Treatment of Cervical Cancer
Treatment of cervical cancer depends on the stage of the disease, the patient’s age, overall health, and future fertility desires. The goal of this treatment is to eliminate the cancer while preserving as much normal function as possible. Modern approaches often involve a combination of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy.
1. Early-Stage Treatment
For very early stages (such as CIN3 or Stage 0), treatment may involve removing just the affected tissue:
- LEEP (Loop Electrosurgical Excision Procedure)
- Cold knife conisation
- Laser ablation
These procedures remove precancerous or very early cancerous cells without removing the uterus.
2. Surgery | Treatment of Cervical Cancer
If the cancer is slightly more advanced but still confined to the cervix:
- Hysterectomy: Removal of the uterus and cervix. It may be total or radical (removing nearby tissues and part of the vagina)
- Trachelectomy: Removal of the cervix but not the uterus — an option for younger women who wish to preserve fertility
3. Radiation Therapy
Used for more advanced stages or when surgery isn’t suitable. It can be:
- External beam radiation therapy (EBRT)
- Internal radiation (brachytherapy)
Radiation is often combined with chemotherapy to increase effectiveness.
4. Chemotherapy | Treatment of Cervical Cancer
Chemo drugs like cisplatin may be used:
- Alongside radiation (chemoradiation)
- To treat cancer that has spread
- As palliative care to ease symptoms
5. Targeted Therapy and Immunotherapy
For advanced or recurrent cervical cancer, newer treatments like bevacizumab (targeting tumour blood supply) and immunotherapies (e.g., pembrolizumab) are showing promise.
6. Supportive Care
Nutrition, pain management, emotional counselling, and physiotherapy form a vital part of recovery. Gynaecological cancer care teams often include psychologists and social workers to support patients through treatment.
Treatment of cervical cancer can be curative in most early-stage cases. With access to quality care and regular follow-up, long-term survival is increasingly common, even in more advanced diagnoses.
[Next: Complications and Recovery from Cervical Cancer →]
