With cervical cancer, the cells in the cervix start to change. The condition can impact the deeper tissues of the cervix and even spread to other body parts, such as the bladder, vagina, lungs, and rectum. There are various stages and risk factors of cervical cancer. Here, we discuss these in detail.

Stages of cervical cancer
Staging cancer helps determine the exact location of the disease and the parts of the body it has reached. Cervical cancer progresses through four stages, as follows:

1. Stage I
At this initial stage, cancer moves from the cervix lining and reaches deeper tissues. However, it is still confined to the uterus and is yet to touch other body parts. Stage I is further divided into smaller phases, such as IA, IA1, IA2, IB, IB1, IB2, and IB3, to give a more comprehensive detail of the disease.

2. Stage II
At this stage, cancer reaches nearby areas of the uterus, such as the tissue found near the cervix or the vagina. But it is still in the pelvic area and is yet to touch other body parts. The smaller groups into which this stage is divided are stage IIA, IIA1, IIA2, and IIB.

3. Stage III
At this stage, the cancer tumor reaches the vagina or even the pelvis wall. The disease also starts having various effects on the body, including kidney swelling and dysfunctional kidneys. At this point, cancer could also affect the lymph nodes in the region. However, it is yet to reach distant body parts. The different groups involved here are IIIA, IIIB, IIIC, IIIC1, and IIIC2

4. Stage IV
This is the last stage where cancer reaches the rectum or bladder. At stage IVA, the disease does not affect other body parts, but, at stage IVB, it affects distant regions.

Risk factors
Understanding the stages and risk factors of cervical cancer is necessary for devising a treatment plan. The various risk factors of the condition are:

1. Exposure to human papillomavirus
Almost all cervical cancer cases are related to the human papillomavirus. This is a group of viruses that can spread through sexual contact. If a person comes into contact with the virus, their body is likely to put up a fight and defeat the virus on its own. However, exposure to the virus can lead to cancer in some cases.

2. Chlamydia
This is a sexually transmitted disease that creates a suitable environment for the human papillomavirus to grow. Unfortunately, chlamydia does not cause any symptoms. Therefore, people who are sexually active with more than one partner should get tested regularly.

3. Smoking
Women who smoke have double the risk of developing cervical cancer than women who do not. Passive smoking can also increase the risk.