Intrauterine device and cervical cancer

Brahmana Askandar Tjokroprawiro (Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Dr. Soetomo General Academic Hospital, Medical Faculty, Universitas Airlangga, Surabaya)

Majalah Obstetri dan Ginekologi
Vol. 28 No. 3 (2020): December

From normal epithelial cells to invasive cervical cancer take a long time. It needs a step-by-step process. Normal cervical cells may be infected with the high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV). The infection may persist or be cleared. The HPV persistence may change normal cells to invasive cancer. Recent findings showed that the intrauterine device (IUD) might have a protective effect on cervical cancer. Inflammation in the cervix induces the immune response that may alter normal cells' progression to cervical cancer. This article will explain the change from normal cells to invasive cervical cancer, the role of the IUD in cervical cancer prevention.