Cancer cells arise from normal tissue-renewal stem cells. These cells propagate in a disregulated manner. These cells occupy space and crowd out normal cells. Cancer cells metastasize to secondary sites throughout the body and destroy these tissues. They assault surrounding tissues by secreting proteolytic enzymes.
The cervix is the lowest part of the uterus, which is the canal that connects the uterus to the vagina. During childbirth, the baby passes through this canal. Only women have uterus, and it is where the baby grows and develops when a woman is pregnant. Normally, the uterus is a small and pear shaped organ that is between a woman�s rectum and urinary bladder. The uterus increases in size enormously during pregnancy. The cervix can be visualized and sampled at the same time by a gynecologist during a routine pelvic examination.
Cervical cancer occurs when the cells in the cervix grow out of control and invade nearby tissues or spread throughout the body. Cervical cancer is usually very slow growing but in certain circumstances it can grow and metastasize quickly.
The most common type of cervical cancer is the squamous cell carcinoma; it arises from cells that lie on the surface of the cervix. This comprises about 80% of all cervical cancers. Adenocarcinoma is the second most common form and comes from the cells that make up the glands in the cervix.
Cervical Cancer is staged into different groups to guide treatment as well as offer insight into diagnosis. There are different staging systems for cervical cancer but the most common one is the FIGO system ( International Federation of Gynecologists and Obstetricians). The FIGO staging system is for invasive cervical cancers, and not pre-cancerous lesions. The FIGO staging system is:
� STAGE I A: microscopic cancer confined to the uterus
� STAGE I B: cancer visible by the naked eye and confined to the uterus
� STAGE II: cervical cancer invading beyond the uterus but not the pelvic wall or lower third of the vagina
� STAGE III: cervical cancer invading to the pelvic wall and/or lower third of the vagina and/or causing a non-functioning kidney
� STAGE IVA: cervical cancer that invades the bladder or rectum. Or extends beyond the pelvis.
� STAGE IVB: distant metastases
Survival from cervical cancer depends on the tumor stage at the time of diagnosis. Tumors that have progressed to a greater degree are usually slower growing and thus are more complicated to treat. Thus that chances of survival are less than with smaller and more rapidly growing tumors. Also the longer a tumor has been growing the greater the odds of metastasis. Since metastasis is more disseminated than the primary tumors they are difficult to treat without inducing much toxicity to normal tissues. Thus the probabilities of survival are less.
