Those factors that can cause cancer of the uterus, as well as the causes of other malignant tumors, are not fully understood. What causes cervical cancer?
In recent years, it has been proven that there is a virus, if not causing cancer of the cervix, then contributing to its development is the human papillomavirus. Approximately in 90% of cases the incidence of cervical cancer is caused by this virus. The virus is transmitted during sexual intercourse, it is also possible to transfer it from mother to child.
How does cervical cancer develop?
It is important to understand how the cervical cancer develops after infection with the virus. By damaging the cells of the epithelium, the virus does not immediately cause a malignant tumor. At the initial stages, it causes epithelial dysplasia of varying degrees. Dysplasia is a precancerous disease, which can cause cancer in this place (preinvasive tumor) in a few years, which is already progressing quite rapidly, causing characteristic malignant changes.
Factors contributing to the development of cervical cancer
The papilloma virus does not always cause a tumor, and often a number of contributing factors are necessary for its development. Such factors include:
- smoking;
- chlamydial infection;
- HIV infection ;
- gonorrhea infection;
- frequent births in women (especially if they were accompanied by cervical lesions);
- a lot of sexual partners;
- uncontrolled or long-term use of hormonal contraceptives;
- various immunodeficiencies;
- early onset of sexual activity;
- obesity;
- hereditary factor;
- multiple abortions ;
- chronic nonspecific inflammatory processes of the cervix.
Women with such anamnesis are at risk. These women need to be on a regular check-up at a gynecologist and regularly undergo a checkup to identify the tumor as soon as possible, when effective treatment is still possible.