Cervical carcinoma, or cervical cancer, is cancer of the cervix. The cervix is the bottom area of the uterus just above the vagina. This type of cancer is most often diagnosed in women over the age of 30, according to the Mayo Clinic, and it is typically caused by a sexually transmitted virus called human papillomavirus. Some women are unable to fight the virus, which causes cells to turn cancerous. Cervical cancer can be prevented in many cases with a vaccine against the human papillomavirus and annual checkups with a gynecologist. Women diagnosed with cervical cancer have several treatment options depending on the stage -- the size and area of growth -- of the cancer.
Surgery
When cancer is diagnosed early enough, a hysterectomy -- removal of the uterus -- can get rid of the cancer and prevent relapse. Cancer at a more advanced stage, meaning the tumor may have grown larger or deeper into the tissue of the cervix, may be treated with a radical hysterectomy. In a radical hysterectomy, a surgeon takes out areas of the vagina and nearby lymph nodes in addition to removing the uterus and cervix. The National Cancer Institute notes that after a radical hysterectomy, patients will typically undergo radiation treatment and chemotherapy.
Radiation Treatment
Radiation therapy, specifically internal radiation therapy, can be an alternative to hysterectomy for early-stage cervical cancer. According to the Mayo Clinic, this type of radiation therapy, called brachytherapy, involves the placement of a device filled with radioactive material inside the body near the cervix.
For more progressed cervical cancer, the National Cancer Institute notes that internal radiation may be used if combined with external radiation. This type of radiation treatment employs beams of energy -- radiation -- aimed at the abdomen to kill cancer cells. External radiation therapy is often used in combination with other treatments for later stage cervical cancer. For example, the American Cancer Society states that the chemotherapy drug cisplatin may be given with radiation therapy.
Chemotherapy Treatment
Cisplatin is a commonly used chemotherapy, or anti-cancer, medication. It is almost always used in combination with other treatments, according to the National Cancer Institute. Chemotherapy is typically given by injection. Delivering the drug this way gives it direct access to cancer cells because it can travel through the bloodstream. Cisplatin and other chemotherapy drugs are potent killers of cancer cells; however, they also kill some healthy cells and cause severe side effects, such as nausea and hair loss.
Other Treatment Options
The above treatments are typically reserved for invasive cancers, but some cervical cancers are not invasive. The Mayo Clinic describes noninvasive cervical cancer as abnormal cells that only affect an outer layer of cells of the cervix. Treatments exist to remove the cancer cells without the need for a hysterectomy. A surgeon may perform a cone biopsy, making a cone-shaped incision to take out the piece of abnormal cervical tissue. The National Cancer Institute notes that cone biopsies, also called conization, can also be used as a tool to diagnose cervical cancer. Other procedures include laser surgery; cryosurgery, in which abnormal cells are killed by extremely cold temperatures; and loop electrosurgical excision. This last procedure involves an electrically charged wire that acts like a scalpel to remove cancer cells at the opening of the cervix.
