What is Cancer of the Cervix? The cervix is the lower part of
the uterus (womb). The uterus has 2 parts. The upper part,
called the body of the uterus, is where a baby grows. The
cervix, in the lower part, connects the body of the uterus to
the vagina, or birth canal. Cancer of the cervix (also call
cervical cancer) begins in the cells lining the cervix. these
cells do no suddenly change into cancer. Instead, the normal
cells of the cervix first slowly change into pre-cancer cells
that can then turn into cancer. These changes may be called
dysplasia. (American Cancer Society) Because many women are
screened routinely, the most common finding is an abnormal
Papanicolaou (Pap) test result. Typically, these patients are
asymptomatic. Clinically, the first symptom of cervical cancer
is abnormal vaginal bleeding, usually postcoital. Vaginal
discomfort, malodorous discharge, and dysuria are not uncommon.
The tumor grows by extending along the epithelial surfaces, both
squamous and glandular, upward to the endometri