What Women Should Know About Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer occurs in the cervix, which is the lower, narrow part of the uterus. In this disease, cells in the cervix do not function right, divide very fast, and produce too much tissue that forms a tumor.

Why Should I Care?
According to the National Institute of Cancer, 15,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with cervical cancer each year. It is the second most common cancer in women. Many cases of cervical cancer are associated with known risk factors for the disease and many of those risk factors can be avoided.

While the number of deaths associated with cervical cancer are decreasing due to early detection methods such as Pap smears, many women still do not take steps to prevent this deadly disease.

What Can I Do?

Stop smoking
Cigarette smoking has been shown to increase risk of cervical cancer, as well as many other cancers.

Eat well
Several studies have suggested that various micronutrients, such as carotene (vitamin A), vitamin C and vitamin E, may reduce the risk of cervical cancer.

Eat foods that include:

• Carotene—carrots, squash, broccoli, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, cantaloupe, peaches and apricots.
• Vitamins C—citrus fruits, broccoli, green leafy vegetables, strawberries, raw cabbage and potatoes.
• Vitamin E—wheat germ, nuts, seeds, whole grains, green leafy vegetables, vegetable oil and fish-liver oil.

Get regular checkups
Pre-cancerous changes of the cervix generally do not have any warning signs, such as pain or bleeding, and are not detectable unless a woman has a pelvic exam and a Pap test. Women should have yearly checkups that include a pelvic exam and a Pap test, if they are or have been sexually active or if they are age 18 or older.