How quickly erosion turns into cancer. Questions

Worldwide, cervical cancer is considered one of the most dangerous oncological lesions with a high mortality rate. Incidence statistics have remained stable over the past 10 years and are significantly higher in developing countries. On average, it occurs in women aged 30-34 years.

Often, such a diagnosis is preceded by changes in the structure of the mucous membrane of the cervix. Although the relationship of the problem erosion of the uterus - cancer”does not always reliably indicate such a serious disease, you still need to understand when to worry and distinguish erosion from cancer.

Causes of cervical erosion

Erosion occurs when the cells of the squamous epithelium of the cervix become inflamed, red and velvety on appearance. Blurred and infected areas are also observed.

1. Cervical erosion, as well as, is associated with increased levels of the hormone estrogen, therefore it is often found in young girls and in women taking oral contraceptives and also during pregnancy.
2. Injury from tampons or other objects.
3. Vaginal infections such as herpes or syphilis.
4. Another condition for the occurrence of erosion is damage or inflammation (cervicitis) of the surface coating of the cervix during childbirth or after a miscarriage. This situation can be diagnosed after many years. In this case, cervicitis becomes chronic, forming small mucous cysts on the cervix.

However, cervical erosion can occur in any woman without obvious reasons and predisposition, but not always erosion develops into cancer.

Symptoms of cervical erosion turning into cancer

Erosion of the uterus is usually asymptomatic. Only a doctor can detect the disease during a direct examination. However, you should pay attention to such a sign as bleeding after intercourse and / or heavy discharge.

It is important to remember that situations where erosion and cancer are interconnected occur in medical practice. Therefore, you need to make sure that there are no precancerous changes in the cervix. For this purpose, a cytological examination (smear sampling for analysis) and colposcopy are performed.

Etiology of cervical cancer

The development of cervical cancer is directly related to the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus (HPV), which prevents tumor suppressor genes such as p35 and retinoblastomas from producing viral carcinogenesis.

95% of cases of cervical cancer are associated with such types of HPV infection as 16 and 18, less often caused by 31, 33, 34 and 45 strains.

Risk factors :

Erosion turns into cancer only under favorable circumstances:

• early sexual experience with frequent change of partners and lack of barrier methods of contraception;
• weakened immune system and malnutrition;
• hormonal factors, especially drug effects on the body with the threat of miscarriage;
• smoking reduces cellular immunity and clearance of the virus;
• family history may be a risk factor due to this lifestyle.

Symptoms of cervical cancer

1. In the early stages, oncology is asymptomatic. It can be detected by a doctor when taking a smear from the cervix.
2. Intermenstrual and postcoital bleeding. Happens in 40% of cases. Particular attention should be paid to profuse and persistent bleeding.
3. Increase or change in vaginal discharge.
4. Rectal examination may reveal bleeding due to erosion.

Symptoms in the later stages include:

• pain in the pelvis, in the legs and swelling;
• change in bowel function;
• hematuria;
• dysuria;
• urination or urinary retention;
• obstruction of the ureter leading to hydronephrosis;
• fatigue and weight loss.

Cervical erosion - cancer: symptoms of metastatic disease

Malignant tumors in final stages illnesses may include the following:

• shortness of breath and hemoptysis (lung damage);
• jaundice and abdominal pain (liver damage);
• bone pain and hypercalcemia.

Treatment

Erosion of the cervix without cancer includes minor surgery. These procedures are usually painless and performed on an outpatient basis:

1. Freezing (cryotherapy).
2. Cauterization (diathermy).
3. Treatment with radio waves.

In cases where erosion is cancer, therapy requires treatments suitable for cancer lesions:

Surgery :

Foresees the destruction of abnormal ectocervical epithelium by cauterization, cryodestruction or laser therapy.

At an advanced stage, a radical method of therapy may be required, which involves the complete removal of the cervix, the upper third of the vagina and the utero-sacral ligaments.

Radiotherapy :

Typically, a combination of radiation therapy and brachytherapy is used. Radiation therapy affects the pelvic floor up to the upper sacrum. Intracavity brachytherapy is effective for tumors up to 2 cm in diameter.

Chemotherapy :

Significantly improves overall survival for high-risk patients in the early stages.

Pharmacotherapy:

Can be used simultaneously with radiation treatment during primary radiation treatment. It has been shown that this method reduces the risk of recurrence and death by 30-50%. But the toxicity of the method is high and it is suitable only for those patients who cannot be treated with surgery or radiation therapy.

Prevention

To answer the question in the negative: Does erosion turn into cancer?”, you must, first of all, observe personal hygiene standards and get vaccinated against human papillomavirus. It has been scientifically proven that this will help prevent the occurrence of oncological processes in the cervix.

Malignant erosion is one of the types of early stage cervical cancer.

Despite modern advances in the treatment of uterine cancer, thanks to the development of methods and techniques of surgical assistance, despite the spread and improvement of methods of radiation therapy for uterine cancer, the diagnosis of the disease and the fate of the patient primarily depend on how early the diagnosis was made. It can be argued that almost every case of uterine cancer is curable if it is treated radically at the onset of the disease. And if, nevertheless, a large percentage of patients with uterine cancer still die in all countries of the world, this is due to the fact that patients often turn to specialists already in the advanced stage of the disease.

Early recognition of uterine cancer is difficult primarily because initial stage disease, an accurate diagnosis using conventional methods of gynecological examination - examination and palpation - cannot be made. But in the presence of symptoms, which will be discussed below, the doctor should think about the possibility of cancer in this patient.

What are the symptoms caused by uterine cancer and especially cervical cancer?

Signs and recognition. Symptoms of incipient cancer are bleeding and leucorrhoea. Pain in cervical cancer appears only in the late stage of the disease, when a cure is hardly possible.

In the initial stage, a cancerous lesion of the cervix does not cause pain, so the presence of pain in a doubtful case may speak more against cancer than for it.

Bleeding in cervical cancer may have the character of increased or prolonged menstruation, as well as spotting that appears in the intermenstrual period or independently of menstruation, especially in menopause. The amount of blood released varies. Abundant bleeding is usually observed in the later stages of the disease, at the beginning of the bleeding are moderate or insignificant, but are characterized by their continuity and frequent recurrence. Of particular great diagnostic importance is the appearance of bleeding or spotting after a minor injury: sexual intercourse, gynecological examination, vaginal douching, passage of solid feces through the adjacent rectum, etc. (“contact” bleeding). This kind of bleeding should raise the suspicion of cancer, especially when the woman is in menopause.

