diseases
Background and precancerous diseases of the cervix increase the likelihood of oncological pathology. They differ in that precancer is characterized by changes in the epithelium, while with underlying diseases normoplasia remains.
Background diseases
True erosion . This is damage to the epithelium of the vaginal part of the uterus. It can be traumatic, inflammatory, burn, cancer, syphilitic and others in origin. True cervical erosion causes cancer very rarely. This is usually a short-lived illness, lasting 1-2 weeks. After this, epithelization of the defect occurs.
Pseudo-erosion . Much more common is pseudo-erosion or ectopia of the cervix. In everyday life it is called erosion, but this is an outdated name. Although outwardly it looks like an epithelial defect, it actually represents a displacement of the columnar epithelium onto the vaginal part of the uterus.
This underlying disease often causes fear in patients. Some even believe that cervical erosion is cancer. Other women, having learned about their diagnosis, begin to ask the doctor how long it takes for cervical erosion to turn into cancer. In fact, displacement of the epithelium is not even considered a pathological process. After all, ectopia is observed in many women (up to 40% in patients under 30 years of age). But there are situations when cervical erosion can turn into cancer. Ectopia can be complicated or uncomplicated. The risk of cancer increases if the pathology is complicated by ectropion or polyp, and is also combined with inflammatory diseases of the cervix.
Thus, false erosion of the cervix and cancer are concepts that should not be identified. It cannot be said that cervical erosion turns into cancer. It’s just that against the background of this disease, the likelihood of cancer pathology increases slightly. Therefore, women with ectopia need more careful monitoring - regular examinations by a gynecologist to monitor changes in the cervical epithelium.
Polyp . A polyp is a growth of the mucous membrane of the cervical canal. There are simple and glandular (adenomatous) polyps. The histological type affects how often a cervical polyp develops into cancer. Adenomatous polyp is more dangerous. As it progresses, these formations increase in size. The epithelium may change - a polyp with dysplasia is a precancerous disease. To prevent cancer, its timely removal is recommended.
Papilloma . This is a small benign tumor, which is a proliferation of squamous stratified epithelium with areas of keratinization. It rarely appears on the cervix, but relatively often, compared to other underlying diseases, it undergoes malignant transformation.
Endometriosis of the cervix . A disease that develops as a result of the spread of the uterine mucosa to the cervical canal.
Ectropion . It is an inversion of the uterine mucosa. There are pseudo-erosions and scar deformities on it. Against the background of ectropion, the cervix hypertrophies (grows), and the risk of cancer pathology increases.
Cervicitis . This is inflammation of the cervix. It can be caused by a sexually transmitted infection or opportunistic microorganisms. Chronic inflammatory processes lead to thickening of the cervical mucosa and transformation of the epithelium.
Precancerous diseases
Dysplasia . This is the proliferation of atypical epithelium of the cervical mucosa. This condition is the most common form of precancer. It cannot be said that cervical dysplasia is cancer, but the likelihood of malignancy is quite high. In 50% of patients, preinvasive carcinoma develops against its background. 15% of women develop microcarcinomas.
There are mild, moderate and severe dysplasia. It is its severity that determines when cervical dysplasia turns into cancer.
Leukoplakia . This is keratinization of the superficial layers of the cervical epithelium. The pathology is not accompanied by symptoms. Diagnosed only upon examination. The main diagnostic method is colposcopy.
Condylomas . These are epithelial growths that rise above the surface of the mucous membrane. They can be flat or pointed, sometimes merging into large lesions. The appearance of condylomas is caused by the human papillomavirus.
Erythroplakia . Accompanied by epithelial atrophy. When examined, it appears as red areas with jagged edges. They are surrounded by normal, intact mucosa.
Erosion
Erosive processes – damage to the tissues lining the organ. HPV and cervical erosion are interrelated: the papilloma virus easily arises at the site of damaged tissue, and erosive areas are formed due to the presence of infection and hormonal changes. It turns out to be a vicious circle.
The pathology externally looks like round superficial ulcers, red in color, up to 1.5 cm in diameter.
