write an essay about cervical cancer

How to Write an Essay on Cervical Cancer?

• Cervical cancer definition.
• What are the major causes for cervical cancer?
• What symptoms are related to the cervical cancer?
• How do you treat the disease?
• Conclusions.

How to Start a Cervical Cancer Essay?

Start your essay with an introductory part, where it would be appropriate to provide some statistics from the health care area. When it’s time to proceed to the cervical cancer causes, make sure to state that this illness is caused by a HPV (human papillomavirus) virus. You can get this disease in case you’re having sexual intercourse with an individual, who has it. Make sure to mention that there many types of the virus. Some of them may cause various symptoms (make a research to name them) while the others are symptomless.

Write About the Symptom of Cervical Cancer

Symptom of cervical cancer is one of the must-haves of an essay. It is highly recommended to write that abnormal changes in the cervical cells usually cause no symptoms. Nonetheless, an individual may feel those symptoms once all the changes that take place within the cells will turn into cervical cancer. The basic symptoms of the disease are the ones named below:

• Abnormal bleeding from the vagina or certain changes within the menstrual cycle.
• Bleeding that occurs once something contacts woman’s cervix (during sex contact or when a woman tries to put in a diaphragm).
• Pain during sexual intercourse.

Apart from mentioning all the symptoms that are typical for cervical cancer, make certain to provide useful recommendations on what a woman must do once she is faced with one of the described warning signs.

How to Write an Essay on Cervical Cancer: Write about Diagnosis

Suffering from cervical cancer is not what a woman would like to experience in her life. For that reason your essay may become a useful warning for those, who ignore regular pelvic exams. Provide a separate content section within the essay in order to talk about the Pap test that every female must get though. If this test proves that there are abnormal cell changes in an organism, the woman will need to perform the other tests to search for cervix cancer cells. Your task is to point out how important such tests are.

And Finally – Time for Treatment!

One of the essay paragraphs should be written on the process of cervical cancer treatment. For the majority of stages, the treatment of the disease will include:

• Surgery that is about lymph nodes removal with (without) fallopian tubes/ovaries removal.
• The phase of chemotherapy.
• Radiation therapy.

Taking into consideration the growth of cancer, the person with this diagnosis may need to get through one or several treatments. Make sure to mention that the doctor may prescribe a combination of different treatments, which is good. Do your best to bring hope into the life of every woman (girl), who may suffer from the disease, and say how vital it is to get to the hospital as early as possible.

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Thesis: Surviving Cervical Cancer: A History of Prevention, Early Detection, and Treatment

Editor's note:

Alexis Darby defended her thesis titled “Surviving Cervical Cancer: A History of Prevention, Early Detection, and Treatment,” in May 2019 in front of committee members Jane Maienschein, Carolina Abboud, and Karin Ellison, earning her a Bachelor’s degree from Barrett, the Honors College. https://repository.asu.edu/items/53339

Cervical cancer, which many physicians as of 2019 consider to be a success in terms of establishing widely used forms of early preventative and diagnostic technologies, experienced a reduction in incidence rates in women by over fifty percent between 1975 and 2016. Cervical cancer does not often present in women with symptoms until it has entered a later stage of the disease. Because of this fact, in the early twentieth century, physicians were often only able to diagnose cervical cancer when either the woman reported complaints or there was a visual confirmation of lesions on the cervix. The symptoms women often reported included vague abdominal pain, bleeding after sex, and abnormal amounts of vaginal discharge, all of which are non-specific symptoms, making it even harder for women to be diagnosed with cervical cancer.

This thesis answers the following question: How does the history of cervical cancer show that prevention helps reduce rates of cancer-related deaths among women? By studying the history of cervical cancer, people can understand how a cancer that was once one of the top killers of women in the US has declined to become one of the lowest through the establishment of and effective communication of early prevention and diagnostics, both among the general public and within the medical community itself. This thesis is organized based on key episodes which were pertinent to the history of cervical cancer, primarily within the United States and Europe. The episodes are organized in context of the shifts in thought regarding cervical cancer and include topics such as vaccine technologies like the Gardasil and Cervarix vaccines, social awareness movements that educated women on the importance of early detection, and analyses of the early preventative strategies and attempts at treating cervical cancer.

