Cervical Cancer and HPV Infection

 

What is HPV infection?

HPV infection is an infection caused by Human Papilloma Virus that affects 33% of women worldwide. Without accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment, HPV infection can lead to cervical cancer in nearly one third of infected women.

What is cervical cancer?

Cervical cancer is an invasive cancerous tumor affecting the cervix, in most cases it is caused by an underlying chronic viral infection “HPV infection”; yet, in few cases migratory tumors of the nearby Endometrium or Rectum may also cause this form of cancer.

How does infection with human papillomavirus virus increase the risk of cervical cancer?

In most of cases, the immune system usually prevents the virus from doing serious harm in women with genital warts (papillomas) who are exposed to human papillomavirus (HPV); However, in a small number of women, HPV can lie dormant in the body for years. Eventually, the virus can lead to cervical dysplasia (the conversion of normal cells on the surface of the cervix) into cancerous cells.

Which strains of HPV cause cancer?

According to WHO (world health organization) only 13 types of HPV (out of 100) are said to infect women, whereas only two types of these viruses (HPV-16 or HPV-18) cause cervical cancer in about two thirds of infected women. Most HPV infections clear up in a period of two years, but the risk of transforming into a chronic infection is always present, if not treated it may take years (5-10) before developing cervical cancer; predisposing symptoms if to happen include chronic fatigue, vaginal discharge, cervical polyposis, dyspareunia, loss of appetite, abdominal pressure, backache and depression.

What is the death rate for cervical cancer?

Cervical cancer is the fourth leading cause for pathological deaths in women; it represents nearly 8% of female cancers and it is estimated that more than 300 000 females die from cervical cancer yearly with the majority of deaths happening in 2^nd and 3^rd world countries like Lebanon, India, Pakistan, Egypt, Iran etc.

How to prevent HPV infection?

As a conclusion HPV infection is a serious condition that requires our attention, few preventive measures can play a very important role in securing our lives and the lives of our beloved, a yearly screening, pap smear test and liquid-based cytology can be used to identify and treat the infection, also proper sexual education and building a healthy mother-daughter relation can help in obtaining and fighting this global issue.

 

 

References

Verified by: Dr.Diab (December 22, 2017)

Citation: Dr.Diab. (December 22, 2017). Cervical Cancer and HPV Infection. Medcoi Journal of Medicine, 11(2). urn:medcoi:article15425.