Non-invasive cervical cancer
Cervical cancer is an oncological disease in which malignant neoplasms form in the cervical region. This type of cancer is one of the most common among women. It is characterized by a pronounced stage development, and the effectiveness of treatment depends on the stage at which cervical cancer is diagnosed.
Noninvasive cervical cancer is treated most effectively. What is it? This is what medicine calls the early stage of cervical cancer, in which the tumor has not yet reached significant size.
Features and symptoms
At the noninvasive stage, cancer cells develop rather slowly, and the tumor does not spread beyond the mucous membrane of the cervix. The disease can remain in this state for years, but sooner or later the tumor will begin to grow, which will lead to a much more dangerous invasive stage.
Although noninvasive cervical cancer is often completely asymptomatic, it can manifest itself as mild symptoms.:
- discomfort and pain during sexual intercourse;
- bleeding;
- specific discharge (white or transparent).
If the symptoms are present, the woman should be diagnosed by a gynecologist.
Diagnostics
Noninvasive cervical cancer is diagnosed by a set of procedures:
- examination of the cervix using a colposcope device, similar in principle to a microscope;
- smear biopsy, which determines the quality of the neoplasm;
- PCR study - complex molecular smear analysis;
- Ultrasound scan;
- radiography of lymph nodes;
An initial examination in the gynecologist's chair may also include two special tests. The first of them is that the mucous membrane of the cervix is treated with acetic acid, after which the vascular reaction is monitored. Noninvasive cervical cancer is detected in the place where the vessels do not constrict.
The second test was the treatment of the cervix with Lugol's solution, which turns normal cells brown. Accordingly, cells with cancerous pathologies are not stained.
Treatment
Treatment of noninvasive cervical cancer is prescribed depending on whether the patient is planning pregnancy. If pregnancy is planned, treatment is carried out by electroconvulgence. It consists of a cone-shaped surgical excision of the cervix using special instruments. The operation allows you to remove all the affected tissues, while maintaining the maximum volume of healthy tissues. To do this, a colposcope is inserted into the cervix under local anesthesia to visualize the area being operated on. Then the neoplasm is cut out using a special electric loop through which a high-frequency current is passed.
The second, more radical method of treatment is surgical removal of the cervix. Of course, it suggests problems with pregnancy in the future, but the problem with non-invasive cervical cancer will be solved forever. The uterus itself is preserved. The operation lasts 30 minutes, during which the cervix is removed using a surgical scalpel, radio beams and electric current. Pregnancy after removal of the cervix is possible, but it will be difficult and is likely to have negative consequences.