After analyzing eleven key episodes, the thesis determined that, through the narrative of early attempts to treat cervical cancer, shifting the societal thought on cancer, evolving the importance of early detection, and, finally, obtaining a means of prevention, the history of cervical cancer does demonstrate that the development of preventative strategies has resulted in reducing cancer-related deaths among women. Understanding what it took for physicians to evolve from simply detecting cervical cancer to being able to prevent it entirely matters because it can change the way we think about managing other forms of cancer.

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Essays on Cervical Cancer

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Essays About Cervical Cancer

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Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that develops in the cervix, which is the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina. It is usually caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV) and can be prevented through regular cervical cancer screenings and HPV vaccinations. Symptoms may include abnormal vaginal bleeding, pelvic pain, and discharge. Treatment options include surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, and targeted therapies. It is important for women to be aware of the risks and to seek medical attention if they experience any symptoms.

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• Pathophysiology of Cervical Cancer
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Essay Samples on Cervical Cancer

Treatment of cervical and blood cancer with robotic surgery.

Human body has millions of cell which grows relentlessly, when this growth is disturbed there are uncontrolled number of cells, which leads to cancer. Cancer is a dreadful disease where the division of cells never rest and spread to the surrounding tissues. Cigarette smoking, alcohol...

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Prediction and Prognosis of Cervical Cancer

Introduction The use of machine learning in disease prediction and prognosis is part of a growing trend towards personalized, predictive medicine (Weston and Hood 2004). This movement towards predictive medicine is important not only for patients but also for physicians in making informed treatment decisions....

• Public Health

Evidence Behind Effective Cervical Screening and Colposcopy

The purpose of this essay is to consider some of the evidence that influences and supports Public Health England (PHE) NHS Cervical Screening Programme: Colposcopy and Programme Management (2016). According to Nursing and Midwifery Council (NMC) Code of Conduct (2015), nurses assess patients’ needs and...

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1. Treatment of Cervical and Blood Cancer with Robotic Surgery

2. Prediction and Prognosis of Cervical Cancer

3. Evidence Behind Effective Cervical Screening and Colposcopy

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Effective Solutions to the Prevention of Cervical Cancer Essay

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Introduction

Preventive services, impact of behavior and ethnicity on preventive services choice, drug treatment options for cervical cancer patients, short-term and long-term implications of treatments.

Cervical cancer, also known as carcinoma of the uterine cervix, is a prevalent global issue with an annual death rate of 266,000 (World Health Organization, 2015). Among women, cervical cancer occurs very frequently. The human papillomavirus is considered the leading factor of cervical cancer development. Such a virus is rather widespread in developing countries. According to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (2018), prevention methods can sufficiently decrease the number of patients with cervical cancer. However, given the high global prevalence of this disease, research performed in the area of cancer prevention and treatment is still insufficient. Therefore, this paper aims to review the available preventive measures against cervical cancer, factors impacting the choice of these measures, treatment options, and implications of the later ones. The review of these aspects is crucial since it will enable finding effective solutions to the prevention of cervical cancer.

Screening for human papillomavirus, one of the most widespread and influential factors in the onset of cervical cancer, is an effective countermeasure to decrease the incidence of cancer. The vaccine against the virus can be administered early, at 11 or 12 with six or twelve-month apart (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2017). The most typical vaccines are human papillomavirus ones. Researchers also identify smoking, the use of oral contraceptives, frequent change of sex partners, and immunosuppression as factors influencing the onset of cervical cancer (National Comprehensive Cancer Network [NCCN], 2018). Therefore, to limit the possibility of developing cancer one needs to quit smoking (or continue to abstain from it), use condoms, decrease the number of sex partners, and use immunosuppression only in emergency cases. Also, NCCN (2018) reports that squamous cell carcinoma screening has the potential to effectively diminish the incidence of cervical cancer in developing countries.