Depending on the nature of the damage (pseudo-erosion, congenital, complicated), therapy with medications and cauterization will be prescribed. The integrity of the epithelium will gradually return to normal.
How does a small wound turn into cancer? This happens over a long period of time. Usually, against the background of sexually transmitted infections, the disease worsens, abnormal cells appear in the surface layers of the organ - dysplasia. And only after this does oncology form.
How long does it take to develop cervical cancer?
Before cervical cancer occurs, there are long-term underlying or precancerous diseases. It is precancer that poses the greatest danger. Dysplasia most often degenerates into a malignant tumor. But until this time, measures can be taken to prevent cancer. In this regard, a logical question arises: how long does it take to develop cervical cancer if dysplasia is detected? It depends on what stage the pathological process is at. If a woman has grade 1 or 2 dysplasia, the chances that it will spontaneously regress are about 70%. But the remaining 30% of cases will progress to stage 3 dysplasia within 3-5 years. Regression of pathological changes is sometimes observed, but rarely. In 65% of patients, grade 3 dysplasia develops into invasive cancer within 3 years.
Prices
Price (RUB) In installments* (RUB) Consultation with a surgeon on the operation (SPECIAL)0—Online doctor’s opinion on the operation (SPECIAL)0—Treatment of erosion, leukoplakia of the cervix using radio wave surgery, Cat. I. complexity from 5050—Treatment of erosion, leukoplakia of the cervix using radio wave surgery, category II. complexity from 7100—Treatment of erosion, leukoplakia of the cervix using radio wave surgery, category III. complexityfrom 9100—* You can read more about the conditions here - Treatment on credit or in installments
The cost is preliminary. The exact cost of the operation can only be determined by a surgeon during a free consultation.
How quickly does cervical cancer develop?
This type of cancer is not one of the rapidly growing types of malignant tumors. The growth rate of the tumor is low in most cases. It is impossible to say exactly how long it takes for cervical cancer to develop. After all, there are different histological types. However, on average, 12-15 years pass from the onset of the tumor to the appearance of clinical symptoms. This is more than enough time to detect a tumor and carry out the necessary treatment.
Here's how cervical cancer develops: It starts as a precancerous lesion. Then epithelial dysplasia occurs. With a certain probability, a tumor arises from the atypical epithelium - cancer in situ. This is a non-invasive tumor. And only after a long time (an average of 10 years) does an invasive tumor form, which begins to grow into the layers of the uterus and metastasize. Considering how long it takes for cervical cancer to develop, it would seem that its detection in the early stages should increase. At stage 0 (carcinoma in situ), 100% of patients can be cured. But that's not true. Despite how long it takes for cervical cancer to develop, it is often detected only at stages 3-4. Therefore, the mortality rate from it remains high.
It is not always necessary to wait such a long time for the development of symptoms, since not all patients develop cervical cancer for a long time. There are also lightning-fast forms. They are characterized by rapid tumor growth and rapid metastasis. These types of cancer pathologies can lead to death within a few months.
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Diagnosis and treatment in Germany
In Germany, the detection rate of stage 1-2 cervical cancer is much higher than in most countries of the world. In addition, it offers more effective treatment for this disease. Thanks to qualified doctors and high-quality equipment, the use of new drugs and technologies, in this country the survival rate of patients with cervical cancer far exceeds the world average. If you want to undergo examination in Germany, or you need treatment for cervical cancer, you can seek the help of Booking Health specialists. We have direct contracts with all major German clinics.
This gives you the opportunity to:
- Get treatment quickly without waiting a long time to see a doctor
- Save on diagnostic and therapeutic services
- Avoid the need to pay intermediaries
- Get inexpensive insurance (if you go to the clinic yourself, the price can be 50-55% of the cost of the program)
- Get rid of the need to resolve organizational issues by delegating these tasks to Booking Health specialists
We will fully organize your treatment and make your stay in Germany as comfortable as possible. Leave a request on the website if you want to cure cervical cancer in one of the best German clinics at an affordable price.