At the onset of the disease, leucorrhoea does not have that fetid character that they acquire in the later stages of uterine cancer. In the early stage of the disease, leucorrhea is often odorless, not abundant, serous or serous-bloody. In this they differ from the secretions arising from the soil inflammatory diseases and having a mucopurulent character with endocervicitis and unclear serous-purulent with colpitis. Not being a reliable symptom of incipient cancer, leucorrhea that appears suddenly in old age for no apparent reason should attract special attention. Occasionally, there are cases of cancer in which neither bleeding nor leucorrhoea is observed in the early stage of the disease.

In view of the fact that cancer occurs more often in menopausal and pre-menopausal periods, some authors require that antenatal clinics, in order to systematically combat uterine cancer, involve all women in their area who are at a specified age for periodic gynecological examination. AT recent times this requirement meets with full support. Included in the number of surveyed and others age groups women. It is necessary that doctors antenatal clinics, gynecological polyclinics, medical stations in the countryside, in the struggle for the early detection of the initial forms of uterine cancer, they paid the greatest attention to those symptoms that could cause the slightest suspicion of cancer. The second unconditional requirement is that in each case the doctor, making a thorough gynecological examination, in without fail examined the cervix in the mirrors. True, such a study makes it possible to diagnose cervical cancer with confidence only in advanced cases. In the initial stage of the process, the examination allows the doctor to make only a presumptive diagnosis or causes him to suspect cancer. Therefore, in such cases, in addition to a gynecological examination, additional research methods should be resorted to. The appointment of any therapeutic measure against bleeding or leucorrhoea without a thorough gynecological examination is a gross omission on the part of the doctor, which can expose the woman who turned to him for advice to mortal danger.

What are the objective changes found on the cervix during gynecological examinations that can cause suspicion of incipient cancer?

In the initial stage of the development of cervical cancer that has arisen inside the cervical canal, a gynecological examination may not give any objective signs at all; in other cases, suspicion of cancer may cause the presence of some thickening and hardening of the cervix, especially if the study is accompanied by the appearance of blood from the cervical canal.

In rare cases of cancer that does not arise from the mucous membrane of the cervical canal, but in the thickness of the cervix, at the initial stage of the disease (before the neoplasm breaks into the cervical canal or onto the surface of the vaginal part of the uterus), there will be no symptom of bleeding, so in such cases it is usually recognized very late .

Cancer of the vaginal part of the uterus can be detected during a gynecological examination much earlier than cancer that occurs in the cervical canal, since the place of its localization is accessible for examination in the mirrors. In these cases, cancer can be detected in the form of a small, located on the anterior or posterior lip of the pharynx, papillary growth or induration, which slightly rises above the adjacent area and bleeds when touched, but more often there is an ulcer, initially somewhat reminiscent of inflammatory erosion in its appearance. Inflammatory erosion has a bright red color with a bluish tint, velvety in appearance, bleeds slightly when touched. The eroded area evenly rises above the mucosa and gradually passes into healthy tissue. Inflammatory erosion is often accompanied by the presence of testicles, swelling of tissues, and abundant mucopurulent discharge from the cervix.

A cancerous ulcer has a slightly different appearance: its surface is uneven and bumpy; the color of the ulcer is darker than the color of the surrounding healthy tissue. In some places, hemorrhagic and necrotic areas are observed. When palpated, the tissue of the ulcer is denser than the surrounding tissue and is extremely fragile; at the slightest mechanical damage starts profuse bleeding; when examining, the probe easily penetrates the tissue.

A cancerous ulcer does not appear to be uniformly elevated, like a benign erosion, and on the border with healthy tissue it is sometimes separated from it, as it were, by a groove. Catarrhal phenomena, which are usually accompanied by benign erosion of the cervix, may be absent in the initial stage of cancer. This cancerous ulcer and differs mainly from benign erosion. These distinguishing features are clearly expressed, but in the initial stage of cancer, but only when the process has already gone quite far.

At the very beginning of the disease, in its clinical picture, cervical cancer differs little from a benign ulcer.

Differential diagnosis between cancer and primary syphilitic or tuberculous ulcer of the cervix can also present great difficulties. Thus, the data of palpation and examination in the mirrors in many cases can only cause a suspicion of cancer, but they cannot always bring complete clarity to the diagnosis. Meanwhile, the answer to the question of whether there is cancer in this case or not must be given immediately, since saving the patient's life can largely depend on this.

Therefore, in order to accurately diagnose a case suspected of cervical cancer, it is necessary to resort to a biopsy.

Biopsy for suspected cervical cancer. The microscopic picture of the histological section, with the correctly applied biopsy technique, can detect cancerous degeneration at the very initial stage of its development. And if we consider that it is the initial cases of uterine cancer that give, we repeat, greatest opportunity favorable result of treatment, it is clear that the method of microscopic diagnosis in the fight against uterine cancer is of particular importance.

Unfortunately, microscopic examination of the biopsied area does not always allow to come to an accurate and final decision. If the histological examination does not reveal cancer, while the clinical picture still causes strong suspicion, it is necessary to re-examine, since the biopsy piece could be cut incorrectly (for example, it was taken not from the cancer focus, but from the area adjacent to it, where there is only inflammation). Difficulties and errors can also arise in the interpretation of the microscopic picture. All this indicates that the data histological examination when they are in conflict with the clinical picture, should be treated with some caution. In such cases, a woman should be taken into special account and systematically subjected to repeated thorough gynecological and histological examination.

The II Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in a resolution on the program issue of uterine cancer noted: “ The congress believes that a microscopic examination that denies a cancerous lesion in the presence of a suspicious picture should not serve as a basis for considering a patient beyond suspicion of cancer and a reason to let such a patient out of the doctor's field of vision.».

The question often arises whether the biopsy should be performed in a local hospital or in such an institution, the working conditions of which do not allow, in the event of a response from a histologist confirming the presence of cancer, to carry out necessary treatment. Perhaps the local doctor would do the right thing if he sends the patient immediately to a medical institution, where a biopsy will be performed, and, if necessary, an immediate operation?

Of course, such a line of behavior has certain advantages already because a biopsy performed long before the operation can lead to the introduction of infection or neoplasm from the cancer focus to the nearest or distant areas.

To avoid this danger, in our clinic, in cases where the type of ulcer (decay; caused a strong suspicion of a malignant neoplasm), we used the following method: a biopsy was performed half an hour or an hour before the proposed operation. This time is enough to examine the biopsy piece on a freezing microtome tissue.If the histological examination revealed cancer, then radical operation was made immediately, and then there was no threat of introduction and spread of infection through the lymphatic tract and cancer cells from a cancerous ulcer. And if there was no cancer, then the radical operation was canceled.