Some ethnicities have a higher disposition to certain illnesses and conditions. A higher incidence of cervix cancer is documented among Hispanic, Black, and Asian women (Benard et al., 2014). Therefore, individuals identified with these ethnicities should be advised to consider screening for squamous cell carcinoma or human papillomavirus. The onset of cancer in Hispanic women is reported to be earlier than in white women, which also emphasizes the significance of earlier screening (Strohl et al., 2015). Behavior is also an important factor since many habits and lifestyle choices are reported to increase the chance of developing cervix carcinoma. Smoking is an adverse habit that increases the incidence not only of cervical cancer but also of other cancer types. Quitting smoking is advised for the prevention of cervical cancer (NCCN, 2018). Furthermore, NCCN (2018) has researched the role of sexual behavior in cancer development. The results of the studies advocate for condom use and single partner adherence.

Treatment options are highly dependent on the stage of cancer. For early stages, evidence-based practices usually include surgery or radiotherapy. Chemoradiation is advised at stage II to IVA. According to data from five randomized clinical trials, chemoradiation decreases the lethality of cervical cancer by 30 to 50%, depending on the parallel use of radiotherapy (NCCN, 2018). Chemotherapy is recommended when a patient is diagnosed with extrapelvic metastases, and radiotherapy alone is no more effective. A variety of chemotherapeutic solutions is available to treat cervical cancer. Most of them are combined with radiotherapy for a better effect.

Yet, patients who receive combined therapy become less responsive to the effects of single-agent chemotherapy. Cisplatin is the most commonly used and the most effective agent against cervical cancer (NCCN, 2018). Single-agent Cisplatin is sometimes used to mitigate the toxicity levels in patients who are less tolerant to side-effects of chemoradiation (NCCN, 2018). This medication is administered intravenously. The dosage is based on the stage of cancer progression, body weight, and therapy response. When Cisplatin is used as a part of chemoradiation, it should be administered before radiation therapy. The first dosage for adults is 40 milligrams per square meter of the body once a week (“Cisplatin dosage,” 2017). It is vital to note that Cisplatin should be administered with a 3-4-week pause if used in combination with Paclitaxel.

Bevacizumab is another agent used to treat cervical cancer. This drug is administered intravenously by infusion over 90 minutes (“Bevacizumab dosage,” 2018). However, subsequent administrations may take less time and finish within 60 or 30 minutes. The recommended adult dosage is 15 milligrams per kilogram of the patient’s weight every three weeks.

Paclitaxel is usually used in combination with Cisplatin and administered before it. The adult dosage is 175 milligrams for a square meter of body intravenously by infusion over 3 hours every 3 weeks. If adverse effects persist, the dosage can be lowered to 135 milligrams and be administered over 24 hours every 3 weeks (“Paclitaxel dosage,” 2017). There are also concerns over hypersensitivity that might need to be managed with other drugs.

Carboplatin is another agent typically used in combination with Paclitaxel. According to NCCN (2018), such a combination is no less effective than Cisplatin plus paclitaxel and able to reduce the chance of lethality. Due to that fact, such therapy can be a viable option for those, who previously received Cisplatin with no effect. Carboplatin adult dosage for cervical cancer is 200 milligrams per square meter of body intravenously followed by Paclitaxel (“Carboplatin dosage,” 2017). The second and subsequent dosages are administered in 3 weeks.

Treatment of cervical cancer is performed through the use of drugs. Thus, the implications of treatment are concerned with pain relief and disease regression. However, medicines may also have some negative impacts on the organism. Short-term effects of Cisplatin include diarrhea, loss of appetite, kidney problems, and temporary hair loss. Cisplatin can also provoke bone marrow depression, ototoxicity. Bevacizumab can induce bleeding gums, difficult urination, runny nose, and sores on the skin. A hypersensitivity reaction is often seen in patients treated with Carboplatin. Paclitaxel may invoke hypotension, nausea and vomiting, peripheral neuropathy, and a range of other side effects.

