Stage 0 cervical cancer
Cervical cancer is a malignant neoplasm that mainly occurs in women aged 35-40 and 55-65 years.
It is believed that the main cause of this disease is viruses in a woman's body: herpes, HPV. Also, risk factors for cervical cancer include old age, prolonged use of hormonal drugs, pathology of the genital organs, early pregnancy, abortions, smoking, disruption of the immune system, and others.
Like any other oncological disease, cervical cancer is usually divided into stages, starting from zero. Stage zero, otherwise known as precancerous condition or carcinoma, is a lesion of cancer cells of the upper epithelial layer, without germination into deep tissues. The process of transition from carcinoma to cervical cancer has a rather long-term period and can last several years.
The prognosis for treatment of stage 0 cervical cancer is favorable. The survival rate in this case is 98-100 percent.
Symptoms and diagnosis
Stage zero cervical cancer is usually asymptomatic. However, according to some indications, an experienced gynecologist can still assess the patient's condition and assume that she has a carcinoma. These signs include:
- intermenstrual discharge;
- watery discharge;
- irregular menstruation;
- contact discharge (occurring after sexual intercourse);
- inflammation of the pelvic organs.
It is also worth noting that since there are no nerve endings on the cervix, the appearance of a neoplasm is not accompanied by painful processes.
Diagnosing stage 0 cervical cancer is not so easy. It is detected only by examination of a gynecologist, colposcopy and cytological examination of a smear. That is why it is so important for every woman to visit her doctor on time, and also never to keep silent about any manifestations of discomfort. With stage zero cervical cancer detected in time, the patient's recovery prognosis is quite high.
Treatment
Treatment of stage 0 cervical cancer is prescribed individually, depending on the age of the patient, as well as her general well-being.
Young women planning to have children in the future are usually offered organ—preserving treatment, including laser ablation, the destruction of cancer cells by ion flux exposure.
It involves the treatment of stage zero cervical cancer and cryodextruction, a gentle surgical procedure aimed at eliminating mutated cells using liquid nitrogen.
Specialists can also prescribe excision of the damaged area with a scalpel or ultrasound removal of the cervix to young patients.
These methods are prescribed only if the woman gives her consent to regular medical examinations in the future. In other cases, doctors perform a simple hysterectomy — removal of the uterus.
For women over 50 years of age, Wertheim surgery is recommended – complete removal of the uterus with appendages.
