Very few cancers can be identified so far ahead of the danger
point as cancer of the cervix. A decade or more before invasive
cancer develops, the cells lining the surface of the cervix
begin to show changes visible under a microscope—in plenty of
time for definitive treatment. For this reason, a regular,
properly performed and interpreted Pap smear is one of
medicine's most effective preventive methods. The stages of
progression from a healthy cervix to cancer begin with what is
called mild dysplasia: precancerous alterations in structure and
activity. Prolonged infection with human papilloma virus (HPV)
is thought to be the primary cause of these changes.
Subsequently, altered cells spread from the surface of the
cervix down toward the underlying tissue. In the early stages,
cancerous changes may disappear on their own, but once these
cells fully penetrate the lining, progression to true cancer
usually occurs within 5 to 10 years. Medical treatment consists
of watchful waiting for spontaneous regression dur