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The word cancer is a curse and is viewed as an incurable condition. Contrary to popular belief, some forms of cancer, if detected in time, can not only be controlled, but also be cured. And cervical cancer is one such cancer. Although, the unpredictability of cancer makes it difficult to prevent or avoid, a pregnant woman who has cervical cancer can provide a healthy baby.
Below, we look at some information on cervical cancer during pregnancy, its treatment options, and how you can cope with the condition. Read on to learn more:
What is cervical Cancer?
The uterus or the lower part of the uterus is also known as the cervix. Cervical cancer begins in the cells lining the cervix. When you are pregnant, the fetus develops in the upper part of the uterus or 'uterine body', which is connected to the vagina, or birth canal, through the cervix (1).
cervical cancer occurs when abnormal cells in the cervix are multiplying at an alarming rate. Unfortunately, cervical cancer is quite common among pregnant women worldwide. However, in some countries, doctors routinely test for signs of cervical cancer during pregnancy. As a result, these countries do not record many cases of cervical cancer.
If cervical cancer is diagnosed early, it can be completely cured with the right kind of treatment. One of the most common ways to diagnose cervical cancer is to perform a Pap test.
[ Read: HPV During Pregnancy ]
Causes Of cervical cancer during pregnancy:
The cells of the cervix you do not get infected or turn cancerous during the night. In fact, they grow slowly in a phase of pre-cancerous, cancerous before it is transformed. The cells take years to convert cancerous by a step of pre-cancerous. However, in some cases, the process can sometimes be extremely fast and requires less than a year to turn cancerous. Most women who have not pre-cancerous cells in their body, they do not need treatment. In other cases, precancerous cells turn into cancerous ones.
In almost all cases of cervical cancer, a change in the DNA of the cells is caused by the human papilloma virus (HPV). The change of the structure of DNA is called mutation. When a mutation occurs, it can disturb the instructions that restrict the growth of cells. Then, the cells continue to grow even when they are not needed. These cells can lead to lumps of tissue or tumors, and turn cancerous (2)
[ Read: Ovarian Cancer During Pregnancy ]
of cervical cancer diagnosis during pregnancy: .
while cancer is a serious medical condition for treatment, and to be diagnosed with cervical cancer during pregnancy can be very stressful and tiring. The estimates indicate that nearly 3% of cases of cervical cancer are diagnosed during pregnancy.
Often, one can detect the presence of cervical cancer Pap smear tests. Your doctor may suggest you opt for a Pap test if there is an unexplained bleeding or adjusted during pregnancy.
Treating Cervical Cancer During Pregnancy:
If are diagnosed with cervical cancer during pregnancy, the line of treatment followed depends on the doctor's analysis of the situation. Your doctor will decide the treatment of cervical cancer during pregnancy, depending on a few factors:
- The cervical cancer type
- the size of the tumor and whether or not spread or is still in its original position (it will determine the cervical cancer stage you are at)
- to what extent you are in your pregnancy
- Whether you want to go ahead with the treatment of cancer during pregnancy or if you want to wait until after delivering her baby and then start cancer treatment. Unless the cancer has spread and there is a huge risk for you and your child, if not treated, the doctor will also give you the opportunity to get treated after birth.
[ Read: How To Prevent Miscarriage ]
treatment options for cervical cancer during the various stages of pregnancy:
the doctor will be the best judge how and when you should start treatment for cervical cancer during pregnancy. Here are some things you should be aware about what your doctor can tell about the treatment in particular stages of pregnancy:
1. Detection of cervical cancer in the early stages of pregnancy :
- If cervical cancer is detected in the first trimester of pregnancy, your doctor may ask you to immediately begin treatment, so do not wait another six months without treatment.
- However, it is important to remember that if you agree to go ahead with the treatment, you will have to terminate the pregnancy, and then. While it is risky to leave the cancer completely untreated for six months at the minimum, you will have to discuss the pros and cons of both situations with your doctor.
- If you do not want to start treatment right away and wants to continue with the pregnancy, your doctor may decide to treat once you enter the second quarter. Until now, there is not much the doctor's office or data on cancer treatment during pregnancy, and most of the treatments that are done for cancer during pregnancy are still in a very experimental stage.
2. Detection of cervical cancer in the second or third trimester of pregnancy:
- If your diagnosis of cervical cancer comes when you are in your second or third trimester of pregnancy, your doctor may even ask you to wait for treatment until after giving birth.
- However, in such case, your doctor will probably ask you to go in for a Caesarean section and have your child early, instead of waiting for a natural birth.
