- The main cause of cervical cancer is a virus called the human papillomavirus (HPV).
Cervical cancer may not cause any symptoms or the symptoms may not be obvious.
The most common symptoms of cervical cancer are unusual vaginal bleeding, including after menopause, after sex or between regular periods; changes in vaginal discharge; pain or discomfort during sex; and unexplained pain in the lower back or pelvis.
The leading cause of cervical cancer is a virus called high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV).
HPV is very common and usually goes away on its own without causing any problems.
But it sometimes causes changes in the cells of the cervix, which can develop into cervical cancer. On average, this happens slowly, usually between five and twenty years.
Other risk factors include smoking, a weakened immune system, use of the oral contraceptive pill and a drug called diethylstilbestrol (DES), which was given to some pregnant women from 1938 to 1971.
Cervical screening samples are examined for high-risk HPV, and if the virus is found, the sample is reexamined for cell changes (Stock Image)
Currently in the UK, fewer than one in 100 women will develop cervical cancer in their lifetime.
Research predicts that someone who has not had the HPV vaccine and never had a cervical screening would have a lifetime risk of about 2 in 100.
Cervical cancer deaths in Britain fell by 75 percent between 1971/73 and 2017/2019, adjusting for the changing age of the population.
Since the early 1990s, the incidence of cervical cancer among women in Britain has fallen by 25 percent.
The incidence of cervical cancer in Britain is highest in women aged 30 to 34 and the number of deaths is highest in women aged over 90.
The leading cause of cervical cancer is a virus called high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV).
About 51 percent of patients diagnosed with cervical cancer survive ten years or more.
Cervical screening samples are examined for high-risk HPV. If the virus is found, the sample is reexamined for cell changes.
If no cell changes occur, the woman will be invited back for cervical cancer screening within a year to ensure that the HPV has disappeared.
If high-risk HPV and cell changes are found, women are invited for a colposcopy, which uses a microscope to view the cervix in more detail.