What Women Should Know About Uterine Cancer

Performing a Pap smear has had brilliant results in reducing cases of cervical cancer and the deaths resulting from it. Since susceptibility to this disease exists across various age groups and it is especially common at the ages of 45-55, it is therefore necessary, in order to carry out a Pap smear properly at the appropriate time, that women have good participation and cooperation with health and treatment service providers. Points that must be observed before performing a Pap smear: No intimacy should have taken place in the 48 hours before the test. In the 24 hours before performing the Pap smear test, there should be no bleeding. Vaginal creams for treatment should not have been used in the week before the test. Performing a Pap smear is possible from day 14 to day 18 of the menstrual cycle. Cervical cancer rarely has symptoms. Pain is not one of the early signs of the disease. The symptoms of cervical cancer are: 1/ Abnormal bleeding from the vagina. 2/ Bleeding after marital activity. 3/ Abnormal bleeding in the interval between menstrual periods. 4/ Prolonged menstrual periods or an increase in the intensity of menstrual bleeding. 5/ Bleeding during menopause. 6/ An abnormal increase in vaginal discharge. 7/ In very advanced stages, weight loss, loss of appetite, blood in the urine, etc. Not all of these cases are definite signs of cervical cancer. But any woman who has at least one of the above symptoms for more than two weeks must see a specialist doctor. With a Pap smear test, abnormal cells of the cervix can be detected in the early stages. A Pap smear is a simple, painless test in which, during a gynecological examination, a sample is taken from the cervix. The best time for a Pap smear test is about two weeks after the first day of menstruation (equivalent to one week after the end of menstruation). Factors that increase the risk of cervical cancer: 1/ Marriage at a young age and beginning marital activity before the age of 18. 2/ A history of repeated marriages. 3/ A history of multiple pregnancies. 4/ Tobacco use. 5/ Marriage to uncircumcised men. 6/ Marriage to a man whose previous wife had cervical cancer. 7/ Certain infections of the genital tract. (genital herpes, warts) If the Pap smear result is abnormal, then to find the main cause, further tests must be carried out by the doctor, which include the following: Treating the infection and repeating the Pap smear test after treating the infection: Sometimes an infection in the cervical area can cause the cells of that area to become abnormal. In this situation, after successful treatment of the infection, the cells become normal, and as a result the repeated Pap smear test will also be normal. Always remember that prevention is better than cure, and prompt treatment is better than delayed treatment. For all women, screening begins after marriage. The high-risk ages for screening are 35-54. Of course, for women aged 18 or younger, if they marry, screening for cervical cancer (performing the Pap smear test) begins at most 3 years after marriage. Performing a Pap smear in the first trimester of pregnancy is unobjectionable, and if necessary, sampling must be done solely by a gynecologist and obstetrician. The Pap smear test should be performed once a year and regularly for up to three years. If the result is normal, performing it once every 3 years is recommended. If there are factors that increase cervical cancer, such as HIV infection, genital tract warts, malignancy of the cervix, suspicion of the onset of cervical cancer, or the presence of high-risk behaviors, an annual Pap smear is recommended. Continuing to perform the Pap smear in women aged 65 and older can be safely stopped if they have had at least 3 normal and reliable Pap smear samples and have had no abnormal Pap smear in the past 10-year history.