Further reading
Carcinogenesis: What is cancer?
Immune system: function and importance in cancer
Causes and risk factors of cervical cancer
The term "cancer" refers to a large group of very different diseases. They have one thing in common: the uncontrolled division of cells of an organ or tissue. These cells do not grow old and die not from spite of many changes in how healthy cells. They disguise themselves so the immune system does not recognize them as ill or injured. It can malignant tumors arise, as in cervical cancer: He is one of the "solid" tumors, as opposed to "systemic" diseases of the blood or bone marrow, in which cancer cells can spread throughout the body from the very beginning.
Solid tumors initially displace healthy tissue. If their growth is not stopped, they penetrate into surrounding tissue and destroy it, they are "invasive". Cancer cells can break …show more content…
into blood vessels and lymphatic vessels and reach the blood and lymph flow in other body organs. Tumor cells colonize there and grow, occur secondary tumors, called metastases.
Today we know that the cause is for the development of cancer in a change in the genetic material of individual body cells. This change is but usually only the first step, which makes the genetic information of a cell unstable. Followed by further changes that finally trigger the growth of tumors.
On the development of cervical cancer and its precursors viruses from the group of human papillomaviruses (HPV) are involved. However, HPV infection alone is not sufficient, so that cancer develops - otherwise many more women would become ill than is actually the case. One knows today some other factors that increase the risk of cancer development in HPV infection in addition. Experts speak of "co-factors".
More about these triggers the Cancer Information Service has "Cervical Cancer: Causes and Risk Factors" in the text together.
Uterus: How is the organ uterus structured?
The uterus is one together with the two ovaries, fallopian tubes and both the vagina to the inner genital organs of women. It is located between the bladder and rectum in the pelvis. Experts speak of "uterus". Elastic bands of connective tissue that run from all sides of the uterus to the pelvic wall, hold the uterus in place. In this tissue, the so-called parametrium, also extend the fallopian tubes and blood vessels.
In young women the institution has approximately the shape of a slim, standing on the stem and hollow pear.
During pregnancy the uterus grows inside the unborn child. Then the institution expands greatly, and the supporting structures of the organ is claimed accordingly. In women who have given birth to several children, and elderly women is the position and shape of the uterus have therefore often changed.
The organ is anatomically divided into several sections: the uterine body (corpus uteri) with the uterine cavity in the interior forms the upper two-thirds of the uterus. In the upper part, the fundus, open the right and left, the two fallopian tubes (tubes). About you get eggs from the ovaries (ovarian) into the uterine cavity. The muscular uterine body is internally lined with a mucous membrane, the so called endometrium.
As the cervix or cervix is called the lower tubular third of the uterus. The uterine cavity narrows here for so-called cervical canal. The cervix closes the cervix from (cervix), which extends into the upper part of the
vagina.
The cervix (cervix or cervix)
The cervix, like the whole uterus of connective tissue and muscles. However, the mucous membrane that lines the cervix in the area of the cervix is shallower than the mucosa inside the uterus.
It is a so-called squamous, which is of great mechanical strength and can be renewed quickly and regularly. The glandular cells in this tissue produce thick mucus. He has the task to close the cervix to the outside and thus to protect the uterus against germs from the vagina. Only during the fertile days of a woman and during menstruation this mucus becomes thinner and less tough: The cervical canal and the cervix open by a few millimeters. During pregnancy, the cervix is tightly closed against it.
Cancer of the cervix or uterus: Why do professionals differences here?
The cancers of the cervix, called cervical cancer, are significantly more likely than those of other uterine shares worldwide. Malignant tumors can arise in different parts of the cervix. In seven or eight out of ten women an invasive tumor from Deckgewebe mucosal goes out, the squamous epithelium. Experts speak of a "squamous". Less common are called adenocarcinomas. They arise in the glandular tissue and make about two out of ten cervical disease from.
Cervical cancer usually go ahead precancerous lesions. Experts detect these separately and talk about "cervical intraepithelial neoplasia", short CIN (English: cervical intraepithelial neoplasia).
In the following text here, the Cancer Information Service refers mainly to the most common cancer of the cervix, the squamous cell carcinoma.
Cancer of the uterine body, also referred to as endometrial or uterine cancer, cancer of the cervix is different than, and is also treated differently. Women who are suffering from information on their situation in the chapter "uterine cancer".
Also not as cervical cancer or cervical cancer tumors designate experts, emanating from the muscle tissue of the uterus