Cervical cancer is a disease in which abnormal cells grow in the cervix. The cervix is the opening to your womb from your vagina. The cells grow in an uncontrolled way, eventually forming a growth or tumour. In most cases, it takes 10 to 15 years for these cells to go from normal to abnormal to cancer.
Human papillomavirus (HPV) is almost always the cause of cervical cancer. HPV infections usually go away on their own. When they don’t, they can cause cervical cancer. This is why vaccines against the virus are an important part of cervical cancer prevention strategies.
