Key cervical cancer symptoms as disease ‘to be wiped out in England by end of next decade’

Unusual vaginal bleeding between periods or after menopause among main symptoms

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Cervical cancer will be eliminated in England by 2040, the head of the NHS has pledged today.

The combination of giving a vaccine in schools and cervical screenings means the disease is on track to be eradicated, Amanda Pritchard will tell the NHS Providers’ conference in Liverpool.

Around 2,700 women are diagnosed with cervical cancer in England each year and around 850 die, according to Cancer Research UK.

Here, we take a look at the disease and what the key symptoms are to watch out for:

What is cervical cancer?

Cervical cancer is a cancer that’s found anywhere in the cervix.

Abnormal cells in the lining of the cervix grow uncontrollably and eventually form a growth (tumour).

If not caught early, cancer cells gradually grow into the surrounding tissues and may spread to other body areas.

It mostly affects women under the age of 45.

Trans men and non-binary people assigned female at birth can also develop cervical cancer. This can happen when they haven’t had an operation to remove their womb and cervix (total hysterectomy).

Pain in your lower tummy is among the symptoms (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

What causes cervical cancer?

The main cause of cervical cancer is long lasting (persistent) infection of certain types of the human papillomavirus (HPV).

Human papillomavirus (HPV) refers to a group of viruses which can be transmitted through sexual contact and cause no symptoms.

Around 13 high-risk types of HPV are known to cause 99.7 per cent of cervical cancers.

In most people, the immune system clears the infection without any problems.

What are the main symptoms?

Symptoms of cervical cancer include:

• Vaginal bleeding that’s unusual for you – including bleeding during or after sex, between your periods or after the menopause, or having heavier periods than usual
• Changes to your vaginal discharge
• Pain during sex
• Pain in your lower back, between your hip bones (pelvis), or in your lower tummy

If you have another condition like fibroids or endometriosis, you may get symptoms like these regularly.

You might find you get used to them. But it’s important to be checked by a GP if your symptoms change, get worse, or do not feel normal for you.

What is a cervical screening (a smear test)?

The NHS says cervical cancer can often be prevented by attending cervical screening, which aims to find and treat changes to cells before they turn into cancer.

Smear tests are free and take less than five minutes to complete.

During a smear test, a nurse or doctor inserts a speculum (a tube-shaped tool) into the patient’s vagina. The nurse will open the speculum so they can view the cervix and take a small sample of its cells.