Stage 1 cervical cancer, this is what happens to your body

Cervical cancer or cervical cancer may arise without symptoms, especially at an early stage. Actually, what symptoms may appear at each stage of cervical cancer? What should be done after being diagnosed? Check out the explanation of each stage of cervical cancer, starting from stage 0, 1, 2, to the following final stages.

Cervical cancer staging

The course of cervical cancer or cervical cancer begins when there are cells in the cervix that are abnormal, and continue to grow uncontrollably. These abnormal cells can develop rapidly, resulting in tumors in the cervix. Malignant tumors later develop cervical cancer.

Cervical cancer stage is classified based on the level of the main tumor, the spread of cancer to nearby lymph nodes, and the spread of cancer to other parts of the body that are far from where the cancer started. Based on this, cervical cancer is classified into five stages.

The following are the stages in cervical cancer stages and their explanations, as reported by Cancer Research UK:

1. Stage 0 cervical cancer

This stage is also called noninvasive cancer orcarcinoma in situ(CIS). At this stage, cancer cells are only found in cells on the outer surface of the cervix (cervix).

In other words, the cancer cells still have not reached the deeper lining of the cervical tissue.

Generally, stage 0 cancer is treated with localized ablation, laser ablation, orcryosurgery. After treatment, the patient still needs to receive life-long surveillance to prevent cancer from reappearing in the cervix.

2. Stage 1 cervical cancer

Stage 1 cervical cancer is a condition when cancer cells have invaded the cervix, but did not spread to the surrounding tissues or organs.

This means that cancer cells have not spread to nearby lymph nodes or have moved to more distant places. Symptoms of stage 1 cervical cancer are abnormal bleeding from the vagina, pelvic pain during sex, abnormal vaginal discharge, and difficulty defecating (BAB).

About 95 percent of women with this condition likely have a life expectancy of around 5 years. However, that number is not the main benchmark, because patients at this stage may survive longer.

Stage 1 cervical cancer is further divided into several groups, namely:

Stage 1A

Stage 1A cervical cancer is an early form of stage 1. Cancer cells that appear at this stage are cancer cells in small numbers that have invaded the cervix and can only be seen under a microscope.

This stage is further divided into:

• Stage IA1: Cancer cells have invaded cervical tissue with a depth of <3 mm and a width of <7 mm
• Stage IA2: Cancer cells already exist in cervical tissue with a depth of between 3-5 mm and a width of <7 mm

Stage 1B

At this stage, cancer cells can be seen without the aid of a microscope. The size of the cancer cells is bigger than stage 1A, but still only spreads in the cervical tissue.

This stage is divided into:

• Stage IB1: Cancer can be seen and has a size of ≤4 cm
• Stage IB2: The size of the cancer cells is bigger than 4 cm

Therefore, if you find the features or signs of stage 1 cervical cancer, try to detect cervical cancer to confirm the health condition. If you are diagnosed with this cancer, there are several treatments that can be followed, including:

• Cone biopsy.
• Simple (total) hysterectomy.
• Radical trachelectomy.
• Chemoradiotherapy.
• Drug use and lifestyle changes.

3. Stage 2 cervical cancer

When the development of cervical cancer has passed stage 1, meaning that the condition is now entering stage 2. In stage 2, cancer cells have spread to the outside of the cervix and uterus. However, the cells have not yet reached the pelvic wall or the lower part of the vagina.

The spread of cancer also has not reached the lymph nodes or other parts of the body that are further away. The pelvic wall is the tissue that lines the area of ​​the body between the hips.

More than 50% of women with stage 2 cervical cancer, have a life expectancy of 5 years or even more. Even so, your chances of survival after being declared at this stage of cancer are also determined by several other things.

Your general health and the treatment of stage 2 cervical cancer that you do can also have an effect. Stage 2 cervical cancer is divided into two more stages, based on the level of spread of cancer cells, including:

Stage 2A

In stage 2A cervical cancer, the cancer has not spread to the tissues near the cervix, but may have spread to the upper part of the vagina (not the entire vagina). This stage is further divided into:

• Stage IIA1: Cancer can be seen but is still no bigger than 4 cm
• Stage IIA2: The cancer is bigger than 4 cm

Stage 2B

In stage 2B, cancer cells begin to spread to the tissues around the cervix. The treatment given is usually in the form of surgery and chemoradiotherapy.

Sometimes, the surgeon will remove all parts of your uterus and cervix. This procedure is known as a radical hysterectomy.

