What is cervical cancer?

Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that occurs in the cervix. The cervix connects the lower part of a woman’s uterus to her vagina. Cervical cancer was once a leading cause of death among U.S. women. That changed when the Pap smear became widely available. This test allows doctors to find precancerous changes in a woman’s cervix and treat them. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), the mortality rate has declined by 50 percent within the last 40 years.