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More treatment options for cervical cancer

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Surgery

An operation to remove the cervix and uterus (hysterectomy) is a common treatment. If the cancer is at an early stage and has not spread then surgery alone can be curative. In some cases where the cancer is at a very early stage, it may be possible to just remove the part of the cervix affected by the cancer without removing the entire uterus.

If the cancer has spread to other parts of the body, surgery may still be advised, often in addition to other treatments. For example, in some cases where the cancer has spread to other nearby structures, extensive surgery may be an option. This may be to remove not only the cervix and uterus but also nearby structures which may have become affected such as the bladder and/or rectum.

Even if the cancer is advanced and a cure is not possible, some surgical techniques may still have a place to ease symptoms. For example, to relieve a blockage of the bowel or urinary tract which has been caused by the spread of the cancer.

Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy is a treatment which uses high energy beams of radiation which are focussed on cancerous tissue. This kills cancer cells, or stops cancer cells from multiplying. (There is a separate leaflet which gives more details about radiotherapy.) Radiotherapy alone can be curative for early stage cervical cancer and may be an alternative to surgery. For more advanced cancers radiotherapy may be advised in addition to other treatments.

Two types of radiotherapy are used for cervical cancer, external and internal. In many cases both types are used.

External radiotherapy. This is where radiation is targeted on the cancer from a machine. (This is the common type of radiotherapy which is used for many types of cancer.)
Internal radiotherapy (brachytherapy). This treatment involves placing a small radioactive implant next to the cancerous tumour for a short time and then it is removed. (It is put in position via the vagina.)

Even if the cancer is advanced and a cure is not possible, radiotherapy may still have a place to ease symptoms. For example, radiotherapy may be used to shrink secondary tumours which have developed in other parts of the body and are causing pain.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a treatment of cancer by using anti-cancer drugs which kill cancer cells, or stop them from multiplying. Chemotherapy may be given in addition to radiotherapy or surgery in certain situations.