But the biopsy was not carried out at all on the spot, then some women, without attaching special significance, in their opinion, insignificant complaints are not always sent to their destination, and then cases initial cancer may become neglected and inoperable. Therefore, the requirement to perform a biopsy only in an institution where the patient can receive appropriate treatment should not, in our opinion, be categorical.

It goes without saying that the production of a biopsy on the spot with the sending of a cut piece of tissue for microscopic examination to the pathological anatomical office located in the nearest center requires good organizational linkage in the work of district doctors, as well as the entire general treatment and prevention network with oncological service institutions, in of which the oncological dispensary has been and remains the organizational center.

If a gynecological examination causes a strong suspicion of cancer in a doctor, then it is better not to perform a biopsy at the site, but to immediately send the patient to one of the medical institutions of the district or region, where it will be possible to perform a biopsy and, if necessary, an operation. But the local doctor such a case should not be limited only to the appointment, but is obliged to check whether the patient has fulfilled his appointment, and, if necessary, take all measures to ensure that the patient fulfills it without wasting time.

Biopsy technique. A biopsy, or test excision, i.e. cutting a wedge-shaped piece of tissue from a cancer-suspicious area on the cervix for histological examination, is one of the minor gynecological operations. From the technical side, it can be available to every operating doctor. But despite its simplicity, the operation can sometimes be performed insufficiently carefully, and sometimes incorrectly, resulting in a diagnostic error. So. for example, it may happen that an extensive bleeding papillary erosion on the cervix in one place begins to turn into a cancerous one. It is sometimes difficult for an inexperienced doctor to correctly select exactly the area on the eroded neck where cancer is most likely to be detected. As a result, a test piece can be cut out from a site on the neck where there is no cancer yet, although it already exists in another area of ​​erosion.

In order to choose the right place for a biopsy, you can make a test, which was once proposed to recognize the initial stage of cancer of the vaginal part of the uterus, as an independent diagnostic method. This test consists in the fact that the vaginal part of the uterus, exposed by mirrors, is lubricated with Lugol's solution (instead of lubrication, you can make a bath from Lugol's solution). The squamous epithelium covering the healthy surface of the vaginal part of the uterus, containing glycogen in its protoplasm, stains dark brown under the influence of Lugol's solution, while cancer cells stain weakly or not at all. As a result, the area of ​​the vaginal part of the uterus, affected by a cancerous neoplasm, after the action of Lugol's solution on it, stands out among the healthy tissue as a lighter spot. This method, however, did not fully justify the hopes placed on it. It turned out that the test was specific only for brown staining of normal surface epithelium and that areas that did not accept stains were not necessarily affected by cancer. So, for example, the surface is slightly stained, on which there is hyperkeratosis or benign (inflammatory) erosion with a detached surface layer of the epithelium. However, completely deny behind this method diagnostic value nevertheless, it is impossible, and it seems to us that this test can help a doctor inexperienced in these matters in choosing a site on the vaginal part of the uterus for biopsy.

In cases where suspicious erosion has widely captured the lips of the uterine os, test pieces must be cut from both the anterior and posterior lip.

A biopsy can also be performed incorrectly from a purely technical point of view. The most common mistake is to cut too small a piece, so that the area where there is incipient cancer may not be included in the investigational preparation. In another case, cancer can be suspected when the examined piece contains strands and nests of squamous epithelium, and since the cut piece is too small and thin, it is impossible to establish whether the squamous epithelium grows into the depth and into the adjacent tissue, which is so characteristic of cancer. Of course, microscopic examination reveals, besides this one, other more or less character traits, but still the overall picture of a large section, which allows one to trace the relative position of the epithelium and stroma for a sufficient length, is usually of decisive importance. In addition, too small a piece cut from the surface in the form of a plate, it is very difficult to properly position it when pasted on the block; in the removed plate it is impossible to decide by eye where the underlying tissue is located and where the integumentary epithelium is; if the preparation on the block is located incorrectly, then at the very first sections it is possible to remove the integumentary epithelium and in the following sections to have only the stroma. It is, of course, impossible to give a definite answer in such cases.

A piece taken from the surface of a tumor or ulcer is even less suitable for research, since this surface layer can, with existing cancer, give a picture of necrosis alone. A wedge-shaped piece cut out for microscopic examination from the cervix must necessarily contain not only suspicious, but also adjacent and underlying tissue. Therefore, the cut piece should go 1 cm beyond the border of the ulcer to a healthy (by eye) surface of the mucosa. In the same way, the cut piece should also go deep enough so that its rib contains a layer of tissue lying under the suspicious area of ​​​​mucosa.

Usually, anesthesia is not used during trial cutting. If a biopsy is performed on an outpatient basis, then V. S. Gruzdev recommends using a special tool. It is a fenestrated forceps with triangular holes with sharp edges; with these forceps, as it were, a piece is bitten out from the anterior or from the posterior lip of the vaginal part of the uterus.

We do not have personal experience in the use of such instruments, but we believe that it is unlikely that a biopsy produced by these instruments will often meet all the methodological requirements that were outlined above.

A piece should be cut especially deep in cases where one of the rare and most insidious forms of cancer is suspected in the patient - central, intramural cancer of the cervix. In such a case, until the cancerous tumor reaches the surface of the cervical mucosa, it is not visible, and only the swelling of the neck and its dense consistency may arouse suspicion and require a trial cutting. Thus, a biopsy will only detect cancer if the cut wedge penetrates deep enough into the muscle.

A deep defect in the cervix, formed during a trial cutting, has to be closed with one or two ligatures to avoid bleeding. With a less deep notch and where there is no bleeding, you can limit yourself to tamponing the vagina.
It goes without saying that both the operation and preparation for it must be carried out according to all the rules applicable to any vaginal operation.

If the doctor cannot determine exactly which area of ​​erosion is most suspicious of cancerous degeneration, then the excised piece should have a large surface.

If a cancerous neoplasm has arisen in the upper cervical canal, then microscopic diagnosis can only be made by examining a scraping.

At the end of the biopsy operation, the cut piece of tissue is washed from blood, then placed in a jar with 5-10% formalin solution or 96% alcohol. To avoid possible errors a jar with the drug should be labeled with the patient's last name, first name and age, the date of the biopsy, and the place from which the piece was cut.

Recognition of cervical cancer originating from the cervical mucosa. Cervical cancer can develop both from the stratified squamous epithelium covering the mucous membrane of the vaginal part of the uterus, and from the cylindrical epithelium of the mucous membrane of the cervical canal.

