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Treatment of Cervical Cancer
Surgery is an effective treatment for most cervical cancers. Usually, noninvasive cancers can be easily removed with a scalpel or laser during outpatient surgery. Another option is to destroy the cancer by freezing it. If the cancer has spread locally within the tissue, one of two types of hysterectomy may be required. A simple hysterectomy that removes the uterus and cervix will suffice in some cases, whereas in others a radical hysterectomy is necessary to remove the underlying connective tissue (parametrium) and ligaments along with the upper portion of the vagina. If warranted, either of these surgeries may be done in conjunction with removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries. Surgical removal of the uterus or ovaries results in infertility, and removal of the ovaries causes women immediately to go into menopause. Lymph nodes may also be removed during surgery.
Radiation therapy may also be used in the treatment of cervical cancer, often in conjunction with surgery if the cancer is invasive and has spread beyond the surface of the cervix. External beam radiation resembles traditional X rays in that the radiation is directed from outside the body toward an internal target tissue. Brachytherapy, on the other hand, uses implanted radioactive rods or pellets to focus the radiation on the cancer and greatly reduce side effects. In addition to the side effects normally associated with radiation treatment, pelvic radiation therapy may also cause premature menopause, bladder irritation, or a narrowing of the vagina due to scar tissue buildup.
Chemotherapy is generally used when cervical cancer has spread beyond the uterus. Once a cancer has spread, general or systemic approaches such as chemotherapy are required to seek out and destroy as many cancerous cells as possible.
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