This is how cancer of the cervix can spread to other parts of the body, such as nearby lymph nodes, the rectum, the bladder, the bones of the spine, and the lungs. The spread of cancer is called metastasis. Cancer of the cervix also may be called cervical cancer. Like most cancers, it is named for the part of the body in which it begins. Cancers of the cervix also are named for the type of cell in which they begin.
Most cervical cancers are squamous cell carcinomas.
Squamous cells are thin, flat cells that form the surface of the cervix. For example, if the cervical cancer spreads to the bone, the cancer cells in the bones are cervical cancer cells. Pre-cancerous Conditions and Cancer of the Cervix Cells on the surface of the cervix sometimes appear abnormal but not cancerous. Scientist believe that some abnormal changes in cells on the cervix are the first step in a series of slow changes that can lead to cancer years later. That is, some abnormal changes are pre-cancerous, they may become cancerous with time.