Cervical cancer is a cancer that starts from the cervix. It occurs due to the abnormal growth of cells in the cervix that have the ability to invade or spread to other parts of the body. It affects the entrance to the uterus.

Anatomically, female's internal reproductive organs are the vagina, uterus, fallopian tubes, cervix, and ovary. The main external structures of the female reproductive system include labia majora, labia minora, clitoris, Bartholin's glands. Cervical cancer is the cancer of cervix.

A biopsy is a medical test commonly performed to extract a sample of cells or tissues for examination to determine the presence or extent of the cancer. It is the only conclusive test for diagnosing and determining extent of cancer.

Photomicrograph of cancer cells in a biopsy from a female patient with abnormal bleeding.

The picture shows transformation zone of the cervix. Most cervical cancers start from here.

Pap smear test is commonly doen to detect cancerous cells in the women reproductive organs such as for endomterial cancer, uterine cancer and cervical cancer.

Uterine cervix is ther lowest region of the uterus. It attaches the uterus to the vagina and provides a passage between the vaginal cavity and the uterine cavity. The cervix is about 4 centimetres (1.6 inches) long, and extends about 2 centimetres into the upper vaginal cavity.

HPV virus is the most common cause of cervical cancer. The graphic shows life cycle of HPV in the human epithelium. Human papillomavirus infection which causes warts and cervical cancer (carcinoma of Cervix or malignant neoplasm) arises from the HPV infected epithelial cells.

A Pap smear, also called a Pap test, is a screening procedure for cervical cancer. It looks for the presence of precancerous or cancerous cells on the cervix. The image shows microscopic view of the abnormal cells.

The image shows malignant neoplasm arising from cells in the cervix.

In Stage IA, the cancer is diagnosed only by viewing cervical cells under a microscope. No lymph nodes are involved at this stage. In Stage IB, the doctor can see the lesion, and the cancer is found only in the cervix. In later stages, it spreads beyond the original site.

In the beginning, the cancer is diagnosed only by viewing cervical cells under a microscope. Lymph nodes are not involved at this stage. In Stage IB, the doctor can see the cancerous cells, but the cancer is found only in the cervix. In later stages, it spreads beyond the original site.

Causes and risk factors for cervical cancer include human papillomavirus (HPV) infection, having multiple sexual partners, smoking, use of birth control pills, early full-term pregnancies, chalamydia infection etc.

Get the facts quickly with this infographic on cervical cancer symptoms, treatment, stages, and causes (HPV or human papillomavirus).

Cervical cancer is the easiest gynecologic cancer to prevent, with regular screening tests and follow-up. Two screening tests are generally used for this purpose. One of them is the Pap test (or Pap smear) which looks for precancers, cancerous cells.