1. The patient was initially diagnosed with epidermoid (squamous) cell carcinoma. The initial diagnosis was performed under colposcopy, a procedure in which the doctor uses colposcope to closely examine the cervix, the vagina, and the vulva for signs of diseases. In this patient’s case, the doctor examined the cervix under colposcopy and found a large growth on the surface of the cervix. The cervix is lined with squamous cells, therefore it was initially diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma. When surgical biopsy of the lesion was done, microscopic studies revealed high grade adenocarcinoma with atypical Atypical pneumonianeoplastic cells, marked by a proliferation of glandular tissues. Adenocarcinomas are carcinomas that develop from glandular cells which produce mucus in the endocervix. This type of cancer is found in the cells deeper into the tissues rather than just the lining of the cervix.

2. Papanicolaou test (Pap Smear) was introduced in the 1940’s as a screening test for cervical cancers. Pap Smear is a simple test in which a sample of cervical cells is examined under a microscope to detect cellular abnormalities

3. A karyotype is an organized profile of a person's chromosomes.

4. Two chromosomes specify gender — XX for female and XY for male. The rest are arranged in pairs, numbered 1 through 22, from largest to smallest. This arrangement helps scientists quickly identify chromosomal alterations that may result in a genetic disorder.

5. HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection (STI). There are many different types of HPV. Some types can cause health problems including genital warts and cancers. But there are vaccines that can stop these health problems from happening. Certain HPV types are classified as "high-risk" because they lead to abnormal cell changes and can cause genital cancers: cervical cancers, well as cancer of the vulva, anus, and penis.

6. Integration into the host-cell genome is a critical step in the retrovirus life cycle. In particular, the choice of the integration site is crucial for retroviral replication, since integration at a site incompatible for high-level transcription may impair production of the progeny virus.

7. More than 120 HPV types have been identified; they are differentiated by the genetic sequence of the outer capsid protein L1. About 40 types infect the mucosal epithelium; these are categorized according to their epidemiologic association with cervical cancer. Infection with low-risk, or nononcogenic types, such as types 6 and 11, can cause benign or low-grade cervical cell abnormalities, genital warts and laryngeal papillomas. High-risk, or oncogenic, HPV types act as carcinogens in the development of cervical cancer and other anogenital cancers. High-risk types (currently including types 16 and 18, among others) can cause low-grade cervical cell abnormalities, high-grade cervical cell abnormalities that are precursors to cancer, and anogenital cancers. High-risk HPV types are detected in 99% of cervical cancers. Type 16 is the cause of approximately 50% of cervical cancers worldwide, and types 16 and 18 together account for about 70% of cervical cancers.

8. Telomerase, also called telomere terminal transferase, is an enzyme made of protein and RNA subunits that elongates chromosomes by adding TTAGGG sequences to the end of existing chromosomes. Telomerase is found in fetal tissues, adult germ cells, and also tumor cells.

9. If telomerase is activated in a cell, the cell will continue to grow and divide. This "immortal cell" theory is important in two areas of research: aging and cancer. If telomerase activity was to be turned off, then telomeres in cancer cells would shorten, just like they do in normal body cells. This would prevent the cancer cells from dividing uncontrollably in their early stages of development. In the event that a tumor has already thoroughly developed, it may be removed and anti-telomerase therapy could be administered to prevent relapse. In essence, preventing telomerase from performing its function would change cancer cells from "immortal" to "mortal."