vical cancer among women in a family. The study also indicated that women are at risk for cervical cancer at a younger age if their mother or a sister had the disease (Peterson).In its early stages, the presence of cervical cancer may not create any noticeable symptoms. As the cancer progresses, the woman may experience a watery vaginal discharge and painless bleeding. Over time, the bleeding becomes heavier and more frequent, and pain becomes noticeable in the lower abdomen or back. The best tool for diagnosing cervical cancer is the Pap smear. In this simple test, cells are removed from the cervical epithelium with a cotton swab or wooden scraper and examined under a microscope for precancerous cell changes and signs of malignancy (Peterson). If the Pap smear shows more significant abnormalities, the health care provider will want to look at the cervix with a colposcope (a special type of microscope that allows the provider to examine the vagina and cervix). The earlier cervical cancer is diagnosed and treated, the greater the chances are that the patient will survive (McKesson Clinical...). Surgery may be used to remove tissues showing precancerous changes and cancers in situ. Cryotherapy, which uses extreme cold to destroy tissues, and electrocoagulation, which uses heat to remove tissue, may also be used. Surgery, radiation, chemotherapy (anticancer drugs), or a combination of techniques are used to treat invasive cervical cancer. The treatment of choice depends on the size of the tumor and the stage of the disease (Peterson). The three main types of treatment used for patients with cervical cancer are surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy. The surgery's include: laser surgery, cone biopsy, simple hysterectomy, radical hysterectomy, pelvic lymph node dissection, and pelvic exenteration (Hixson, 37).According to the American Cancer Society, about 90 percent of the women diagnosed with invasive cervical cancer surviv...