From this, of course, it does not follow that cancer of the vaginal part of the uterus will always be squamous, and cancer of the cervical canal will always be cylindric. Regardless of the morphological form of cancer, cancer of the vaginal part of the uterus in the initial stage of its development can be detected earlier than incipient cancer of the mucous membrane of the cervical canal. This is quite understandable, since the vaginal part can be subjected not only to palpation, but also to direct examination, and the mucous membrane of the cervical canal remains inaccessible to the eye. Therefore, when palpation and examination with mirrors reveal an area suspicious for cancer on the vaginal part, a test cut (biopsy) is made to establish the diagnosis.

But what to do in the case when the anamnesis and clinical phenomena (bleeding and bloody issues in the menopause or in old age, contact bleeding, etc.) cause suspicion of cancer, and examination in the mirrors does not reveal anything suspicious on the mucous membrane of the vaginal part of the uterus? It would be a big mistake to wait for further developments. Suspicion must be, as it must be tirelessly repeated, in the shortest possible time either confirmed or rejected.

If the suspicion is based, in addition to these symptoms, on the presence of a small limited hardening on the anterior or posterior lip of the uterine os, then a deep notch can still detect incipient cancer of the cervical canal, which comes close to the vaginal part, but has not yet germinated on its surface. If cervical cancer at an early stage of its development is located higher but towards the internal pharynx, then in the presence of clinically suspicious symptoms, an examination of the vaginal part of the uterus may not detect anything, and the diagnosis can only be made by microscopic examination of a scraping taken from the cervical canal.

Microscopic diagnosis of cervical cancer can be simple and easy for every pathologist.

In the early stages of the disease differential diagnosis between a cancerous (and precancerous) neoplasm and various forms of inflammatory processes of the cervix can present great difficulties even with a microscopic examination of a cut piece of tissue. In this case, it may be necessary to consult with a more experienced specialist.

Microscopic diagnosis of cervical cancer by studying native, unstained preparations - smears taken from the affected area of ​​the cervix. In view of the fact that there may be contraindications for the production of a biopsy (acute and subacute inflammatory processes of the female genital organs, the presence of pyometra, etc.), the aspirations of clinicians and pathologists were aimed at finding new research methods that could replace a biopsy.

A similar method could be of great interest in the dynamic monitoring of patients with cervical cancer during radiotherapy.

Favorable results have been achieved in this direction in recent years. As shown by a number of reports by the authors, according to which the discharge taken from the affected area of ​​the cervix in a native, unstained preparation is examined, gives the highest percentage of matches with the data of a histological examination, while the study of stained vaginal smears using the Papanicolaou method not only has no advantages over with the method of studying native drugs, but also significantly inferior to it, being more complicated and less reliable.

No woman is immune from various gynecological pathologies, in particular from such as cervical erosion. Cervical cancer often becomes a consequence of this pathology. Therefore, it is important to solve this problem in a timely manner. What is characterized by erosion of the uterine cervix?

The culprits of the development of the disease and its symptoms

Erosion of the reproductive organ can occur for various reasons. It is impossible to say exactly what became the reason for the development of pathology. But experts note several provoking factors, the impact of which adversely affects the reproductive organ and can cause such a disease. These include:

• Hormone imbalance in women, when estrogens are produced in excess of normal.
• Damage to the uterus during operations, abortions and other gynecological procedures, as well as after childbirth.
• Early intimacy.
• Weakened immune system.
• The presence of other diseases of the uterus of an infectious and inflammatory nature.
• Failure in the activity of the endocrine organs.

Among the symptoms of cervical pathology in women, vaginal discharge can be noted, which has a specific odor and has blood impurities. But these signs can be seen only at a late stage in the development of erosion. Before that, she will not manifest herself in any way, therefore she is diagnosed quite by accident.

Varieties of female ailment

There are several types of cervical erosion in women. The first variety is congenital erosion. It involves the displacement of cervical epithelial cells. This disease is observed more often in young girls, does not cause any symptoms and is eliminated on its own. Moreover, it cannot develop into cervical cancer.

The second variety is true erosion. It is acquired during life under the influence of negative factors. Basically, its development does not take much time, since it often turns into pseudo-erosion. This is the third type of pathology of the cervix.

It occurs when the squamous epithelium is replaced by columnar cells. With pseudo-erosion, tissue growth is possible, their degeneration, including into a malignant neoplasm. Therefore, doctors attribute this type of pathology to a precancerous condition.

Dangerous consequences of pathology

Erosion of the reproductive organ can trigger various negative processes in a woman's body that will lead to big health problems. But this is possible if the patient does not take timely measures to get rid of the pathology. The late stage of erosion can be the culprit of problems such as:

1. Infectious diseases of the genital organ. This complication is considered one of the most unfavorable. Due to the fact that during erosion the mucous membrane loses its ability to protect the uterus from pathogens, bacteria can easily penetrate there.
2. Benign tumor of the epithelium. When erosion is too long time, epithelial cells begin to be replaced by atypical tissues.
3. Problems with conceiving a child. Pathology of the cervix in combination with other diseases, for example, an infectious process in the organ, can lead to infertility.
4. Malignant tumor. The late stage of erosion of the uterine neck can provoke the development of cancer.

When can a degeneration into cancer occur?

Can cervical erosion turn into cancer? Yes, it can, if left untreated for a long time. Most often, the reason for this is the human papillomavirus, which was originally the culprit in the formation of erosive changes. The connection between such an infection and cancer has already been proven.

This virus can be transmitted through contact with a sick person. Most often this happens during intercourse if the partners are not protected. The papillomavirus has many varieties, most of which do not cause degeneration into cancer. However, there are types of bacteria that are highly oncogenic. They can also cause the degeneration of cervical erosion into cancer.

Symptoms of rebirth

You can only suspect the development of cervical cancer if it is already at an advanced stage. Prior to this, the disease may not manifest itself at all. A woman will feel the symptoms of erosion alone. Signs of erosion, turning into oncology, can be considered the following:

• The occurrence of bleeding after sexual contact.
• Unusual vaginal discharge having an unpleasant odour.
• Pain in the lower abdomen, which can radiate to the lower back and lower limbs.
• Weight loss, loss of appetite.
• Fast fatiguability.

The presence of these manifestations is the reason for immediate appeal to a specialist, as this already indicates the advanced development of the disease.

Measures for diagnosing a disease

When visiting a gynecologist, a woman will have to undergo a gynecological examination, after which the doctor will decide what other diagnostic measures will be needed in this case. The most commonly used methods are:

• Colposcopy. This method is usually prescribed if the result of a cytological examination of a woman's smear caused the doctor to suspect the development of cancer cells.
• Biopsy. This method is just necessary in order to confirm or refute malignant degeneration and make the right treatment plan.
• Laboratory studies to check for the presence of infectious pathologies.
• Human papillomavirus analysis. This diagnostic measure is very important, since such a virus can cause erosion to degenerate into uterine cancer.

