Cervical cancer occurs when cancer cells start growing in the tissues of the cervix. It usually grows slowly and may not cause symptoms. And it's almost always caused by a human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. The cervix is part of the female reproductive system. It's the lower part of the uterus that opens into the...
Long-lasting (persistent) infection with high-risk types of human papillomavirus (HPV) causes virtually all cervical cancers. Two high-risk types, HPV 16 and HPV 18, cause 70% of cervical cancers worldwide. . Nearly all people who are sexually active will become infected with HPV at some point in their lives. Most HPV...
Note: The Overview section summarizes the published evidence on this topic. The rest of the summary describes the evidence in more detail. Other PDQ summaries on Cervical Cancer Screening and Cervical Cancer Treatment are also available. Who Is at Risk? Carcinogenic types of human papillomavirus (HPV) are the primary...
The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that opens into the vagina. Cervical cancer screening helps prevent cervical cancer. Two tests can be used to screen for cervical cancer. They may be used alone or together. A Pap test. This test looks for changes in the cells of the cervix. Some of these cell changes could...
Note: The Overview section summarizes the published evidence on this topic. The rest of the summary describes the evidence in more detail. Other PDQ summaries on Cervical Cancer Prevention, Cervical Cancer Treatment, and Levels of Evidence for Cancer Screening and Prevention Studies are also available. Screening With...
Screening means checking for a disease before there are symptoms. Cervical cancer screening is an important part of routine health care for people who have a cervix. . What is cervical cancer screening? The goal of screening for cervical cancer is to find precancerous cervical cell changes, when treatment can prevent...
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide, and it has the fourth highest mortality rate among cancers in women.[ 1] Most cases of cervical cancer are preventable with routine screening and treatment of precancerous lesions. As a result, most cervical cancer cases are diagnosed in women who live...
Cervical cancer is cancer that starts in the cells of the cervix. The cervix is the lower, narrow end of the uterus (womb). The cervix connects the uterus to the vagina (birth canal). Cervical cancer usually develops slowly over time. Before cancer appears in the cervix, the cells of the cervix go through changes known...
The cervical cap is used to prevent pregnancy. It's called a barrier method of birth control. This is because it keeps the sperm and eggs apart. For the cap to work well, you need to use it every time you have vaginal sex. You must use spermicide with it. To use the cap, apply spermicide to it and place it inside your...
Cervical cell changes are classified according to their degree of abnormality using the Bethesda system (TBS). Further evaluation decisions are guided by the kinds of changes seen in the cells. Minor cell changes Minor cell changes may go away without treatment. But sometimes they turn into more serious cell changes...
Cervical cerclage is a rarely used procedure that involves sewing shut the cervix to prevent it from opening before a pregnancy is carried near to term (week 37). Cervical cerclage may be used if you have given birth prematurely in a previous pregnancy and had minimal or no contractions before the birth. It may also be...
Cervical cerclage (say "SER-vuh-kul ser-KLAZH") is a procedure that helps keep the cervix from opening too soon before delivery. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus. It leads to the vagina. During pregnancy, it is tightly closed to protect the baby. Normally, it doesn't open until the baby is ready to be born...
Cervical collars, also called neck braces, are sometimes used to support the neck for a short time. They may be soft and made from felt, foam, or rubber. Or they may be hard and made from plastic. The soft collar allows a little more movement than the hard collar.
Cervical (neck) collars are sometimes used to support the neck. Hard collars are rigid and are usually made from plastic. They hold the head and neck very still. They are usually only used after major surgery or a serious injury, such as a broken neck. Soft collars may be made from felt, foam, or rubber. They allow some...
What is cervical disc herniation? The bones (vertebrae) that form the spine in your back are cushioned by round, flat discs. When these discs are healthy, they act as shock absorbers for the spine and keep the spine flexible. If they become damaged, they may bulge abnormally or break open (rupture), in what is called a...
Effacement and dilation allow a baby to be born through the birth canal. Effacement means that the cervix stretches and gets thinner. Dilation means that the cervix opens. As labor nears, the cervix may start to thin (efface) and open (dilate). This prepares the cervix for the baby to pass through the birth canal...
Effacement (thinning) As labor nears, the fetus's head drops down into the pelvis and pushes against the cervix. The cervix begins to thin (efface), sometimes over a few weeks. Dilation (opening) At the same time, the cervix also begins to open (dilate).
What is cervical insufficiency? Cervical insufficiency means that the cervix can't stay tightly closed during the second trimester of pregnancy. Instead, the cervix opens (dilates) with little or no pain, usually before 24 weeks. This can lead to miscarriage or birth of a premature baby. You may also hear this condition...
What are cervical polyps? Cervical polyps are growths in the cervical canal. This is the passage between your uterus and your vagina. Almost all cervical polyps are noncancerous (benign). Most cervical polyps are first discovered during a pelvic exam. Usually only a single polyp develops, though sometimes two or three...
Cervical spinal fusion is surgery that joins two or more of the vertebrae in your neck. When these bones are joined together, it's called fusion. After the joints are fused, they can no longer move. During the surgery, the doctor uses bone to make a "bridge" between your vertebrae. This bridge may be strengthened with...
Covers narrowing of spinal canal in the neck. Looks at symptoms like pain or numbness in neck, shoulders, arms, hands, or legs caused by squeezing of nerves and cord. Discusses treatment with medicine, exercise, physical therapy, and surgery.
Courtesy of Intermountain Medical Imaging, Boise, Idaho. All rights reserved. The side view of the spine (figure 1) shows the normal position of the spinal bones. The spinal cord (not visible in this image) follows the path of the long white arrow. Figure 2 shows shifted spinal bones (short thick arrow) from a fracture...
What is cervical spondylosis? Spondylosis is age-related change of the bones (vertebrae) and discs of the spine. These changes are often called degenerative disc disease and osteoarthritis. When this condition is in the neck, it's called cervical spondylosis. These changes don't always cause symptoms. But they are a...
Cervicitis is an inflammation of the cervix, most often caused by infection. Symptoms of cervicitis include an unusual vaginal discharge or bleeding, redness or swelling of the cervix, and vaginal pain.
The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that leads to the vagina. The opening in the cervix is called the cervical os.
The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that opens into the vagina. It is a part of the female reproductive system. During a menstrual period, blood flows from the uterus through the cervix, down the vagina, and out of the body. During ovulation, the cervix makes mucus that helps sperm move up into the uterus. During...
A cesarean section (C-section) is the delivery of a baby through an incision in the mother's belly and uterus.
What is a cesarean section (C-section)? A cesarean section is the delivery of a baby through a cut (incision) in the mother's belly and uterus. It's often called a C-section. Sometimes a C-section is needed for the safety of the mother or baby. When is a C-section needed? In most cases, doctors do a C-section because of...
A cesarean section, or C-section, is the surgical delivery of an infant through an incision in the mother's abdomen and uterus. Some cesarean sections are planned when a known medical problem would make labor dangerous for the mother or baby, while others are done when a quick delivery is needed to ensure the mother's...
To do a cesarean section, the doctor makes an incision. Usually it is a horizontal incision, made low across the belly, just above the pubic hair line. This may be called a "bikini cut." Sometimes the incision is vertical, from the navel down to the pubic area.