In general, all these drugs, especially when used in combination with other chemotherapeutic solutions and radiotherapy, can increase the toxicity of organs or tissues that can either subside or remain, depending on the treatment length and agent used. However, there are also positive short-term effects of chemotherapy. According to NCCN (2018), it may also provide pain relief.

Cisplatin-based chemoradiation has some long-term implications on patients. In particular, the improved chances of survival with no cancer progression have been noticed (NCCN, 2018). However, patients receiving a full-term chemoradiation treatment exhibit acute side effects of toxicity. Symptoms are particularly evident in patients treated with Cisplatin plus 5-FU. Toxicity was recorded for skin, hemoglobin, vagina, and other organs, and tissues (Astolfi et al., 2013). The symptoms included diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and sexual dysfunction.

Cervical cancer is an adverse condition that can be effectively prevented and treated. Prevention measures include timely screening, the use of condoms, vaccination against human papillomavirus, and quitting smoking. Treatment options include a combination of radiotherapy with chemotherapy. The latter may include a combination of Paclitaxel, Carboplatin, Cisplatin, Bevacizumab, and a range of other options. There are negative short-term side effects of the treatment such as hypersensitivity, nausea, and vomiting. The greatest short-term implication is pain relief. Long-term outcomes include prolonged life and remission. Long-term side effects are high organ, blood, and tissue toxicity.

Astolfi, L., Ghiselli, S., Guaran, V., Chicca, M., Simoni, E., Olivetto, E., … Martiti, A. (2013). Correlation of adverse effects of cisplatin administration in patients affected by solid tumours: A retrospective evaluation. Oncology Reports, 29 (4), 1285-1292.

Benard, V. B., Thomas, C. C., King, J., Massetti, G. M., Doria-Rose, V. P., Saraiya, M, & Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2014). Vital signs: Cervical cancer incidence, mortality, and screening – United States, 2007-2012. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 63 (44), 1004-1009.

Bevacizumab dosage . (2018). Web.

Carboplatin dosage . (2017). Web.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2017 ). HPV vaccines: Vaccinating your preteen or teen . Web.

Cisplatin dosage . (2017). Web.

National Comprehensive Cancer Network. NCCN guidelines version 1.2018 Cervical Cancer. Web.

Paclitaxel dosage . (2017). Web.

Strohl, A. E., Mendoza, G., Ghant, M. S., Cameron, K. A., Simon, M. A., Schink, J. C., & Marsch, E. E. (2015). Barriers to prevention: Knowledge of HPV, cervical cancer, and HPV vaccinations among African American women. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 212 (1), 65.e1-65.e5.

World Health Organization. (2015). Cervical cancer: Estimated incidence, mortality and prevalence worldwide in 2012 . Web.

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Essays on Cervical Cancer

Gardasil Vaccine: Preventing HPV Infections Gardasil refers to a vaccine that is administered to prevent particular strains of human papillomavirus (HPV), especially HPV types 18, 16, 11, and 6, which are harmful (Siddiqui & Perry, 2006). Strains of HPV types 18 and 16 have been found to be responsible for up...

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Cervical Cancer: Overview Cervical cancer is a type of gynecological cancer that starts in the cervix, the lower, narrow end of the uterus (womb). It can occur in people at any age and is more common among young women. It usually begins slowly over time, often with a sexually transmitted infection...

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A Case Report of Advanced Cervical Cancer in a Patient Non-compliant With Age-Appropriate Screening

Shobha mandal.

1 Internal Medicine, Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital, Sayre, USA

Sohaib Shabih

Jagdesh kumar, surendra shah.

