Cervical Cancer Impacting Younger Women
Author: Ian C. Langtree - Writer/Editor for Disabled World (DW)
Published: 2011/02/03 - Updated: 2022/06/14
Category Topic: Female Health - Related Publications
Contents: Synopsis - Introduction - Main
Synopsis: For young women hard to detect cancers may develop and spread because of the inability to diagnose cancer at an early stage. Medical professionals have long stressed the importance of a yearly physical to help detect serious illnesses before they become problems.
- Topic Definition: Cervical Cancer
- Cervical cancer happens when cells change in a woman's cervix, connecting the uterus and vagina. This cancer can affect the deeper tissues of their cervix and may spread to other parts of their body (metastasize), often the lungs, liver, bladder, vagina, and rectum. Various strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), a sexually transmitted infection, play a role in causing most cervical cancer. You can reduce your risk of developing cervical cancer by having screening tests and receiving a vaccine that protects against HPV infection.
Introduction
For young women, hard to detect cancers may develop and spread because of a physician's inability to diagnose the cancer at an early stage. While cervical cancer is not as deadly as ovarian cancer, it is more common in younger women.
Main Content
The importance of a yearly physical has long been stressed by medical professionals to help detect serious illnesses before they become problems. Doctors alerted to medical conditions can help proscribe a treatment plan which will put patients on the road to complete recovery. All too often, physicians miss signs that lead to tragic consequences. For young women, hard to detect cancers may develop and spread because of a physician's inability to diagnose the cancer at an early stage.
The rate of survival for cancers increases the earlier it is detected.
Breast cancer awareness has led to many women getting mammograms to discover the cancer right away. This has helped to increase the number of women who are able to undergo successful treatment. While breast cancer treatment and detection tactics have improved, younger women also need to be sure that they are thoroughly screened for ovarian and cervical cancers.
Cervical cancer is an extremely difficult cancer to detect. The pap test is most commonly used by physicians to determine if the cancer is present. If this test is not performed at an annual physical, the cancer could spread quickly.
Early detection is essential for treating cervical cancer.
According to the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the rate of survival for a woman who has been diagnosed in the early stages is over 90 percent. Once the cancer spreads to lymphnodes, that number drops to a 57 percent survival rate. If the cancer has significantly spread to other areas of the body, the rate of survival is only 17 percent.
The NCI also reports that this cancer is affecting women at a younger age. The median age of those diagnosed with the cancer is 48. Nearly 15 percent of reported cervical cancer cases impact women aged 20 to 34, with 5 percent of all fatal cases impacting this age group.
Author Credentials: Ian is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Disabled World, a leading resource for news and information on disability issues. With a global perspective shaped by years of travel and lived experience, Ian is a committed proponent of the Social Model of Disability-a transformative framework developed by disabled activists in the 1970s that emphasizes dismantling societal barriers rather than focusing solely on individual impairments. His work reflects a deep commitment to disability rights, accessibility, and social inclusion. To learn more about Ian's background, expertise, and accomplishments, visit his full biography.