As the second most common cancer in women after breast cancer, cervical cancer is obviously not uncommon.
Especially in recent years, with the continuous popularization of medical knowledge, more and more people know that cervical cancer ---- is mainly related to a virus called HPV (human papillomavirus).
According to the data, 90% of cervical cancer patients are caused by HPV infection.
Therefore, hpvic infection means that the risk of cervical cancer is higher.
Does a positive hpv test mean cervical cancer?
HPV positive is indeed related to the occurrence of cervical cancer, does not mean that infection with HPV, must be suffering from cervical cancer.
According to statistics, most people have been infected with HPV, and about 80% of American adults will be infected with HPV at least once in their lifetime. And the body infected with HPV, even if nothing is done, most of them are automatically cleared by the human immune system within 1-2.
Therefore, in most cases, HPV-positive does not cause cervical cancer.
However, if the same subtype of HPV infection is more than 2 years old, vigilance is required.
HPV infection with cervical cancer often takes only 3 steps
The first step is cervical intraepithelial neoplasia
In patients with HPV infection, the cervix suffers from damage from the virus, which affects normal cervical function and triggers abnormal growth of cervical cells.
If effective treatment is not taken, cervical hyperplasia is further aggravated, leading to cervical intraepithelial neoplasia, a process with a shorter course and can be completed in 6-18 months.
The second step is cervical carcinoma in situ
Cervical intraepithelial tumors caused by HPV infection continue to worsen, triggering cervical carcinoma in situ.
At this time, the diseased cells almost occupy the cervical epithelial cell tissue, and the nucleus appears abnormally enlarged, the karyotype is irregular, the cells are crowded, and the proportion of nucleoplasm increases. This stage is already in the stage of cancer, but it belongs to the early stages of cervical cancer and can be cured.
Step 3: Cervical cancer
If the patient misses treatment in the stage of cervical carcinoma in situ, the condition further deteriorates, and the cells continue to grow abnormally, resulting in the emergence of cervical cancer and the difficulty of treatment is further increased.
If there are high-risk HPV patients, how to prevent cancer?
Usually, it takes 10-12 years from HPV infection to cervical cancer, and we need to do these things during this time:
1. Enhance immunity
Body immunity is an important line of defense for the human body, and if there is a problem with this line of defense, various diseases will appear.
After being infected with the HPV virus, if the body's immunity is strong, it can quickly clear the virus and stay away from cervical cancer, and the main ways to enhance immunity are to eat a balanced diet and exercise more.
2. Avoid cross-infection
HPV is contagious, many women suffer from HPV is caused by heterosexual infection, so patients should pay attention to sexual hygiene in daily life, pay attention to bathing before and after intercourse, change underwear and underwear in time, replace the underwear and put in the sun after cleaning to sterilize in the sun to prevent cross infection.
3. Pay attention to cervical health screening
Women with a special reproductive system are susceptible to damage from external pathogens, and married women after the age of 30 should also be screened regularly for cervical screening.
4. Quit smoking and alcohol, and don't stay up late
Tobacco has many carcinogens, the human body will increase the incidence of cervical cancer after smoking, and alcohol will cause irritation to human tissues and organs, which will affect cervical health over time.
In addition, staying up late will affect the body's metabolism, reduce the body's resistance, and give HPV cancer an opportunity.
All in all, infection with HPV, although more open than non-infection can develop cervical cancer, but not as long as HPV is positive, it is necessary to suffer from cervical cancer.
Therefore, if you really feel worried, go to a regular hospital, follow the doctor's advice, and review it regularly.