What is Cervical Cancer?
Cervical cancer is a disease that affects the cervix of the female reproductive system. The cervix is the lower end of the uterus, and leads the uterus to the vagina. In Indonesia, incidence of cervical cancer is still the highest among female neoplasm, followed by breast cancer.

Symptoms
Early cervical cancer may not cause noticeable signs or symptoms. In the late stage, symptoms may include pelvic pain, bleeding, unusual vaginal discharge and pain during intercourse Women should have yearly check-ups, including a Pap smear to check for abnormal cells in the cervix. The chance of recovery is better when cervical cancer is found early.

Risk Factors
Risk factor include giving birth to many children, having many sexual partners, having first sexual intercourse at a young age, smoking cigarettes, and oral contraceptive use. The main risk factor based on evidence based medicine is Human Papiloma Virus (HPV) infection.

Treatment
Depending on the stage, treatment for cervical cancer can include surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. The type of treatment used varies, depending on stage and type of cervical cancer.

Prevention
Prevention begins with avoiding the above risk factors. Women should also have regular Pap smears to check for any abnormal cervical changes that may lead to cervical cancer. The HPV vaccine, Gardasil, is a highly effective means of cervical cancer prevention. It works by preventing two types of HPV that are known to cause at least 70% of cervical cancer cases.