Medication
- For surgery to remove precancerous growths, a portion of the cervix is generally enough. ...
- For more locally advanced cervical tumors where surgery can not achieve cure alone, radiation therapy is preferred. ...
- Chemotherapy is a cancer-fighting medication that not only sensitizes the cervical cancer cells to radiation and makes radiation work better. ...
Procedures
Cervical cancer is treated in several ways. It depends on the kind of cervical cancer and how far it has spread. Treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Page last reviewed: December 14, 2021. Content source: Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Therapy
To reduce your risk of cervical cancer:
- Ask your doctor about the HPV vaccine. Receiving a vaccination to prevent HPV infection may reduce your risk of cervical cancer and other HPV -related cancers. ...
- Have routine Pap tests. Pap tests can detect precancerous conditions of the cervix, so they can be monitored or treated in order to prevent cervical cancer. ...
- Practice safe sex. ...
- Don't smoke. ...
Nutrition
VB10.16 is a potentially first-in-class off-the-shelf therapeutic HPV16 cancer vaccine designed to induce strong HPV16 specific T cell responses for the treatment of HPV16-positive cancers.
What is the best treatment for cervical cancer?
What is cervical cancer and how is it treated?
How I cured my cervical cancer?
How to cure cervical cancer?
What is the course of treatment for cervical cancer?
Cervical cancer treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. If your doctor says that you have cervical cancer, ask to be referred to a gynecologic oncologist—a doctor who has been trained to treat cancers of a woman's reproductive system. This doctor will work with you to create a treatment plan.
How long does treatment for cervical cancer last?
As with surgery, the radiation affects cancer cells only in the treated area. Your treatments might be external, internal, or both. External radiation comes from a large machine that aims a beam of radiation at your pelvis. You'll probably get treatments, which take only a few minutes, 5 days a week for 5 to 6 weeks.
Do you need chemo for Stage 1 cervical cancer?
Stage 1 cervical cancer is usually treated with: surgery. combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy (chemoradiotherapy)
What is the next step after being diagnosed with cervical cancer?
If you've been diagnosed with cervical cancer, your doctor will talk to you about cervical cancer treatment options. Depending on the cervical cancer stage and your plans for pregnancy, your treatment plan might include: Surgery to remove a part of your cervix, all of your cervix, or all of your reproductive organs.
Can you live a normal life after cervical cancer?
This is very common if you've had cancer. For other women, the cancer may never go away completely. These women may get regular treatments with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or other therapies to try to control the cancer for as long as possible.
Is cervical cancer easily treatable?
Cervical cancer is often treatable. The treatment you have will depend on: the size and type of cervical cancer you have.
How many radiation sessions are needed for cervical cancer?
During treatment You will probably have 3–4 sessions over 2–4 weeks. You will be given a general or spinal anaesthetic at each brachytherapy session. Applicators are used to deliver the radiation source to the cancer.
How long does it take for cervical cancer to go from Stage 1 to Stage 4?
Cervical cancer develops very slowly. It can take years or even decades for the abnormal changes in the cervix to become invasive cancer cells. Cervical cancer might develop faster in people with weaker immune systems, but it will still likely take at least 5 years.
Can cervical cancer cure without chemo?
Treatment options include radiation therapy with or without chemo to try to slow the growth of the cancer or help relieve symptoms. Most standard chemo regimens include a platinum drug (cisplatin or carboplatin) along with another drug such as paclitaxel (Taxol), gemcitabine (Gemzar), or topotecan.
What foods should you avoid if you have cervical cancer?
Up to 99.7% of cervical cancer cases result from infection with the human papillomavirus (HPV)....Thus, foods to limit or avoid include:foods high in added sugar.processed meats such as deli meat.red meats.foods high in saturated and trans fats.
What happens after treatment for cervical cancer?
Most women feel fine after having treatment for abnormal cervical cells but some may feel unwell and need to go home and rest. You can go home the same day you have treatment, unless you've had a hysterectomy or a cone biopsy. But you shouldn't plan to do anything else that day.
What are the symptoms of Stage 1 cervical cancer?