The doctor may also remove the lymph nodes around the cervix and uterus. This is to prevent the possibility or risk of spreading cancer cells to other parts of the body.

Treatment options that can be selected for cervical cancer at this stage include surgery, radiation therapy, and a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

4. Stage 3 cervical cancer

When the development of this cancer has gone through stages 1 and 2, the cancer has entered stage 3. At this stage, the cancer has spread to the lower part of the vagina or pelvic wall. Not only that, the urinary tract may be blocked.

Almost 40% of women with stage 3 cervical cancer have a life expectancy of 5 years or even more. The chance of life expectancy of one of the most common types of cancer in women starts from the time you are diagnosed with stage 3 cervical cancer.

By the time the patient develops cancer at this stage, the cancer cells have not spread to nearby lymph nodes or to other parts of the body further away. This stage is also divided into two groups, namely:

Stage 3A

Cancer has spread to the lower third of the vagina, but does not reach the pelvic wall.

Stage 3B

There are two possible conditions in stage 3B cervical cancer, namely:

• Cancer has grown to the pelvic wall and / or has blocked one or both urethra. This in turn can lead to kidney problems.
• Cancer has spread to the lymph nodes around the pelvis but not to distant parts of the body. Tumors in stage 3B can come in any size and may have spread to the lower part of the vagina or pelvic wall.

At this stage, the patient may have to undergo surgical removal of the lymph nodes, which is followed by chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

However, sometimes doctors will decide not to do surgery if cervical cancer has entered stage 3B. Treatment will focus on reducing the size of the tumor growing on the cervix.

Similar to treatment for stage 2 cervical cancer, treatment for stage 3 also includes radiation therapy, surgery, to a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

5. Stage 4 cervical cancer

This is the final stage of cervical cancer. Cancer not only attacks the cervix, but also to the closest part of the cervix or to other parts of the body that are even far from the cervix.

Based on the diagnosis made by the National Cancer Database on cervical cancer patients in 2000 and 2002, the life expectancy is five years (5 Years Survival Rate) if the condition is detected and treated at stage 4 it is 16% and 15% for 4B. That is, in this study, only 15-16% of patients with stage 4 treated lived up to 5 years.

Even so, that number cannot be an absolute benchmark. No one really can confirm the high life expectancy when you are diagnosed with cervical cancer.

Stage 4 cervical cancer can be divided into:

Stage 4A

Cancer cells have spread to the bladder or rectum. Both are the organs closest to the cervix. However, at this stage the cancer cells have not spread to nearby lymph nodes or to other parts of the body.

Stage IVB

Cancer cells have spread to other parts of the body far from the cervix, such as the lungs or liver.

According to the American Cancer Society, a patient's chance to recover from cervical cancer is very small if it is at this stage. Doctors will not recommend surgery to treat patients who are at this stage.

Usually, the doctor will perform chemoradiotherapy to help slow the growth of cancer cells, and reduce the symptoms of cervical cancer.

Symptoms of stage 4 cervical cancer

Because it is classified as a late stage, at this stage the symptoms shown are clearer. However, each individual certainly experiences signs and symptoms that vary.

It all depends on the type of cancer cells and the stage in that stage, as well as which parts of the body have been affected by the cancer cells.

Here are some of the common symptoms of stage 4 cervical cancer:

• Feeling tired and not feeling well.
• Pain in the lower abdomen.
• Bloated.
• Constipation or constipation.
• Vomiting in large quantities.

Treatment options for stage 4 cervical cancer include radiotherapy, chemotherapy for cervical cancer, and a combination of the two. Not only that, targeted therapeutic treatment is also an alternative for treating stage 4 cervical cancer.

The drugs used in targeted therapy work a little differently than chemotherapy drugs. Targeted therapeutic drugs work by directly inhibiting the formation of blood vessels in a tumor.

Cervical cancer is indeed quite difficult to detect, considering that this disease very rarely causes any symptoms. Especially if the cancer is still in its early stages.

Therefore, make sure you do early detection of this cancer, such as a pap smear or IVA test. This is especially important if you have risk factors for cervical cancer.

You can prevent cervical cancer by doing the HPV vaccine, and practicing a healthy lifestyle including eating foods that can prevent cervical cancer.

This is important to minimize the possibility of cervical cancer developing to an advanced stage, as well as reducing the risk of complications. The earlier it is found, the more likely it is that the cancer will be cured.

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