Health: Cervical cancer, a common problem

The cervix is the lower part of the uterus (womb). It is sometimes called the uterine cervix. The body (upper part) of the uterus is where a foetus grows. The cervix connects the body of the uterus to the vagina (birth canal). The part of the cervix closest to the body of the uterus is called the endocervix. The part next to the vagina is the exocervix. The place where these two parts meet is called the transformation zone. Most cervical cancers start in the transformation zone.