Health and Fitness Guide

The cervix, which is an outlet of the uterus, is situated right deep inside the vagina. When there is a cancer threat in this part of the body, it might take sometime before being noticed. This is because, the cancer can lie dormant for many years inside the cervix, but when it begins to spread, it can invade the inner tissues, and spread to the lymph nodes area of the body. This makes it very difficult for this problem to be treated at this stage. In fact, the best hope of cure at this stage is only through intensive treatment such as using radium or cobalt radiation.

 

With the regular use of papanicolaou test, (“pap” test), it will be very easy to detect cancer of the cervix at the earliest stage. When it is detected early, and an effective treatment is carried out at this stage, there will be a successful result. But if this disease has spread into the deeper tissues, the hope of an effective treatment will be lost. That is why we always advocate that once a patient notices any sign of cancer in her body, she should report to her doctor immediately.

 

It is the duty of the patient to submit herself for test at intervals. There are some hospitals that carry out “pap” tests in all women from age twenty five and above. With this method, it will be easier to detect any trace of cancer at the earliest stage in the body of the woman, and treatment carried out at this stage is most times successful.

 

Another advantage here is that this system of testing all women from 25years and above, helps to detect cancer in the lives of younger women, which gives them the hope of a longer life, because with adequate treatment, 100 per cent success is possible here.

 

In order to conduct a “pap” test, the doctor will simply collects a small amount of mucous secretions that comes from the vagina, and use a microscope to examine it in order to know the type of cells it contains. If there is any trace of cervical cancer here, even in the earliest stage of development, the cells in this sample of mucus will be altered accordingly.