Cervical Cancer: Definition, Prevention and Treatment

Mari Uyeda*, Fabian Friedrich, Antonio Cassio Assis Pellizzon

Affiliations: AC Camargo Cancer Center-Tamandar© St, 753 - Liberdade, So Paulo - Brazil, 01509-020. Department of Radiotherapy of the Hospital AC Camargo Cancer Center, So Paulo, Brazil

Secretary of Health of the Municipality of Blumenau - Dois de Setembro St - Itoupava Norte, Blumenau - SC, 89052-001. Secretary of Health of the Municipality of Blumenau, Santa Catarina, Brazil

ABSTRACT

Cervical cancer is still considered a public health pathology in developing countries due to the lack of preventive examinations by the public health system and often due to other factors that place this neoplasm as the third cause of death in women in Brazil, especially in regions with lower financial and educational resources. Risk factors such as smoking, exposure to Human Papillomavirus (HPV), many sexual partners, onset of sexual activity before age 18, many pregnancies and poor hygiene still occur in the North, Northeast, and Midwest regions. Correct and early diagnosis are closely linked to success in treating and curing the disease. Treatment will depend on staging of the disease, and may be surgical or accompanied by chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy (Teletherapy and/or Brachytherapy). Primary prevention is also of paramount importance in the identification of pre-lesions that, if unidentified and properly treated, can progress to cancer and lead to death. Therefore, we can conclude that cervical cancer is still a disease that leads many women to death in developing countries and that it must be identified and treated immediately after its correct diagnosis and staging and, when the correct treatment happens, the chances of healing are greater than 80%.

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