Based on the results of these diagnostic measures, the attending physician can make a correct diagnosis and prescribe an effective treatment.

erosion therapy

The absence of clinical manifestations at an early stage of cervical erosion is not a reason to ignore the disease. Even if there are no symptoms, it develops. Therefore, refusal of therapy may lead to adverse consequences that have been described previously.

The most common way to treat erosion is to cauterize it with electric current. But this method is unsafe for a woman and can cause side effects.

Rehabilitation after such cauterization may take long time. It is also possible to influence childbearing function female patients. In this regard, doctors do not resort to such a procedure if the woman has not yet given birth and wants to have a baby in the future.

But medicine does not stand still, and cauterization can now be done in other, less traumatic ways. These include:

• Cryodestruction. It involves freezing erosion with the help of a substance such as liquid nitrogen. The point is that under the influence low temperatures the affected cells begin to die. The method does not cause scars on the uterus, but swelling and swelling may occur. copious discharge from the vagina.
• radio wave method. In this case, the treatment is carried out using high frequency waves. They first cut the affected area, and then the diseased cells are destroyed. It will not take a woman much time to recover from the operation, it will take just a few days. There will be no scarring on the reproductive organ, which allows the method to be used by women who want to have a baby in the future.
• laser therapy. This method will allow you to get rid of erosion using a laser beam that cauterizes the affected area, leaving a crust. Rehabilitation after such an operation is fast - about 7 days.

After laser therapy, no scars remain on the uterine mucosa, the woman is not bothered by bleeding and pain. This method is excellent for nulliparous patients.

If cervical erosion has developed into a malignant neoplasm, then the treatment methods may be different. The most common way to fight cancer is chemotherapy. But it helps well only in the initial stages of the development of the disease. It is also possible to remove the genital organ in part or completely.

After cauterization of cervical erosion, women should adhere to the following recommendations of doctors:

1. Do not have sexual intercourse for one month.
2. Do not take a hot bath, give up baths, saunas, solariums, the beach.
3. Avoid hypothermia.
4. Don't lift weights.
5. Stop using tampons.
6. Do not overload the body with exercise.

If these rules are not followed, then the mucous membrane of the cervix may be damaged again. It is necessary to carefully monitor the state of the body after cauterization of erosion. If there is bleeding and severe pain in the abdomen, you should immediately see a doctor.

Moxibustion can affect the menstrual cycle, knocking it down. This is considered normal only for two months after surgical intervention. If the cycle is not restored, then it is also worth informing the doctor about this.

Thus, there is a real danger of degeneration of cervical erosion into cervical cancer if it is not eliminated in time. Both of these pathologies at the initial stage do not bother the woman, which makes it difficult to detect them in a timely manner. Therefore, it is so important to be checked by a gynecologist every year, this will help to avoid many health problems.

Know the enemy by sight

Cervical erosion is a disease in which there is a violation of the integrity or pathological change epithelium, the mucous membrane that lines its surface.

But, you see, the partial absence (violation) of the mucosa and an atypical change in its tissues are two completely different things. More precisely, two different conditions and two different approaches to treatment. Only an experienced gynecologist can diagnose and prescribe adequate therapy.

The inflammatory process occurring in the cervix, acidic environment, damage to the cervix - all this provokes an increased secretion of the mucous membrane, which is manifested by the formation of specific "corrosive" mucous secretions.

This is how the cervical epithelium is forced to defend itself. But this leads to a violation of the integrity of the epithelium and subsequent changes, the appearance of neoplasms.

Types of erosion treatment

If a small erosion is detected, the gynecologist prescribes electrocoagulation, laser cauterization or cryocoagulation. In the presence of discharges accompanying the disease, anti-infection drugs are additionally prescribed.

When confirming cancer of the cervix, standard cancer treatment methods are used:

1. Surgical impact. This method is considered the most acceptable in the presence of malignant tumors. If the lesion is insignificant, then only the layer of the modified epithelium is removed. With a significantly expanded tumor, amputation of the uterus or its cervix is ​​​​carried out.
2. Chemical therapy. The patient is prescribed special toxic drugs that destroy cancer cells. The method is unsafe for health, since toxic substances also affect healthy cells. But for treatment oncological diseases, especially in the early stages, chemotherapy is most effective.
3. Radiation therapy. This procedure is performed using a significant dose of ionizing radiation. Irradiation allows you to destroy mutated cells without destroying anatomical structure uterus.

In the treatment of cancer, combined methods are often practiced, which include surgery, radiation exposure and chemotherapy.

papilloma virus
, which is one of the causes of erosion, also greatly affects the likelihood of cancer, increasing it by about a hundred times.

With changes in the norm of the vaginal flora, processes also occur that affect the development of erosion. In addition, such changes can lead to the degeneration of cells into a malignant tumor.

To prevent a precancerous condition of cervical erosion, it is necessary to be observed by a gynecologist every six months.

Treatment with Surgitron is considered to be the most effective at the moment. It has such advantages as the absence of postoperative pain and scars with scars, etc. Additional Information the method is disclosed in the article
"Surgitron treatment of erosion"
.

Like
radio wave treatment
, this method does not leave behind scars and does not violate the elasticity of the uterus, which is extremely important for those planning a pregnancy. You can also not be afraid of bleeding during the operation, because cryodestruction consists in the use of ultra-low temperatures.

The disadvantage of this method is the small probability of scarring when getting rid of large erosions.

The procedure uses special preparations (Solkagin and Vagotil). To get rid of erosion, they are applied to the affected area.

A direct connection between the development of cervical diseases (especially cancer) and the presence in the body of viruses such as type 2 herpes (or the so-called genital herpes) and the human papillomavirus (HPV) has been reliably proven.

Erosion of the cervix can provoke both benign and malignant degeneration of epithelial tissues, especially with prolonged existence.

The lack of timely competent assistance is a really high risk of developing cervical cancer!

In order to effectively treat, first, you need to carefully diagnose and eliminate the cause of the disease - inflammatory process. Second, remove the altered cervical tissue. Thirdly, to stimulate recovery processes.

The choice of treatment method depends on the duration, form and nature of the disease and whether the woman is planning a pregnancy.

What is erosion? This disease is a proliferation of the epithelium, which leads to a deterioration in the condition of the cervix.

