What causes cancer of the cervix?
Risk factors for cervical cancer A risk factor is anything that affects a person’s chance of getting a disease. Some risk factors, such as smoking, can be controlled. Others, like a person’s age or race, can’t be changed. Several risk factors increase a woman’s chance of getting cervical cancer. Women without any of these risk factors rarely get cervical cancer. On the other hand, while these risk factors increase the odds of getting cervical cancer, many women with these risks do not get this disease. In looking at risk factors, it helps to focus on those that can be changed. Still, those that can’t be changed also serve to remind women about the importance of getting a Pap test. Risk factors for cervix cancer include: Human papilloma virus (HPV) infection For cervical cancer, the most important risk factor is infection with a virus known as HPV. HPV is really a group of more than 100 types of viruses that cause warts. Some types of HPV cause genital warts. Other types cause cancer of
High risk HPV can cause cervical cancer. But most women who have high risk HPV will not get cervical cancer. There are two kinds of cervical cancer: • One kind affects the skin surface of the cervix (squamous cell carcinoma) • The second kind affects the glands inside the cervix (adenocarcinoma). Cancer of the cervix occurs because you have been affected by a virus (such as HPV), or because of other factors (known as human factors). Viral Factors • High risk HPV: HPV types 16 and 18 are known as high risk HPV. As well, 11 other types of HPV put women at high risk for cervical cancer. • Length of time: The high risk HPV needs to be in your body for a long time before abnormal cells will increase. • Integration: The high risk HPV needs to become part of the human genetic code. When this happens, our body cannot protect us from developing cancer. Human Factors • Genetics: some women are more likely to get cancer than others (family history). • Pregnancy: women who have had many babies are
The development of cervical cancer precursors and later cancer is linked to the contamination with the human papillomavirus (HPV). The most common way of contamination is through sexual intercourse and the transmission of HPV is like any other sexually transmitted disease (STD). However, the human papillomavirus is not exclusively transmitted through sex; it may also be passed on from mother to child (called vertical transmission) when the baby passes through the birth canal and becomes infected with the virus harboured in the cervix and vagina of the mother. Smoking increases the risk to develop cancer cells in the cervix. The risk is dose related; the more smoking the higher the risk. Conditions that lower immunity like AIDS or certain medicines for transplant patients also increase the risk for cervical cancer. Cell changes which can lead to cancer Scientists know that abnormal changes in cells on the cervix are the first step in a series of slow changes that can lead to cancer year
It is not clear exactly what causes cancer of the cervix. Research has shown a link with sexual intercourse and with some forms of the human papillomavirus (HPV or wart virus). If you smoke you may increase your risk of cancer of the cervix. The risk of developing cancer of the cervix increases with age.
