Effective screening and follow-up could provide significant prevention and early diagnosis of cervical cancer. This will contribute to better survival. Early diagnosis allows detection of the disease at an early stage and provides a survival rate of nearly 92%. Recent studies have shown that advanced cervical cancer is more common in older patients than in younger patients. This is an indication of decreased survival and poorer prognosis, which further deteriorates with advancing age. If the cancer is diagnosed after it has already spread to surrounding tissues, organs and lymph nodes, the 5-year survival rate after diagnosis is about 59%. This is shown by the data of the National Cancer Institute. However, the results of the study highlight a significant decrease in survival in patients over 65 years of age. In them, survival was 23.2-36.8%, in contrast to that in patients under the age of 65 – 41.5-51.5% survival. Almost all types of cervical cancer are caused by the human papilloma virus – HPV, which is characterized by a wide distribution. The virus is transmitted through vaginal, anal and oral sex, as well as through direct contact with the vagina. Over 200 types of HPV have been classified. Some of them are low-risk variants that cause the appearance of warts. Another 14 variants of the virus are defined as high-risk because they can cause the development of cancer. Tumors that develop with infection with these high-risk variants can develop both in the cervix and in the vagina, penis, anus, and floor of the pharynx. In the majority of cases, the immune system can eliminate the infection naturally, but in some cases, the body’s ability to cope decreases with time. Sometimes the HPV infection lasts for several years. Precancers can turn into tumors over a period of 10-15 years if the body fails to deal with the virus, which leads to significant changes in the cells of the cervix – they turn into cancer cells. Observations have shown that although the majority of cases of cervical cancer are found in patients over the age of 65, these tumors are rarely seen in those who have had regular follow-up. This is because of the need for at least 10 years for malignant transformation of HPV-infected cells, but also because of the increased frequency of diagnosis of this type of cancer at an advanced stage in this age group of patients. The therapeutic approach for the disease usually involves a combination of chemotherapy and radiation therapy. In some cases, brachytherapy may also be used. Difficulties in treating advanced stage cervical cancer are many, especially in elderly patients. In them, accompanying diseases such as diabetes and hypertension are more often observed,which may affect kidney function and make treatment more difficult. Symptoms of early-stage cervical cancer include: Vaginal bleeding after intercourse; Bleeding between periods or after menopause; Pelvic pain; Pain during intercourse; The symptoms of cancer in an advanced stage are the following: Painful peristalsis; Bleeding from the rectum during intestinal passage; Difficult or painful urination; Severe back pain. Risk factors can be: Family history of dysplastic processes – growth and development of changed cells in the cervix or vagina; Family history of cervical cancer; Smoking; Infections, for example with Chlamydia trachomatis. References: https://aacrjournals.org/cebp/article-abstract/32/1/91/712614/Cervical-Cancer-Stage-at-Diagnosis-and-Survival?redirectedFrom=fulltext