Malignant erosion of the cervix appears only when the patient completely ignores the symptoms of the disease - if the treatment takes place on time, and the woman does not refuse to comply complex therapy, get rid of erosion will turn out quickly and efficiently. Today, many women are sure that the disease is considered life-threatening - indeed, the disease has a danger.

Therapy of a benign process must be carried out by a woman until the disease has acquired an aggressive course.

Today, the disease is treated with the help of modern procedures, such as:

1. Laser. As the tumor develops, doctors often prescribe laser treatment for women. After all, its radiation is the safest and most effective for the health of the patient, since the power of the device helps to heal even the deep layers of the epithelium. The doctor directs the laser only at diseased cells, causing them to evaporate.
2. radio waves

In the absence of proper treatment, doctors often prescribe radio wave therapy. Its principle is as follows - damaged areas of the cervix are processed by radio waves using various devices, for example, Surgiton. After the procedure, no scars remain on the surface of the epithelium.

1. Cryodestruction. Depending on the cause of the disease, doctors prescribe this method of treatment. When it is performed, the affected areas are treated with liquid nitrogen, which, as it freezes, destroys harmful cells due to its low temperature. Also, this treatment option does not cause scarring.

In addition to such procedures, the patient is also prescribed drug treatment. Thanks to drugs, damaged cells are quickly replaced by healthy ones.

It is important to take medicines after they are prescribed by a doctor - this is the only way to achieve full recovery and not cause other diseases of the reproductive system.

Can cervical erosion turn into cancer?

To identify the development of erosion, a cytological examination can be performed in any hospital. This must be done without fail, because without a diagnosis, the doctor does not have the right to prescribe treatment.

In the body for a long time with the development of the disease, changes occur that adversely affect the state of health. Can erosion, if left untreated, develop into cancer? Many modern scientists believe that with the growth of the epithelial layer, new and healthy cells in the female body begin to produce.

This leads to a covering of the damaged surface of the uterus, as a result of which the cells can eventually degenerate into malignant and dangerous to health. Eventually long treatment unhealthy, or complete absence therapy can cause the formation of malignant cells on the surface of the genital organs.

However modern medicine it was proved that epithelial cells are not cancerous, since there are no malignant components in their structure that can begin to grow at any time. Summing up, it can be noted that if a woman has erosion on the surface of the genital organs, the possibility of her degeneration into a cancerous tumor will depend on a number of factors.

• genetic predisposition sick;
• condition immune system;
• the presence of more dangerous diseases occurring in the body;
• improper treatment of erosion, as a result of which different drugs are used.

After cauterization, cervical erosion does not cause cancer. This is facilitated by the action of the laser on the body, which destroys all affected cells.

Even chronic form disease cannot cause cancer if a woman starts fighting it in time, and also strictly follows the doctor's recommendations. Negligent attitude to health, and the presence of certain factors, lead to the formation of a tumor, not each of which can be completely cured.

Symptoms and diagnosis of cervical erosion

Erosion is a benign cavity formation, during the development of which a woman can immediately notice the development of the disease. However, sometimes patients, on the contrary, do not notice the appearance of pathology, justifying their own condition with fatigue.

Dysplasia of the epithelial layer and others modern methods diagnostics will help to correctly diagnose even at the initial stage of the development of the disease, when a woman is attacked only dubious signs erosion occurrence.

• pain during intimacy, passing from the lower abdomen to the cervix;
• transparent discharge;
• bleeding with blood clots;
• pain when going to the toilet;
• discomfort in the lower abdomen;
• pain when lifting weights.

Usually when available favorable factors erosion (even with its recent appearance) is detected by a gynecologist on an armchair, where with the help of mirrors it is possible to consider all the features of the course of the disease. It is often possible to identify pathology with a detailed examination of the cervix - this diagnostic method is called colposcopy.

It is required to carry it out if the doctor cannot deliver correct diagnosis and careful identification of affected organs is required if erosion is suspected.

Why erosion can cause cancer development? A malignant neoplasm can attack the female body due to the combination of two epithelium (the walls of the cervix and the erosion border). Therefore, it is not worth starting the course of the pathology, otherwise it can lead to a long and difficult therapy.

In addition to the examination on the armchair, the doctor will also prescribe a number of diagnostic procedures for the patient:

• delivery of a smear for microflora;
• PAP test;
• sowing the microflora of the vaginal cavity;
• PCR analyzes, allowing to identify an infection that is hidden in the body.

1. Analysis for HPV. It is carried out after the discovery in the patient blood secretions, not coinciding with the onset menstrual cycle. In this case, the doctor conducts an analysis to confirm the alleged diagnosis, as well as to identify the condition of the cervical mucosa, which, in the presence of adverse factors, often turns into cancer.
2. Biopsy of the cervix. A cancerous tumor can begin to grow at any time, so if signs of the disease are detected, the doctor will definitely perform a biopsy. This diagnostic method involves the use of a small element of the cervix, which is carefully examined under a microscope for the presence of malignant cells.

Groups and risk factors

Erosion itself is not an oncological disease. But there are a number of factors that contribute to the possibility of development cancer education:

• frequent change of sexual partners;
• stressful situations;
• early sexual relationships;
• HPV infection;
• hereditary predisposition to cancer;
• weakened immune system;
• not proper nutrition, malnutrition;
• frequent use of alcoholic beverages, smoking.

Constant fatigue and lack of sleep or hypothermia reduce the level of protection of the body, thereby increasing the risk of developing oncology.

Can cervical erosion turn into cancer? In the absence of treatment of the cervix, certain factors can activate the growth of a malignant tumor.

1. Infection of the female body with papillomavirus. In the early stages of the disease, papillomavirus infection is considered the most important factor in the development of cervical cancer. The papillomavirus can infect a large number of cells in the body, which include cells in the mouth, genitals, pharynx, skin, anus, and so on. When it enters the cavity of the reproductive organ, especially if a woman suffers from erosion, PVI can cause cancer, forming small papillomas after itself.
2. Smoking. Various diagnostic methods make it clear that smoking greatly increases the risk of cervical cancer. In patients who smoke, there is a small amount of tobacco combustion products in the cervical mucus. These unhealthy components disrupt the structure of the DNA of the cells that make up the mucous membrane, which becomes a serious factor in the appearance of a malignant tumor.
3. Violation of the functions of the immune system. HIV greatly aggravates the state of immunity, so if a woman has AIDS, her risk of developing a tumor is too high.
4. Taking contraceptives. Long-term use of contraceptives also causes the growth of cancer cells.
5. Nutrition. A lack of vitamins in a woman's diet can lead to the appearance of a malignant tumor. The risk increases significantly if the patient has sexually transmitted diseases.

It is important to pay attention to these factors, which can greatly worsen the state of health.

