This cancer forms in tissues of the cervix (the organ connecting the uterus and vagina). It is usually a slow-growing cancer that may not have symptoms but can be found with regular Pap tests (a procedure in which cells are scraped from the cervix and looked at under a microscope). Cervical cancer is almost always caused by human papillomavirus (HPV) infection.

 

SEER Cancer Stat Facts: Cervix Uteri Cancer. National Cancer Institute. Bethesda, MD, http://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/cervix.html