Cervical cancer is a malignant tumor that begins in the lower part of the uterus, which is the part that connects to the vagina.
This type of cancer is almost always caused by infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV). Before cancer develops, the cells of the cervix undergo changes (dysplasia) until they become malignant in the cervical tissue. It can take 10 to 15 years from the time of infection until cancer develops. Over time, these cells multiply and spread to the deeper areas of the cervix and to the areas around it.
Its prevention is possible through the HPV vaccine or early detection, through free screenings that are carried out at the Primary Care Sexual and Reproductive Health Services (ASSIR). From the age of 25 to 65, any woman who has started having sex can access cervical cancer screening. The test is quick, simple and painless, but it differs depending on age.
In women between 25 and 29 years old, a sample is taken that serves to perform a cytology and study the cells of the cervix to detect if there are lesions. If it is negative, the test is repeated after three years. In women over 30 years old, a sample is taken that serves to detect the presence of the human papillomavirus, even before lesions appear in the cells of the cervix. If the virus is not detected, the test is repeated after five years, and if it is detected, the cytological study is performed on the same sample.
The cytopathology unit of the Pathological Anatomy service of Parc Taulí is responsible for receiving samples from the ASSIRs in the area of Sabadell, Cerdanyola, Ripollet, Terrassa and the Hospital Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa and the Hospital Mútua Terrassa.
"With the implementation of the new screening program established by the Catalan Health Service, Parc Taulí has become the reference hospital for analyzing tests in the Vallès Occidental.”, explains Dr. M. Rosa Escoda.
Worldwide, this cancer is the fourth most common in women. And 80% are diagnosed in developing countries where there are no prevention or vaccination programs and where there are serious problems with HIV infection. In Europe, about 35.000 new cases are diagnosed each year and in the United States, it is estimated that it affects 7 out of every 100.000 women.
"In Catalonia, cervical cancer rates are among the lowest in the world. This has been possible mainly thanks to the implementation of screening programs and, subsequently, the introduction of vaccination for girls and boys at the age of 12, before they begin sexual relations.”, assures Dr. Yolanda Canet, director of the Gynecology and Obstetrics service.
Despite its low incidence, there are women who develop it. Often a late diagnosis is due to not having participated in a screening program and not having been able to diagnose and treat the precursor lesion early. In this case, the treatment varies depending on the stage of the disease. “In the earliest stages, the most used method is surgery and in more advanced tumors, whether due to size or because they affect the vagina, uterus or lymph nodes… the combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy is recommended. In these cases, surgery does not benefit the patients, but chemo-radiotherapy remains a curative treatment. In women with metastatic disease, the treatment seeks to prolong life and reduce the symptoms of the disease, and is based on the combination of chemotherapy and immunotherapy”, explains Dr. Pablo Andreu, deputy head of gynecological tumors in the Oncology service.
During 2025, the Parc Taulí Cytopathology Unit carried out more than 24.000 human papillomavirus detection studies, of which 3.473 were positive and 6.957 cytology tests were carried out within the program. And, at Parc Taulí, 8 cervical cancers were diagnosed.