Preventive actions

Symptoms such as the release of blood clots and pain in the lower abdomen should definitely alert the woman. If the patient has just undergone a course of treatment for cervical erosion, she should definitely follow preventive measures to help avoid the recurrence of the disease.

• obligatory observance of personal hygiene (and this should be done not only by a woman, but also by her sexual partner);
• itching, burning and discomfort in the genital area should be a mandatory reason to visit a doctor - remember that the sooner the disease is detected, the faster it can be cured;
• the use of contraceptives during intimacy, especially if a woman enters into a relationship with a stranger to her;
• refusal to change partners frequently, as this causes a strong change in the vaginal microflora, which can lead to various infections;
• regular examinations at the gynecologist, which will help to identify the disease at the initial stage of its development, and also will not allow the disease to start.

Part 3. About cervical cancer

Throughout this article, I have repeatedly mentioned cervical cancer, its frequency and relationship with HPV. But I want to supplement the above with important modern information.
Cervical cancer is considered the third most common cancer in women in the world. One explanation is needed here. In those countries where cytological examination has been used for several decades (European countries, USA, Canada), the incidence of cervical cancer has decreased significantly. More than 80% of all cases of cervical cancer reported in the world occur in developing countries, where the level of medicine is extremely low. Only recently in medical institutions many countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America have begun to introduce cytological screening for cervical cancer. This instantly increased the number of diagnosed cases of cancer, which some people may interpret as a worldwide surge in this disease. I repeat once again: there is no real increase in the incidence. It's just that cervical cancer detection rates are skyrocketing in countries where women haven't been seen for decades or never. The highest incidence of cervical cancer is in Central America, North Africa (Sahara region) and Oceania (Pacific region).
Such a high incidence in developing countries is due to the fact that only 5% of all women are screened for precancer and cancer at least once every 5 years (40-50% of women in developed countries).
Cervical cancer is considered a preventable cancer. Although I mentioned that the cytological examination has a high percentage of false-negative results (mainly due to the fact that the material was taken incorrectly), but in relation to the detection of cervical cancer, this examination method is very sensitive and reaches almost 90%. In other words, the chance of missing mild and moderate dysplasia is much higher than that of severe dysplasia and cervical cancer. And this is a positive factor of cytological research. With proper smears, the sensitivity of this method becomes almost ideal.

Here I will make a small digression and explain the concept "cancer". People without a medical education or those who did not study at medical schools, but simply spent time in them, a number of pseudo-professors and pseudo-academicians, as well as healers offering their panaceas for the treatment of all types of cancer, have no idea that a cancer diagnosis is made only in relation to malignant degeneration of epithelial cells. Of course, you forgot the human anatomy, but I will remind you that there are 4 main groups of tissues, one of which is the epithelium (squamous, glandular, ciliated). Malignant processes that develop from this group of tissue are called cancer. Tumors and malignant processes arising from cells of other types of tissues have their own specific names and are not called cancer among medical circles.
The structure of the cervix is ​​complex and simple at the same time, and it contains cells of all 4 groups of tissues (epithelial, muscular, connective and nervous), so the malignant degeneration of cells can be different. Most often (in 95% of cases), cervical cancer is a malignant process of the squamous epithelium, that is, the integumentary layer of the outer part of the cervix. In other cases, cancer can develop from glandular cells (adenocarcinoma), even more rarely from lymphatic tissue (lymphoma), pigment cells (melanoma), and very rarely other types of cells. Human papillomavirus is associated with the occurrence of only epithelial forms of cancer. According to the degree of spread of the disease, cervical cancer is divided into 4 stages.
In developing countries health care most often in private clinics, so only a small number of women can be screened, which is reflected in the high mortality rate from cervical cancer compared to developed countries. Again, the problem (even in Africa this is a problem) rests on the fact that most doctors and other medical staff do not know how to properly collect material for cytological examination. Leading doctors will agree with me that in the prevention of cervical cancer, the first link of all efforts should be directed to personnel training - training medical staff in the correct sampling of material. Because the false-negative rate in all countries is 50-55%. What depends on the human factor must be corrected by the same factor.
It is important to mention a very interesting fact. The fact that severe dysplasia can turn into cancer is known, which is why they are called a precancerous condition. Logically, the conclusion suggests itself that mild dysplasia can turn into moderate ones, and those into severe ones. However clinical researches refute the close association of mild and moderate dysplasia with severe dysplasia and cancer. In other words, most scholars believe that there is no natural connection between mild dysplasia and severe dysplasia - these are two different conditions, and the mechanism of development of the latter is not yet entirely clear, just as the mechanism of the occurrence of cervical cancer is not clear.

When we talk about the development of precancer and cancer of the cervix, it is important to mention exactly where, in which part of the cervix these pathological conditions occur. At the beginning of the article, I mentioned that the cervix has two types of integumentary epithelium: from the outer (vaginal) part, the cervix is ​​\u200b\u200bcovered with a non-keratinized stratified squamous epithelium(up to 24 layers of cells), and inside the cervical canal there is one layer of cylindrical epithelium, which is often called glandular epithelium. The boundary between the two types of epithelium is called the transformation zone (ZT or TZ) or squamous-cylindrical junction. It is in this zone that dysplasia and cervical cancer are most common, as well as a cell condition such as metaplasia. Often, women complain that when metaplasia is found in them, they are immediately offered cauterization or freezing of the cervix, because this is supposedly a transition to cancer.

