This type of common cancer in women is a disease in which cancer cells develop in the tissues of the cervix.

What is the cervix?

The cervix is the lower, narrow part of the uterus (womb) located between the bladder and rectum. It forms a canal that opens into the vagina, which in turn leads to outside the body.

What are precancerous conditions of the cervix?
Precancerous conditions of the cervix are identified as cells that appear abnormal, but at that time are not cancerous. However, the appearance of these abnormal cells could be the first evidence of cancer that develops years later.

Precancerous changes of the cervix usually painless and generally do not cause symptoms. They are detected with a pelvic exam or a Pap test.

Squamous intraepithelial lesions (SIL) is a term that refers to abnormal changes in cells on the surface of the cervix.

Squamous cells are flat cells on the surface (of the cervix). Intraepithelial means that the abnormal cells are present only in the surface layer of cells.

Lesion refers to an area of abnormal tissue.

According to the National Cancer Institute (National Cancer Institute, NCI), changes in these cells can be divided into two categories: low-grade SIL – refers to early changes in the size, shape, and the number of cells that form the surface of the cervix. They may go away by themselves, or can grow over time or become more abnormal, forming a high-grade lesion.

These low grade precancerous lesions can be called mild dysplasia or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 1 (CIN 1). These early changes may occur more often in women between 25 and 35 years of age but can occur at any time. High-grade SIL – means there are a number of precancerous cells and, as well as low-grade SIL, these precancerous changes involve only cells on the surface of the cervix. The cells often do not become cancerous for many months, perhaps years.