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What Is the Cervix?
Common Changes in Cervical Cells
Cell Changes Caused by HPV Are a Special Concern
Other Risk Factors for Cervical Cancer
The cervix is the narrow, lower part of the
uterus
(where the baby
grows when a woman is pregnant). During a
pelvic exam, the
doctor or nurse practitioner can see the cervix at the upper end of
the
vagina.
The cervix has an opening to the
endocervical canal. This
opening lets blood flow from the uterus into the vagina during a
woman's menstrual period. During childbirth, the cervix opens
much wider to let the baby pass through.
The surface lining of the cervix is made up of two different types
of cells:
- Tall cells, called
glandular cells (or columnar cells)
toward the top of
the endocervical
canal (above the
cervix). They make
mucus, which
helps guard the
entrance to the
uterus.
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- Thin, flat cells,
called
squamous epithelial cells
(or squamous cells).
Arranged in layers,
they protect the
tissues underneath them.
Pap tests can help health care providers find changes in these cells.
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 |
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Normal cervical
cells |
Normal and
precancerous mix |
Precancerous
cervical cells |
Cervical cells can go through many types of changes that are not
cancer. Many times these changes will go away on their own.
These changes can be caused by:
These cell changes are very common and are not related to cancer.
But they sometimes make these cells look like
abnormal
cells. So
your health care provider may suggest that you repeat your
Pap test or have other follow-up tests to be certain you don't
have any cell changes. (See the tables beginning at Table 1 for
more information.)
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Although most cell changes in the cervix are not cancer,
it is still important to get a Pap test at least once every
3 years to be sure.
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Some cell changes are a sign of a certain viral infection called
HPV (human papillomavirus). In most women, HPV infections go
away on their own. Sometimes, the cells infected with HPV will
become
precancerous. These precancerous cells can become
cervical cancer (called
invasive cancer of the cervix). They can
grow and spread, invading nearby tissues and possibly spreading
throughout the body. An
HPV test,
which is done much like a
Pap test, can detect the virus in cervical cells.
| What is HPV? |
- It is a very common virus.
- There are more than 100 types.
- About 15 types can cause cervical cancer.
- Some types cause warts on the fingers or feet but do not cause
cancer.
- Other types cause warts in the genital area that are not cancerous.
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HPV is the most important cause of and
risk factor
for cervical
cancer. But studies have shown that other factors may act together
with HPV to increase your risk of developing cervical cancer. These
factors include cigarette smoking and having given birth to many
children. Also, if you have a weak immune system, you may be at
higher risk because your body may not be able to clear up HPV on
its own. For example, if you take medicine to block your body's
immune response or if you have
HIV, you may be at higher risk.
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