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Cervical Cancer Causes

Cervical Cancer: Causes


Top Causes

1. Socio economic status

Women in deprived areas are subject to a greater risk of cervical cancer, according to studies conducted in several countries. This is mainly because of their poor living conditions as well as being manual laborers by profession. This indicates that economically advantaged women tend to go for screening to check any signs of cancer, whereas economically deprived women are unable to access basic health care. These women are also ignorant about methods of taking care of themselves and are not aware of diseases which could endanger their lives.

2. Other sexually transmitted diseases

It has been proven by scientists that HPV infection lasts for a longer period when Chlamydia infection is also present. For those women who have had infections of syphillis, gonorrhea and chlamydia are more at risk of developing cervical cancer. The vaginal area is most delicate and when such STDs occur, there is every chance that the HPV virus will travel up to the cervix where it manifests as cancer. Sometimes, infected women do not seek medical help on time which leads to the worsening of the infection. This can then develop into a tumor in the cervix which ultimately becomes cancerous.

3. Contraceptive pills and pregnancies

There is every chance that long usage of contraceptive pills can put a woman at a greater risk of cervical cancer. There is also the risk to women who have had several pregnancies and children as opposed to women who have no children. Cervical cancer is most commonly found in women who had early pregnancies at age 17 or so. Those who gave birth after 25 years of age are less likely to develop cervical cancer.ย Women who have had several terminations of pregnancy are also prone to cervical cancer. This makes the cervix more delicate due to constant scraping and is more vulnerable to being attacked by HPV virus.

4. Long term mental stress

Those women who have been under a period of long mental stress develop a weak system which becomes fertile ground for cervical cancer attack. A weak system puts the person at risk as it is unable to fight off the HPV virus. When a person is under a lot of stress, there is lack of proper sleep and loss in appetite. This is bound to affect the overall body system of the person and there is general weakening of stamina and lowering of energy levels. When this happens, the body is no longer healthy enough to combat any viral attacks. The patient will naturally be susceptible to the HPV virus which will ultimately attack the cervix in the form of cancer.

5. Smoking

Smoking causes different types of cancer and cervical cancer is most common in women who are heavy smokers. The habit of chewing tobacco causes cancer in the mouth and throat but, for women, the cervix could become a target for cervical cancer. The impact of direct intake of tobacco into the system need not necessarily affect only the lungs. Sometimes the cancer cells will spread to other parts of the body and will manifest themselves as a tumor where it can most conveniently breed. In the case of women smokers, the cancer attack is usually detected in their cervix as it seems to be the most vulnerable area for women.

6. Weakened immune system

People who have a weakened immune system due to taking immuno suppressive medications have a high risk of developing this cancer. Others who can be affected by cervical cancer are those with HIV/AIDS, where the immune system is completely weakened. This weakened immune system is caused due to exposure from strong drugs which is meant to combat a particular disease. In due course of time, the patientโ€™s immune system is unable to withstand the attack of cancer, since the body does not have the capacity to produce cells which can fight the disease.

7. Different sexual partners

Sexual contact with an infected individual causes cervical cancer. Those women who have been exposed to many sexual partners have a far greater risk of developing cervical cancer. This is because the Human Pappiloma virus or HPV can travel up to the uterine cervix opening where it progresses to precancerous and cancerous lesions. There is also a higher risk of cervical cancer when a person is sexually active at a young age for the same reason that they could be infected by HPV. This is a risk factor and does not mean that only women who had several sexual partners develop cervical cancer; even a woman who has had no sexual partner or only a single partner can develop cervical cancer due to other causes.

8. Drug related cancer

Many cancer prone women born during the early 1960s seem to have been affected by a particular drug which their pregnant mothers took. These mothers took the Diethylstilbestrol or DES drug during pregnancy as a way of preventing miscarriage. This is a strong drug which obviously left a permanent impact on the unborn child. This is based on research conducted by medical experts who were looking for possible link between cancer prone women born during the early 60s. The study conducted revealed that many women of the generation were born to mothers who had used the DES drug as protection for the fetus. Unfortunately, it only ended up affecting the fetus with long term detrimental health effects.

9. Human pappiloma virus

Out of more than over 100 different HPVs types, about 15 types cause the cervical cancer. This is a virus infection which is transmitted sexually, leading to genital warts and infection in the cervix, leading to cervical cancer. Of the HPVs, about 90 percent of genital warts are caused by the types 6 and 11, and 70 percent of cervical cancer cases are a result of infection caused by types 16 and 18. There are other types of HPV which can cause the growth of abnormal cells on the surface of the cervix. This becomes a cancerous tumor if left unchecked in due course of time.

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