This article originally appeared in the October 1996 FDA Consumer . The version below is from a reprint of the original article and contains revisions made in September 1997.
Early detection means everything with cervical cancer.
There are no early-warning symptoms or physical changes that a woman can detect. The only defense is an accurate Pap test. The Food and Drug Administration has recently approved three new automated systems that show promise of substantially improving the accuracy of Pap tests. Unlike many cancers that cause pain, noticeable lumps, or other early symptoms, cervical cancer has no telltale symptoms until it is so advanced that it is usually unresponsive to treatment. Symptoms may even be absent at that point, although they often include abnormal vaginal bleeding, such as following intercourse or douching, between menstrual periods, or after menopause.