Signs and symptoms of stage 1 cervical cancer can include:Watery or bloody vaginal discharge that may be heavy and can have a foul odor.Vaginal bleeding after intercourse, between menstrual periods or after menopause.Menstrual periods may be heavier and last longer than normal.
What are the treatments for cervical cancer?
Common types of treatments for cervical cancer include: Surgery for Cervical Cancer. Radiation Therapy for Cervical Cancer. Chemotherapy for Cervical Cancer. Targeted Therapy for Cervical Cancer. Immunotherapy for Cervical Cancer.
What do people with cancer need?
People with cancer need support and information, no matter what stage of illness they may be in. Knowing all of your options and finding the resources you need will help you make informed decisions about your care.
What are the best doctors for cancer?
Doctors on your cancer treatment team may include: 1 A gynecologist: a doctor who treats diseases of the female reproductive system 2 A gynecologic oncologist: a doctor who specializes in cancers of the female reproductive system who can perform surgery and prescribe chemotherapy and other medicines 3 A radiation oncologist: a doctor who uses radiation to treat cancer 4 A medical oncologist: a doctor who uses chemotherapy and other medicines to treat cancer
What is complementary medicine?
Complementary methods refer to treatments that are used along with your regular medical care. Alternative treatments are used instead of a doctor’s medical treatment.
What kind of doctor treats cancer?
Doctors on your cancer treatment team may include: A gynecologist: a doctor who treats diseases of the female reproductive system. A gynecologic on cologist: a doctor who specializes in cancers of the female reproductive system who can perform surgery and prescribe chemotherapy and other medicines. A radiation on cologist: a doctor who uses radiation ...
What are the services offered by the American Cancer Society?
These might include nursing or social work services, financial aid, nutritional advice, rehab, or spiritual help. The American Cancer Society also has programs and services – including rides to treatment, lodging, and more – to help you get through treatment.
Who are the specialists involved in cancer care?
Many other specialists may be involved in your care as well, including nurse practitioners, nurses, psychologists, social workers, rehabilitation specialists, and other health professionals. Health Professionals Associated with Cancer Care.
How to treat cervical cancer?
Stage IVB cervical cancer is not usually considered curable. Treatment options include radiation therapy with or without chemo to try to slow the growth of the cancer or help relieve symptoms . Most standard chemo regimens include a platinum drug (cisplatin or carboplatin) along with another drug such as paclitaxel (Taxol), gemcitabine (Gemzar), or topotecan. The targeted drug bevacizumab (Avastin) may be added to chemo or immunotherapy alone with pembrolizumab (Keytruda) may also be an option.
What is the best treatment for pelvic cancer?
If the cancer has recurred in the center of the pelvis only, extensive surgery (s uch as pelvic exenteration) may be an option for some patients, and offers the best chance for possibly curing the cancer (although it can have major side effects). Radiation therapy (sometimes along with chemo) might be another option.
What is the treatment for a tumor that has grown into blood vessels?
If the cancer has grown into blood or lymph vessels, one treatment option is a cone biopsy (with negative margins) with removal of pelvic lymph nodes. Another option is a radical trachelectomy along with removal of the pelvic lymph nodes.
What is the best treatment for cancer after birth?
Surgery options after birth for early-stage cancers include a hysterectomy, radical trachelectomy, or a cone biopsy. If the cancer is stage IB or higher, then you and your doctor must decide whether to continue the pregnancy. If not, treatment would be radical hysterectomy and/or radiation. Sometimes chemotherapy can be given during ...
What is the goal of cancer treatment?
No matter which type of treatment your doctor recommends, it's important that you understand the goal of treatment (to try to cure the cancer, control its growth, or relieve symptoms ), as well as its possible side effects and limitations.
What is the procedure for a woman who wants to have children after cancer?
A cone biopsy is the preferred procedure for women who want to have children after the cancer is treated. If the edges of the cone don’t contain cancer cells (called negative margins), the woman can be watched closely without further treatment as long as the cancer doesn’t come back. If the edges of the cone biopsy have cancer cells (called ...
What is the most important factor in choosing a cancer treatment?