2 Hematology and Oncology, Guthrie Robert Packer Hospital, Sayre, USA

Cervical carcinoma is one of the preventable malignancies in the United States. Age-appropriate screening has decreased the incidence of cervical cancer. A multitude of age-appropriate screening methods is available including Papanicolaou (Pap) smear cytology, human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing, and visual inspection tests. Patients who are not up to date with the screening can remain asymptomatic until the advanced stage like in the case of our patient. We present a 59-year-old female, who came in with progressively worsening shortness of breath on exertion, chest tightness, significant weight loss, and vaginal bleeding for the past six months. On investigations, she was found to have cannonball metastases in the lung. The patient remained critically ill during her course of hospital stay and eventually passed away. 

Introduction

Cervical cancer is one of the major causes of cancer-related death in women worldwide [ 1 ]. It is the fourth most prevalent cause of malignancy in women after breast, colorectal, and lung cancer [ 2 ]. The incidence of cervical cancer and mortality rate has declined by 70% in the United States since the 1950s because of age-appropriate screening [ 3 ]. Among the several risk factors, human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16, 18, 31, 33, and 45 are the leading cause of cervical neoplasia [ 4 ]. Other risk factors are smoking, low socioeconomic status, early age at the first coitus, multiple sexual partners, and multiparity [ 5 ]. 

Case presentation

A 59-year-old female with no significant past medical history, non-compliant with any age-appropriate cancer screening, presented to the Emergency Department with progressively worsening shortness of breath on exertion with productive cough and chest tightness for the past six weeks. She also endorsed malaise, progressive fatigue, anorexia, chronic pelvic discomfort, and weight loss of 70 lbs in the last year. She denied any vaginal bleeding or discharge. She had not seen a physician in the last eight years and never had a Papanicolaou (Pap) smear, mammogram, or colonoscopy done.

On arrival, the patient was in respiratory distress, requiring 6-8 L oxygen through nasal canula but otherwise, hemodynamically stable. On systemic examination, she appeared cachectic, with bilateral coarse breath sounds on lung exam and right lower quadrant tenderness on abdominal examination. Blood work showed leukocytosis (WBC count: 20K cell/Liter), lactic acidosis (4.6 mmol/L), hypercalcemia (serum total calcium 12.6 mg/dl), elevated d-dimer (1.6 mcg/mL). Urinalysis was significant for hematuria but negative for pyuria. Serum lipase and amylase levels were unremarkable. Acid-base gas showed pH 7.43/PCO2 40/ PO2 59. Computed Tomography (CT) abdomen pelvis with intravenous contrast showed cervical soft tissue mass measuring up to 7x7 cm with an ill-defined feature, suggestive of neoplasm (Figure ​ (Figure1 1 ).

CT of the chest was obtained, which showed multifocal mediastinal masses measuring approximately 3 cm in the pre-tracheal and 35 x 37 mm in the SUV carinal region, bilateral hilar adenopathy, numerous nodular masses throughout the lung, and 50% predominance of focal lung consolidation (Figure ​ (Figure2 2 ). 

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) test was done, which was negative. Infectious workup, including blood culture, sputum culture and gram stain, legionella, and pneumococcal antigen tests were obtained, and the patient was started on empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics. As there was concern about cervical cancer with metastasis to the lungs, she was seen by a gynecologist and was planned for a biopsy of the cervical mass. Hematology/oncology was on board as well and recommended a biopsy of the cervical mass with cytology, and HPV testing. If the biopsy comes positive for cervical cancer, she was planned to be started on a cisplatin-based chemotherapeutic regimen with the addition of checkpoint inhibitor therapy if the programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L 1) biomarker was positive. 

During the hospital stay, the patient continued to have worsening hypoxemia, with alteration in her mental status, and eventually developed multiple organ failure with renal dysfunction, transaminitis, and lactic acidosis. She was placed on bilevel positive airway pressure (BiPAP), but her oxygen requirements continued to worsen. The patient was Do-Not-Intubate (DNI)/Do-Not-Resuscitate (DNR). Palliative medicine was on board for goals of care discussion due to the patient’s declining clinical condition. The family decided to proceed with comfort care measures and the patient passed away. We were not able to obtain the biopsy of the cervical mass as we wanted the patient condition to be more stable.

