There are usually no early symptoms of cervical cancer, with most cases being identified during the pap smear or only in the later stages of cancer. Thus, in addition to knowing the symptoms of cervical cancer, the most important thing is to make frequent visits to the gynecologist to perform the pap smear and begin early treatment if indicated.
However, when it causes symptoms, cervical cancer can cause signs such as:
- Vaginal bleeding with no apparent cause and outside menstruation;
- Altered vaginal discharge, with bad smell or brown coloring, for example;
- Constant abdominal or pelvic pain, which may worsen when using the toilet or during intimate contact;
- Feeling of pressure in the bottom of the belly;
- Willingness to urinate more often, even at night;
- Rapid weight loss without dieting.
Even in the most severe cases in which the woman has advanced cervical cancer, symptoms may include other symptoms such as excessive tiredness, pain and swelling in the legs, as well as involuntary loss of urine or faeces.
These signs and symptoms can also be caused by other problems such as candidiasis or vaginal infection and may not be cancer related and it is advisable to consult your gynecologist to make the correct diagnosis. Check out 7 signs that may indicate other problems in the uterus.
What to do in case of suspicion
When more than one of these symptoms occur, it is advisable to go to the gynecologist for diagnostic tests such as pap smears or colposcopy with biopsy of the uterine tissue and to evaluate if there are cancerous cells. Learn more about how these exams are done.
The pap smear should be performed every year for 3 consecutive years. If there is no change, the examination should only be performed every 3 years.
Who is at increased risk of having cancer
Uterine cancer is more common in women with:
- Sexually transmitted diseases such as chlamydia or gonorrhea;
- HPV infection;
- Multiple sex partners.
In addition, women who use oral contraceptives for many years also have a higher risk of cancer, and the longer the use, the greater the risk of cancer.
Understand how HPV infection can increase the risk of getting cervical cancer.
How is the treatment done?
Treatment for uterine cancer can almost always be done with conization, brachytherapy, or radiotherapy, but if these approaches are not sufficient to cure the disease and if a woman no longer wants to have children, surgery can be done to remove the uterus, preventing the worsening of the disease.
See what happens after uterine withdrawal surgery.
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