The stage of a cervical cancer is the most important factor in choosing treatment. But other factors can also affect your treatment options, including the exact location of the cancer within the cervix, the type of cancer (squamous cell or adenocarcinoma), your age and overall health, and whether you want to have children.
What is the treatment for cervical cancer?
Cervical cancer treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. If your doctor says that you have cervical cancer, ask to be referred to a gynecologic oncologist —a doctor who has been trained to treat cancers of a woman’s reproductive system.
What is the difference between a gynecologic oncologist and a radiation oncologist
Different treatments may be provided by different doctors on your medical team. Gynecologic oncologists are doctors who have been trained to treat cancers of a woman’s reproductive system. Surgeons are doctors who perform operations. Medical oncologists are doctors who treat cancer with medicine. Radi ation oncologists are doctors who treat cancer ...
What is the treatment for a swollen vein?
Surgery: Doctors remove cancer tissue in an operation. Chemotherapy: Using special medicines to shrink or kill the cancer. The drugs can be pills you take or medicines given in your veins, or sometimes both.
What is the purpose of information about cancer?
Doctors use this information to plan treatment and to monitor progress.
How to treat cervical cancer during pregnancy?
Treatment of cervical cancer during pregnancy depends on the stage of the cancer and how long the patient has been pregnant. A biopsy and imaging tests may be done to determine the stage of the disease. To avoid exposing the fetus to radiation, MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) is used.
Where does cervical cancer form?
Cervical cancer is a disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the tissues of the cervix. The cervix is the lower, narrow end of the uterus (the hollow, pear-shaped organ where a fetus grows). The cervix leads from the uterus to the vagina (birth canal). Anatomy of the female reproductive system.
How big is stage 2 cervical cancer?
Stage II cervical cancer. In stages IIA1 and IIA2, cancer has spread from the cervix to the upper two-thirds of the vagina but has not spread to the tissue around the uterus. In stage IIA1, the cancer is 4 centimeters or smaller. In stage IIA2, the cancer is larger than 4 centimeters.
What is the purpose of DNA and RNA in a cervical Pap test?
Cells are collected from the cervix and DNA or RNA from the cells is checked to find out if an infection is caused by a type of HPV that is linked to cervical cancer. This test may be done using the sample of cells removed during a Pap test.
What is the risk factor for cervical cancer?
Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is the major risk factor for cervical cancer. Anything that increases your chance of getting a disease is called a risk factor. Having a risk factor does not mean that you will get cancer; not having risk factors doesn't mean that you will not get cancer.
What is the procedure to remove abnormal cells from a Pap test?
Biopsy: If abnormal cells are found in a Pap test, the doctor may do a biopsy. A sample of tissue is cut from the cervix and viewed under a microscope by a pathologist to check for signs of cancer. A biopsy that removes only a small amount of tissue is usually done in the doctor’s office.
How deep is stage IA1 cancer?
A very small amount of cancer that can only be seen under a microscope is found in the tissues of the cervix. In stage IA1, the cancer is not more than 3 millimeters deep. In stage IA2, the cancer is more than 3 but not more than 5 millimeters deep.
What is the treatment for cervical cancer?
If you have been diagnosed with cervical cancer, your treatment plan may include one or more of the following approaches: Surgery to remove cancerous growths, a portion of the cervix, the entire uterus or additional organs and tissues.
Where does cervical cancer occur?
This disease occurs in the cervix, or the passageway that joins the lower section of the uterus to the vagina. Like most other cancers, early detection is key to achieving a positive outcome and enhanced quality of life. Receiving an annual Pap smear can detect cervical cancer in its initial stages when it is often highly treatable.
What is the best treatment for cancer?
Radiation therapy to destroy cancer cells or prevent their growth using high-energy X-rays. Chemotherapy to deliver cancer-fighting medication throughout the body or in a specific region. In general, surgery may be recommended if the physician believes the tumor can be successfully removed.
Can a Pap smear detect cervical cancer?
Receiving an annual Pap smear can detect cer vical cancer in its initial stages when it is often highly treatable. If it has been more than a year since your last Pap smear, be sure to speak with your gynecologist about scheduling an exam.