- As soon as the baby is born, the doctors will start treating you for cancer. During the cesarean operation itself, doctors may decide to remove the uterus. The next course of treatment will be radiation and chemotherapy.
[ Read: Breast Cancer During Pregnancy ]
3. If you have a small tumor.
- If you have a small tumor, the two treatment options you will have are a cone biopsy or a trachelectomy
- trachelectomy is not made usually during pregnancy, and only a few women have been treated with the particular type of procedure. It can result in a lot of bleeding and even the death of the child after the operation.
4. If you have a large tumor.
- i If you have a large tumor, the doctor may ask for chemotherapy to help control tumor growth until the time the child was born
- the doctor does not allow you to chemotherapy in the first quarter, as it can be very harmful for the fetus. Chemotherapy can cause permanent damage and remarkable for her unborn child, and in some cases may even lead to a miscarriage
the right course of treatment during pregnancy :.
can be a tough call to go ahead with the treatment during pregnancy. Everything can be confusing and very dry up. And 'quite important to determine if you want to be treated during pregnancy, or if you want to wait until you have delivered your baby.
As a mother who has an unborn child growing inside of you, you need a lot of time, support, information and help from others, especially the medical team and your partner. It 'important that we continue to talk to your doctor about all that your body is going through and how cancer may or may not affect you and your unborn baby. You also need to ask your doctor and understand how the treatment for cervical cancer during pregnancy can affect you and your unborn baby
cancer treatment options during pregnancy :.
Here are some of the treatment options your doctor may suggest if you are diagnosed with cervical cancer during pregnancy:
1. Surgery:
The physician can use the 'option of surgery to remove the tumor and some healthy tissue that is present in the vicinity of the areas surrounding the tumor. The surgery does not pose much risk for the unborn child and is one of the safest treatment options for cancer during pregnancy.
2. Chemotherapy:
Chemotherapy uses a lot of drugs to destroy cells that are cancerous. The drugs help stop the growth of cancerous cells. Chemotherapy is not recommended during the first three months of pregnancy, as there is a lot of risk to the unborn child. During the first three months of pregnancy, the fetal organs are still being developed and chemotherapy during this time can lead to birth defects or even miscarriage. During the second and third trimester of pregnancy, the placenta creates a barrier around the child, and the drug does not reach the fetus with the same ease. Even if they do, they reach in very small quantities, and the risk is relatively less.
3. Radiotherapy:
This is high-energy X-rays that destroy cancerous cells. Radiation therapy can cause serious damage to the unborn child. Therefore, doctors try to avoid as much as possible during pregnancy. Furthermore, the risk of radiation therapy to the unborn child depends on the dose of radiation (3).
Treat, Waiting or stop?
Although the number of cervical cancer diagnosed in pregnant women is rare, medical experts believe that the number is expected to grow as more and more women are delaying the age at which children have. When the priority is also to take care of the unborn child and continue with the pregnancy, the treatment options become limited.
there is not enough research or study done on the treatment of cervical cancer during pregnancy, so doctors are constantly re. -evaluating the options they have and trying to find out what works best for the mother and the unborn child (4)
Some Questions to Ask Your Doctor:
While you need to go for routine checkups and talk to your doctor about everything. But, before making a decision about when you want to start treatment for cervical cancer during pregnancy, here are some questions you may want to ask your doctor:
- Need any special tests that will help physicians give more to understand the type of cervical cancer do you have? If yes, what is the evidence and how it will be done the same? They will be the evidence of being invasive and will cause no harm to the unborn child?
- What, according to the doctor, is the best way to treat cervical cancer during pregnancy? Because the doctor feels is the best choice treatment that you have?
- And 'well if you expect to start treatment until after giving birth to her baby? If so, how soon after the birth of your baby you have to start treatment? Is there any possibility that your child suffers any infection because of cervical cancer during pregnancy or at birth? vaginal childbirth or will only be able to give birth through caesarean operation?
- If you choose to delay treatment can you and your unborn child or it is good to wait influence?
- What are the risks of treatment for the unborn child, and you?
and 'understandable that once found pregnant that you have cervical cancer, the situation may seem quite grim. But, as the data suggest above, there are various treatment options that can help you get completely cured, without causing any harm to the unborn child. Be sure to talk with your doctor and ask them about all the options, including any fears or concerns you may have.
Moms, if you know of any woman who has been diagnosed with cervical cancer during pregnancy, they do share the story here to help and support other moms. Leave a comment in the section below. We would love to hear your opinions about cervical cancer and pregnancy
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