The "dysfunctional uterine bleeding" that was treated for two years turned out to be cervical cancer

"I have dysfunctional uterine bleeding, don't I? How come it has turned into cervical cancer now?" Ms. Xiao, 34, who lives in Yiyang, had been treated for "dysfunctional uterine bleeding" in a local hospital for a year and a half because of increased menstrual flow, but it was ineffective. Later, she heard that a certain hospital was holding a public welfare activity called "2010 Red Ribbon Women's Health Project, Celebrating August 1st Health Gift and Giving Back to Hunan", so she went to the hospital for a check-up the day before the activity ended. The results of the examination surprised Ms. Xiao. She didn't expect that the disease that had been treated as "dysfunctional uterine bleeding" was actually diagnosed as cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

Yesterday, in the hospital's obstetrics and gynecology ward, Ms. Xiao, who had just received treatment, was still in a state of fear. Zhang Jiong, an obstetrics and gynecology expert at the hospital, said that due to timely screening and diagnosis, patients can now avoid the spread of cancer cells through standardized treatment and surgical removal of lesions. Zhang Jiong reminded that women with irregular vaginal bleeding must pay great attention and go to a regular large hospital for diagnosis in a timely manner, so as not to miss the best time for treatment.

Vaginal bleeding is abnormal and requires prompt medical attention

It is understood that Ms. Xiao began to have excessive menstrual flow two years ago. The first one or two times, she thought it was caused by overwork, but it lasted for more than half a year and there was no improvement. She went to the local hospital for a check-up. B-ultrasound found obvious thickening of the endometrium. The doctor diagnosed it as functional uterine bleeding and started treatment. However, after two years of intermittent treatment, the condition did not improve. At the same time, Ms. Xiao's menstrual period began to have an increasingly strong odor, and she occasionally had bleeding during sex.

On August 30 this year, Ms. Xiao came to Changsha and found Zhang Jiong, a gynecologist at the hospital. After listening to Ms. Xiao's description of her condition, Zhang Jiong conducted a careful and detailed examination for Ms. Xiao. The examination found that the patient's cervix had enlarged to the size of an egg, with erosion and contact bleeding. Part of the tissue was removed for pathological examination and the final diagnosis was: cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

Zhang Jiong, an expert in obstetrics and gynecology at the hospital, said that vaginal bleeding between two menstrual periods after the menstrual period is over may be physiological or pathological. The most common physiological bleeding is vaginal bleeding during ovulation, which is generally characterized by mild lower abdominal pain and discomfort during a small amount of bleeding. For pathological bleeding, it is necessary to consider whether you have cervical erosion, uterine polyps or cervical cancer. The most special feature is bleeding after sexual intercourse, which is caused by the contact and friction of the sexual organs, causing damage and congestion of the lesion site and blood exudation. Therefore, if female friends have abnormal vaginal bleeding, no matter how much bleeding is and how long or short it lasts, they should not take it lightly. Do not mistake it for menstrual disorders and give up going to the hospital for examination. You must go to a regular medical institution in time to check for possible malignant diseases such as cervical malignancy.

Regular HPV testing can prevent and treat cervical cancer

How to find the early signs of cervical cancer in time? Zhang Jiong said that at present, the new cervical cancer screening program that is more commonly used in clinical practice is the HPV+TCT combined test. The HPV test is a direct test for the cause of the disease. This test can screen out women who have already suffered from cervical cancer or precancerous lesions, as well as those who have potential risks of developing the disease. It is more sensitive and effective than the traditional cell smear test. Therefore, female friends should do HPV tests regularly.

Zhang Jiong said that cervical cancer prevention examination is only a preliminary screening for cervical lesions, which can only determine whether it is "normal" or "abnormal". If inflammation, erosion, epithelial cell hyperplasia, cervical precancerous lesions and cervical cancer are found, further examination is needed to confirm the diagnosis, such as cervical tissue biopsy under colposcopy and sending it for pathological examination to clarify the final diagnosis. If necessary, HPV (human papillomavirus) testing is also required. This is the gold standard for the diagnosis of cervical diseases - the three-step diagnostic technology, namely cervical cytology + electronic colposcopy + cervical biopsy under colposcopy.

Precancerous lesions do not equal cancer, regular physical examinations are the key

Many patients believe that precancerous lesions are cancer, which causes a serious psychological burden. Zhang Jiong pointed out that it takes about 5-10 years for precancerous lesions to develop into cancer. If precancerous lesions are detected during this period, it is entirely possible to block the further development of the disease through active examination and treatment, and there is even hope for complete recovery. Zhang Jiong suggested that patients with mild to moderate atypical hyperplasia should undergo cervical cytology examination and HPV monitoring every six months to monitor the progression of the disease and recurrence after treatment.