Discover About All Cervical Cancer Stages – Women’s Health

If you have ever wanted to know about cervical cancer stages, then, this is for you.

A kind of cancer that can be very devastating to a woman’s health is cervical cancer. This cancer grows in the lining of the cervix over a period of time. It is important to have a regular pap test as this disease is easily identified through such a test, and you should take all measures necessary to prevent this disease from developing. We will help you to have a better understanding of cervical cancer by informing you of the different stages this disease goes through as it develops in the female body.

The International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics states that there are five stages that this disease goes through as it develops. These stages are numbered from zero to four.

To help you to get a better idea about how this disease develops, we will examine each of these stages thoroughly.

Stage zero of cervical cancer occurs when a superficial cancerous cell exists in the lining of the cervix. During this stage of the disease, the inner tissues of the cervix have not yet been affected.

Stage one of cervical cancer is when the disease has already successfully spread through the cervix. This stage is divided into several sub-stages which shows the size of the tumor as it develops.
These are the following stages: stage 1A1, stage 1A2, stage 1B1, and stage 1B2. When the cancer is in stages “A”, it cannot be seen by the naked eye but can only be seen through a microscope. During stage 1A1, the affected area of the cervix is only approximately an eighth of an inch deep and about one quarter of an inch wide. Once the cancer has advanced to the “B” stages, it can now be clearly seen. When the cancer has progressed to stage 1B2, the tumor has now grown to about one inch and a half.

Stage two of cervical cancer is when the disease has started to spread beyond the cervix but still remains in the pelvic area. This stage can be divided into two sub-stages, stage 2A and stage 2B. During stage 2A the cancer is now affecting the upper third of the vagina. When it has reached stage 2B, it has now spread to the parametrial tissue that is found near the cervix.

Stage three of cervical cancer shows that the disease continues to spread. This stage can be divided into two sub-stages, stage 3A and stage 3B. In stage 3A the lower parts of the vagina have now been affected by the cancer. When the disease has reached stage 3B, it has really begun to affect the functions of the body, and has spread to the pelvic wall and is probably blocking the patient’s urine flow.

Stage four of cervical cancer is the last stage of the disease and so is the most devastating one to a person’s life. This stage also has two sub-stages, stage 4A and stage 4B. When the cancer has reached stage 4A, it has now affected the bladder or the rectum. At stage 4B, the cancer has advanced even further and has now spread to the upper parts of the body and may have started to affect other organs such as the lungs.

Now, that we have provided you with the information about the cervical cancer stages, you will be in a better position to identify the different stages of cervical cancer. By now, you should know that the best way to avoid being a victim of cervical cancer is to make sure that you take all preventative measures.