Surgery
Surgery is the main treatment for cervical cancers. Sometimes you'll get chemotherapy or radiation to shrink the tumor before surgery, or to kill cancer cells that remain afterward. The type of surgery you have depends on how large the cancer has grown and whether it has spread.
Radiation
Radiation uses high-energy X-rays to kill cancer cells and stop their growth. You might get radiation before or after surgery, or if your cancer has spread beyond your cervix.
Chemotherapy
In “chemo,” drugs are used to kill or slow the growth of cervical cancer cells. You'll usually get chemo through an IV.
Targeted Therapy
Targeted therapy uses drugs that kill cancer cells but spare healthy cells. For example, bevacizumab ( Avastin) is a drug that stops new blood vessels from forming. This can slow down tumor growth in advanced cervical cancer, because tumors need new blood vessels for nourishment. Doctors often use targeted therapy with chemotherapy.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy is the use of medicines to stimulate a person’s own immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells more effectively. Immunotherapy can be used to treat cervical cancer that has spread or come back (recurred).
Clinical Trials
If you've tried a few treatments and they didn't work, or the cancer has spread, ask your doctor about a clinical trial. These test new treatments to see if they’re safe and if they work. They’re often ways for people to try new medicines or therapies that aren’t available to everyone.
How Can I Feel Better During Cervical Cancer Treatment?
You’re probably so focused on getting well, you hardly have time to think about how to ease the side effects from your treatments like hair loss or changes in your appetite. But there are things you can do that can help you feel better.
What is the standard of care for women who require radiation therapy for cervical cancer?
Concurrent, cisplatin-based chemotherapy with radiation therapy is the standard of care for women who require radiation therapy for treatment of cervical cancer. [ 4 - 10] Radiation therapy protocols for patients with cervical cancer have historically used dosing at two anatomical points, termed point A and point B, to standardize the doses received. Point A is defined as 2 cm from the external os, and 2 cm lateral, relative to the endocervical canal. Point B is also 2 cm from the external os, and 5 cm lateral from the patient midline, relative to the bony pelvis. In general, for smaller tumors, the curative-intent dose for point A is around 70 Gy, whereas for larger tumors, the point A dose may approach 90 Gy.
What is the treatment for stage IB cervical cancer?
Standard treatment options for stage IB and stage IIA cervical cancer include the following: Radiation therapy with concomitant chemotherapy. Radical hysterectomy and bilateral pelvic lymphadenectomy with or without total pelvic radiation therapy plus chemotherapy.
What percentage of cervical cancer is squamous cell carcinoma?
Squamous cell (epidermoid) carcinoma comprises approximately 90% of cervical cancers, and adenocarcinoma comprises approximately 10% of cervical cancers. Adenosquamous and small cell carcinomas are relatively rare. Primary sarcomas of the cervix and primary and secondary malignant lymphomas of the cervix have also been reported.
How many cervical cancer cases can be detected early?
More than 90% of cervical cancer cases can be detected early through the use of the Pap test and HPV testing. [ 35] . Pap and HPV testing are not performed on approximately 33% of eligible women, which results in a higher-than-expected death rate.
How long does it take for a cervical cancer to progress?
Longitudinal studies have shown that in patients with untreated in situ cervical cancer, 30% to 70% will develop invasive carcinoma over a period of 10 to 12 years. However, in about 10% of patients, lesions can progress from in situ to invasive in a period of less than 1 year.
What is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide?
Follow-up After Treatment. Related Summaries. Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide, and it has the fourth highest mortality rate among cancers in women. [ 1] . Most cases of cervical cancer are preventable by routine screening and by treatment of precancerous lesions. As a result, most of the cervical cancer cases are ...
Where does cervical carcinoma originate?
Cervical carcinoma has its origins at the squamous-columnar junction; it can involve the outer squamous cells, the inner glandular cells, or both. The precursor lesion is dysplasia: cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) or adenocarcinoma in situ , which can subsequently become invasive cancer.
Diagnosis
Clinical Trials
Coping and Support
Preparing For Your Appointment