The cervix is the lower part of the uterine cavity and is covered with two types of cells: the glandular and the squamous cells. The junction of these two types of cells is known as the transformation zone. Most cervical cancer originates from the transformation zone. Squamous cell carcinoma (95%) and adenocarcinoma (5%) are the two major histological types of an epithelial tumor of the cervix, but in rare cases, the tumor can also be of a non-squamous variant including adenosquamous carcinoma, neuroendocrine carcinoma, glassy cell carcinoma [ 6 ]. 

Metastasis in cervical cancer occurs by hematogenous and lymphatic spread. Lung, bone, liver, and brain are the most common organs of cervical cancer metastasis [ 7 ]. The lung is the most common metastasis site of the cervix and metastasis to the lung occurs because of the hematogenous spread [ 8 ]. The incidence of lung involvement increases stage-wise; 3.2% in stage I, 5.0% in stage II, 9.4% in stage III, and 20.9% in stage IV disease [ 9 ]. In the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) database study from 2020, it was found that patients with age greater than 65, non-squamous histology type cervical cancer, pelvic lymph nodes metastases, poor differentiation, other organ metastasis were at higher risk for lung metastasis [ 10 ]. 

Patients with early-stage cervical cancer are mostly asymptomatic but few of those who are symptomatic, present with lower abdominal pain, postcoital vaginal bleeding, abnormal menstrual bleeding, post-menopausal bleeding, offensive vaginal discharge, and dyspareunia [ 11 ]. Vaginal discharge may be watery, mucoid, or purulent. Patients in the advanced stage of cancer present with symptoms of urinary symptoms, lower abdominal pressure, hematuria, and hematochezia depending on the site of metastasis. 

Screening strategies for cervical cancer include Pap smear testing alone, primary HPV testing alone, or co-testing (with Pap and HPV testing). For patients under 21, screening is not required regardless of the age of initiation of sexual activity. In patients between 21-29, screening is initiated at age 21 with cervical cytology every three years. For patients aged 30 to 65, either Pap testing alone every three years or co-testing (PAP and HPV testing combined) every five years is recommended. For patients who are above 65, the decision to continue screening depends on whether the patient has had an adequate prior screening, life expectancy, and preferences in a shared decision-making discussion. Symptomatic patients should have Pap smear testing as part of a diagnostic workup, regardless of prior screening results [ 12 ]. 

It has been noted that more than half of patients who develop cervical cancer have not been screened adequately. In most of the patients with invasive cervical cancer, there was no Pap smear obtained in the past five years [ 13 ]. Strategies that can be used to increase screening rates include actively inviting patients to schedule timely appointments for cervical cancer screening. Urgent care clinical visits can be used as an opportunity to screen patients who are unlikely to otherwise comply with cervical cancer screening recommendations [ 14 , 15 ].

Cervical cancer can be diagnosed by colposcopy, fluorescence spectroscopy, molecular diagnostic methods like HPV DNA test, nuclear aneuploidy detection. Further testing with pelvic MRI and positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET-CT) should be performed for locally advanced diseases. In patients with advanced cervical carcinoma, chest x-ray and brain CT can be done to rule out metastasis to the lung or brain [ 16 ]. Early-stage cervical cancer has a good prognosis because of the advancement in the treatment including surgery, chemotherapy, or radiotherapy, but advanced cancer with metastasis has a poor prognosis with a median survival of 8-13 months [ 17 ]. 

Conclusions

In conclusion, most patients with advanced cervical cancer with lung metastasis are asymptomatic and are found to have incidental mass on routine chest x-rays or CT. As patients with advanced cancer have a poor prognosis, age-appropriate screening, early identification of patients at high risk for lung metastases, and early intervention can be lifesaving. 

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The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Human Ethics

Consent was obtained or waived by all participants in this study