Metaplasia is a benign condition, and not an indicator of a transition to cancer, and it occurs most often when one type of epithelium is replaced by another, that is, it has a physiological nature. As I mentioned several times, teenage girls and young nulliparous women have cervical ectopia (which is pseudo-erosion), which is not a disease. The transformation zone in this case can be far beyond the cervical canal. With age, the glandular epithelium is gradually replaced by a flat one, and the transformation zone slowly moves from outside to inside - closer to the cervical canal. Therefore, in young women, metaplasia is very often observed in places where two different types cover epithelium. Foci of metaplasia can form the so-called naboth cysts, which are also the norm, do not require treatment and gradually disappear on their own - this is an indicator of the "healing" of the cervix.
In many young women, the transformation zone is located 2-5 mm from the entrance to the cervical canal. When examining the cervix, the doctor may see a thin strip of redness around the cervical canal, and a diagnosis of endocervicitis or endocervicosis, that is, inflammation of the mucous membrane of the cervical canal, is hastily made, although the woman may have no complaints. Some women complain of periodic mucous discharge, not knowing that such discharge can be observed in the middle of the cycle and characterize the process of ovulation - the maturation of the egg. Since the cylindrical epithelium is glandular, women with ectopia may experience increased secretion of mucus (most often clear or white). Other doctors call this condition not endocervicitis, but “small erosion” and immediately offer treatment. I repeat once again: there should be no haste in the treatment of such conditions. To diagnose endocervicitis, it is necessary to determine the pathogen (and infectious agents, which can affect the epithelium of the cervical canal, very little), and only then resort to treatment. It is also important to take into account the age of the woman, the presence of pregnancies and childbirth in the past.
During pregnancy, when hormone levels rise sharply, many women may experience proliferation of the columnar epithelium, and the transformation zone will again shift outward in relation to the cervical canal. In some women, the columnar epithelium grows significantly, resembling polyps (large polyps). This condition shocks those doctors who do not know anything about this special effect of pregnancy on the epithelium of the cervix, and they immediately suggest that pregnant women undergo a biopsy and even surgery. This is a manifestation of illiteracy, because even in the presence of severe dysplasia, surgical treatment of the cervix in pregnant women is not performed. Metaplasia is a fairly common occurrence during pregnancy. Pregnancy does not worsen the condition of the cervix, that is, it does not lead to the progression of mild dysplasia to severe, as well as severe dysplasia to cervical cancer, so treatment can always be delayed until delivery.
Nursing mothers often experience physiological postpartum menopause (lack of menstruation, which is called postpartum amenorrhea), which is accompanied physiologically reduced level estrogen, and therefore marginally elevated progesterone levels. Since fluctuations in hormones can be observed in the postpartum period, such fluctuations can be reflected in the cervix by increased metaplasia. The transformation zone is shifted. Considering that after childbirth reproductive system requires a minimum of 6-8 weeks for the uterus (including the cervix) to return to normal in size, during this period the cervix can look very “unattractive”. Therefore, one should not rush to false conclusions in such cases. It is better to re-examine in a few weeks than to kill a woman with moral intimidation regarding cervical cancer.

I have already mentioned that in development pathological conditions CMM, risk factors play an important role. To risk factors for the development of precancerous and cancerous conditions cervix include the following:
a large number of births - trauma to the cervix, micro- and macro-ruptures; deficiency of vitamins A, C and β-carotene in the diet of women;
long-term (more than 5 years) use of hormonal contraceptives - the proliferative effect of the estrogenic component of COCs;
women whose partners have cancer of the glans penis, which in some cases can be caused by oncogenic HPV types;
immunodeficiency states, including AIDS, as well as the use of drugs that suppress the immune system (organ transplant, cancer treatment, etc.);
individual genetic predisposition to gynecological malignant processes;
sexually transmitted infections, which can often suppress the protective mechanisms of the integumentary epithelium of the cervix;
human papillomavirus (HPV);
number of sexual partners (more than three) - infection with a large number of HPV
different types;
smoking (active and passive);
a history of cytological smears with abnormalities - the more often and more such abnormalities, the greater the chance of developing cancer;
low social level - poor hygiene, including sexual life, promiscuity, lack of timely and high-quality medical care;
pattern of sexual behavior - bisexuals, homosexuals, promiscuity;
the first sexual intercourse at an early age (up to 16 years) - in girls and young women, the cylindrical epithelium of the cervix is ​​​​outside the external pharynx of the cervical canal, so the cervix often looks like a "big erosion". This area has only one layer of cells, so it is easily damaged. The sooner the girl starts sexual life, the higher the risk of chronic (permanent) damage to the cervix and more sexual partners, and therefore the greater the risk of contracting HPV. If these factors are added by smoking and drinking alcohol, which is not uncommon in the life of modern youth, then the risk of precancer and cervical cancer increases significantly.
There are other risk factors, as well as a number of assumptions that require further research.
Between the duration of COC use (more than 5 years) and the incidence of cervical cancer, there is also a definite relationship. Many researchers have found that people taking hormonal contraceptives have several additional risk factors for the occurrence of precancerous and cancerous conditions of cervical cancer: such women have a more active sex life, change partners more often, are carriers of sexually transmitted pathogens, and smoke. If these factors are not taken into account, then it can be assumed that COCs increase the risk of squamous cell carcinoma and other types of carcinomas by a factor of two.

Hormonal contraceptives containing only progestins do not increase the risk of precancerous and cancerous cervical diseases.
Accurate data supporting the association between combined estrogenic/progesterone hormonal drugs, which are used as a substitute hormone therapy(HRT), and there is no risk of dysplasia and cervical cancer. Most doctors agree that HRT is a completely safe treatment method, since the dose synthetic hormones in these drugs is several times lower than in COCs.
Researchers in the UK and other countries around the world have studied the effect of a number of infectious agents on the occurrence of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia. Since many microorganisms cause damage to the cells of the epithelium of the cervix and vagina due to the production of substances that stimulate cell proliferation, it was assumed that the inflammatory process caused by them can provoke the degeneration of the precancerous condition of the cervix epithelium into a cancerous one. However, no relationship has been found between dysplasia and the presence of herpes simplex virus, cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus, human herpesvirus (types 6 and 8), diplococcus (the causative agent of gonorrhea) and chlamydia. Women with mixed infection caused by HPV and herpes virus (type 7) were more likely to have moderate and severe types of dysplasia.
According to the US National Program for early detection breast cancer and CMM (2002), abnormalities in cytological smears occur in 3.8% of cases (mild dysplasia - in 2.9%, moderate and severe - in 0.8%, squamous carcinoma - in 0.1%).
Most doctors agree that mild dysplasia can be left untreated, but there is a lot of controversy over the treatment of moderate dysplasia. Studies have shown that in most cases (70%) moderate dysplasia regresses spontaneously within one to two years, so these patients should be observed for 6-12 months. without surgical intervention.

There are several types of cervical cancer treatment: surgical, medical, radiological. Drug (conservative) treatment of dysplasia is not used in most countries of the world, as it is considered ineffective. Early stage(cancer insitu, stage 0) is treated with conservative surgical methods: cryodestruction, electrocoagulation, laser cauterization, cervical conization. Cervical cancer in stages 1-3 is treated with complete removal of the uterus. Medical treatment CMM cancer is carried out using chemotherapy (platinol, etc.). More advanced stages of cancer are treated with radiation exposure (external and internal radiation). All treatments can be accompanied side effects both minor and serious.
Timely diagnosis and treatment of this malignant process significantly increase the survival rate of women. The 5-year survival rate largely depends on the stage of the cancer and is:
Stage 1 - 90%
Stage 2 - 60-80%
Stage 3 - 50%
Stage 4 - less than 30%.
Women who have had or have had cervical cancer should be observed by an oncological gynecologist for a long period of life.