Cervical Cancer

Cancer of the Cervix

For the past quarter we have studied Nuclear Chemistry and focused on topics like Radiation, Half Lives of substances, Fission & Fusion, Radioactive Decay of a substance etc. These themes took us day by day until we got closer to our assignment which was to use the knowledge we obtained to figure out a procedure that would better help a specific cancer patient. Cervical Cancer is only found in women and diagnoses over 11,000 a year. When receiving news that you or a family member has cancer, people’s worlds darken with fear of losing a loved one but those who fight sometimes make it through.

The cervix is a part of the female reproductive system; this system has several functions. It produces female egg cells that are needed for reproduction (called the ova) and transports them to the site of fertilization. Once there, conception occurs when the egg is fertilized by the sperm in the fallopian tubes from a male during intercourse. The female’s uterus offers a safe and favorable place for a baby to develop and grow. The system is also designed to menstruate, the monthly shedding of the uterine lining, if fertilization doesn’t take place. Female sex hormones are also produced by the reproductive system to maintain the reproductive cycle.

Structurally, the reproductive system is split into two categories; internal and external. The external structures allow for both the sperm cells to enter the body and to protect the internal genital organs from infectious organisms. It includes the Labia majora, labia minora, Bartholin’s glands, and the Clitoris. The Labia Majora translate into “Large lips” and they protect the other external organs. After puberty, a female’s labia majora are covered with hair. Labia Minora are the “small lips” and they lie right inside the labia majora surrounding the openings to the vagina. They are very small in fact, maybe up to two inches wide. Where the Labia Minora meet is called the Clitoris which is small,... [continues]

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