Cervical cancer

Cervical cancer is a malignancy arising in the cervix, most commonly after persistent infection with high-risk human papillomavirus types.

Human papillomavirus: A group of viruses that infect epithelial cells; some types cause cancers, including most cervical cancers. Persistent infection with high-risk types initiates most cervical cancers.
HPV vaccine: A vaccine that prevents infection by selected human papillomavirus types, including cancer-causing types. Vaccination prevents many infections that can lead to cervical cancer.
Cervix: The lower, narrow part of the uterus that opens into the vagina. Cervical cancer arises in the tissues of this organ.
Endometrial cancer: Cancer arising in the lining of the uterus, usually the endometrium. It can cause similar bleeding symptoms but starts in a different organ layer.
Cervical intraepithelial neoplasia: Abnormal growth of cervical epithelial cells, graded by severity and capable of progressing to cancer. It is the precancerous lesion through which many HPV-driven cancers develop.
Cervical screening: Testing people without symptoms to detect cervical precancers or high-risk HPV infection. Screening finds risk or precancer before invasive disease develops.
Transformation zone: The region of the cervix where glandular epithelium is replaced by squamous epithelium. Many HPV-related precancers and cancers originate in this changing tissue zone.
Ovarian cancer: Cancer arising in an ovary, with diverse tumor types and risk factors. It is a neighboring gynecologic cancer, but it does not arise in the cervix.
Squamous cell carcinoma: A cancer arising from squamous epithelial cells, which line many body surfaces. It is the most common histological type of cervical cancer.
Papanicolaou test: A test that examines cervical cells for abnormalities associated with precancer or cancer. It is a longstanding method for detecting cervical precancerous changes.

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