Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is the third most common gynecologic cancer in the United States. Persistent infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV) drives development of cervical cancer from precancerous lesions. The most common presenting symptom of cervical cancer is painless vaginal bleeding, although many women are asymptomatic. The diagnosis of cervical cancer is made based on biopsy and pathologic confirmation. Cervical cancer is clinically staged and management varies depending on stage of disease. Due to the advent of the Pap test for screening and HPV vaccination for prevention, this disease is relatively uncommon in the United States.