Anatomy of the cervix

Anatomy of the cervix
• Cervical cancer starts in the cervix
• The cervix is lined with a layer of cells called epithelial cells, which are found throughout the body
• It is called cervical pre-cancer (dysplasia) when cell changes first appear, and it is critical to detect changes at
this stage when progression to cervical cancer can be prevented
• There are two types of cervical cancer1:
-S
quamous cell carcinomas begin in epithelial cells and account for about 80%–90% of all cervical cancers
-A
denocarcinomas begin in glandular tissue and account for 10%–20% of all cervical cancers
HPV Infection and Progression*
New infectious HPV
HPV
uterus
Viral
assembly
Maturation of
Integrated
viral DNA
Healthy
cervical tissue
hrHPV
infection
CIN1
Low-grade dysplasia
CIN2
CIN3
Carcinoma
High-grade dysplasia
• It can take 10–15 years for cervical cells to change
to abnormal cells and then into cervical cancer2
• Not all women who have HPV (or mild/moderate
dysplasia) will develop cervical cancer
glandular region
References:
1. American Cancer Society. Cervical cancer: what is cervical cancer? American Cancer Society Web site. http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cervicalcancer/
detailedguide/cervical-cancer-what-is-cervical-cancer. Updated March 14, 2012. Accessed December 2, 2012. 2. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Sexually transmitted diseases (STDs): making sense of your Pap and HPV test results. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Web site. http://www.cdc.gov/std/
hpv/pap/default.htm. Reviewed January 5, 2012. Updated July 25, 2012. Accessed December 2, 2012. *Adapted from: Woodman CB, Collins SI, Young LS. The
natural history of cervical HPV infection: unresolved issues. Nat Rev Cancer. 2007;7(1):11-22. doi:10.1038/nrc2050.
flat squamous cells
vagina
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