Cervical Cancer - Introduction

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• With CIN I, there are mild abnormalities that rarely develop into cervical cancer. This condition may progress if untreated but often goes away without treatment.
• In CIN II, the lesions often appear more aggressive under the microscope and may turn into cancer unless treated.
• CIN III is the most aggressive form of dysplasia. If not removed, there is a high chance that it will turn into invasive cancer. CIN III includes carcinoma in situ (CIS). CIS is an early stage of non-invasive cancer -- the cells are confined within the tissue where they grew and have not yet invaded surrounding tissue. CIS is included in the CIN III category of precursor lesions. However since CIS can progress to invasive cancer, this condition should be treated as soon as possible.

Click the icon to see an image of cervical dysplasia.

Invasive Cervical Cancer

The cells of the epithelium rest on a very thin layer called the basement membrane. Invasive cervical cancer occurs when cancer cells in the epithelium cross this membrane and invade the stroma, the underlying supportive tissue of the cervix.

In later stages, the original cancer may spread to areas surrounding the uterus and cervix or near organs such as the bladder or rectum. It may also spread to distant sites in the body by way of the bloodstream or the lymph nodes.

Review Date: 09/01/2006
Reviewed By: Harvey Simon, M.D., Editor-in-Chief, Associate Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School; Physician, Massachusetts General Hospital.