Cervical Cancer Causes & Risk Factors

Conditions & Diseases: Cancers

Cervical Cancer

Causes and Risk Factors

Unfortunately, medical researchers are not able to identify what causes cervical cancer. However, there are a number of factors that increase the risk for cervical cancer. These risk factors include:

Infections with different viruses:

Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most important risk for cervical cancer. Human papillomavirus is one of the most common sexually transmitted diseases and can be caused by the infection with one of the 100 viruses included in the HPV group. These viruses are responsible for causing precancerous changing in the cervical cells. More recent studies suggest that the DNA of the virus has been found in 99.7 percent of all cervical cancers. The most high risk viruses are: HPV 16, HPV 18, HPV 31, HPV 33, and HPV 45. However, two-thirds of cervical cancers are caused by the HPV 16 and 18.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV): HIV is the virus that causes AIDS by damaging the body’s immune system. A damaged immune system in women can increase the risk for getting infected with HPV (human papillomavirus) that can lead to precancerous changes within the cervix cells.
Chlamydia: This is a common bacteria that causes a common vaginal infection. Usually a person gets chlamydia during sexual contact. The infection caused by Chlamydia can increase the risk for developing cervical cancer.

Smoking: Smoking seems to be another factor that can increase the risk for cervical cancer. Studies have suggested that women that smoke are twice as vulnerable to develop cervical cancer than non-smoking women.

Deficient diet: Studies suggest that a diet low in fruits and vegetables can increase the risk for cervical cancer.

Obesity: Overweight women are more likely to develop cervical cancer.

The use of oral contraceptives: Studies have proven that long-term use of oral contraceptives (for 5 or more years) increases the risk for cervical cancers.

Multiple pregnancies: An increased number of studies have proven that too many full-time pregnancies increase the risk for cervical cancer.

Treatment with diethylstilbestrol (DES): Diethylstilbestrol is a drug commonly used between 1940 and 1971 in women thought to be at high risk of miscarriages. Studies suggest that one of every 1,000 women born by a mother that took DES develops clear-cell adenocarcinoma of the vagina or cervix.

Family history of cervical cancer: The risk for a woman, that comes from a family where either the mother or sister had suffered from cervical cancer, is 2 to 3 times higher to develop cercival cancer.

Age: Cervical cancer tends to develop in midlife, but there are rare cases when this type of cancer occurs in young girls. Half of the women diagnosed with cervical cancer are between the age of 35 and 55. However, the risk for developing cervical cancer is still present in women older than 55. Around 20 percent of those diagnosed with cervical cancer are older than 65.

Race: Hispanic and African American women are at higher risk for developing cervical cancer than white women.

Low socioeconomic status: Women with a low social status are at higher risk to develop cervical cancer due to the lack of access to proper health care services.

Article by Alina Morrow, MS
Medical Writer
OmniMedicalSearch.com