Cervical cancer

Symptoms of cervical cancer

In the very early stages of pre-cancer of the cervix there are usually no symptoms, which is why it is so important to have regular cervical smears.

Symptoms are more likely to appear when the abnormal cells in the cervix have progressed to cancer. The most usual symptom is abnormal vaginal bleeding, which may occur between periods, during or after sex, or at any time after the menopause.

Other symptoms may include a vaginal discharge or painful sexual intercourse.

If you have any of these symptoms see your doctor, but remember that they may be due to other conditions which are less serious than cervical cancer.

Diagnosis of cervical cancer

Screening

Screening for cervical cancer is performed by offering women regular cervical smear tests. The test is offered to all women in the UK, from the ages of 25 to 64, every three years up until the age of 50, then every 5 years. Women over the age of 65 who have had three consecutive negative smears are no longer recalled as their risk is very low. Despite the cervical smear test's record as a safe and highly accurate screening tool for cervical cancer and precancerous abnormalities of the cervix, many women sadly still do not have regular smear tests.

You should be notified automatically by your doctor or health authority for a test (which may be carried out by the practice nurse), but if this does not happen don't hesitate to make an appointment yourself. The best time to attend for a cervical smear is two weeks after your period.

A cervical smear test is a simple procedure. The test may be uncomfortable but should not be painful. You can ask for it to be performed by a female doctor or a nurse. A speculum (the standard device used to examine the cervix) is placed in your vagina and cells are skimmed from the surface of the cervix around the T-zone with a special brush. The head of the brush is then broken off into a small glass vial containing preservative fluid and sent to the laboratory for preparation and analysis. This procedure, called liquid based cytology, is more accurate than the older test in which cells are collected with a wooden spatula and smeared immediately onto a microscope slide.

Each smear contains roughly 50,000 to 300,000 cells. Occasionally the sample of cells is inadequate and a repeat smear is needed. Though not infallible, when properly performed according to established guidelines the cervical smear test detects the vast majority of cervical cancers, usually in the early stages when likelihood of a cure is the greatest.