Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that affects the entrance of the uterus. The cervix which is the narrow part of the lower uterus gets affected by this. This lower part is often referred to as the neck of the womb. In the early stages of this disease, it may not even show any symptom. In the later stages, the most common signs and symptoms include abnormal vaginal bleeding, increased vaginal discharge, bleeding after menopause, pain during sex, and pelvic pain. So, take a look at the stages of this disease here and what signs you should watch out for.

Stages
Knowing the stage of cervical cancer is very important as it helps in deciding the kind of treatment needed. The process of staging tells us about how far cancer has developed and whether it has reached or affected any nearby organ or sometimes may be distant organs too. There is basically a 4-stage system used to describe this.

• Stage 0
  In this stage, precancerous cells are present.
• Stage 1
  In this stage, the cancer cells grow and get deeper into tissues of the cervix and possibly into the uterus and also to the nearby lymph nodes.
• Stage 2
  In this stage of cervical cancer, the cancerous cell spreads beyond the cervix and also the uterus but not as far as the walls of the pelvis or lower part of the vagina. It is possible that the nearby lymph nodes may also get affected by this.
• Stage 3
  The cancer cells now grow and are present in the lower part of the vagina and also on the walls of the pelvis. Sometimes, it is possible that it may also block the ureters, tubes that carry urine from the bladder. Lymph nodes may or may not get affected at this stage.
• Stage 4
  In this stage of cervical cancer, the cancerous cells start affecting the bladder or rectum and now grow beyond the pelvis. Lymph nodes may or may not get affected at this stage too. In this stage, cancer spreads to distant organs, which include the liver, bones, lungs and also the lymph nodes.

It is very important to undergo a regular screening process to keep yourself safe from this unwanted and deadly disease.

Signs
The symptoms of cervical cancer discussed here may also have other causes, so it is advisable to consult a specialist and be safe. As said earlier, this disease may not show any signs in the early stages but most common signs to look for are:

• Bleeding in between periods
• Bleeding after intercourse
• Post-menopausal bleeding
• Vaginal discharge that smells
• Vaginal discharge that is tinged with blood
• Pain in the pelvic area

Cervical cancer is actually a result of uncontrolled division and growth of abnormal cells in the cervix. Most of the cells in our body do have a life span and when they die, new cells are produced to replace them, but if abnormal growth continues, then they become cancerous.