The majority of the cancers of the cervix arise from the lining covering (epithelium) of the neck of the womb and are squamous carcinomas (85-90%ofall cases). The pathologist will microscopically grade these into those that most nearly adhere to the features of the normal squamous epithelium (well differentiated = grade 1) to those that look less like the originating epithelium and have a higher mitotic count (cells obviously in the throws of division/multiplication), which are also called anaplastic or grade 3 tumours.
A minority of cases of cancer of the cervix have adenocarcinomas that arise from the glands of the lining of the neck of the womb., and occasionally there are features of both types visible down the microscope (adenosquamous type).
