Cervical cancer treatment depends upon the stage of cancer development. Cancerous cells are assessed first by a pap smear, followed by a biopsy of the cervical tissue. Disease staging ranges from zero to four. Stage 0 is the precancerous stage where cells are abnormal in the first layer of tissue. Stage IV is the most severe level characterized by the spread of cancerous cells to distant organs, according to the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center.
Surgery
There are a variety of surgical procedures to treat cervical cancer, namely conization, total hysterectomy, radical hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, pelvic exenteration, cryosurgery, laser surgery and loop electrosurgical excision procedure, or LEEP.
Conization is a surgical procedure that removes a cone-shaped section of tissue from the cervix and cervical canal. The tissue is assessed by a pathologist and is used for diagnosis or treatment. Total hysterectomy removes the uterus and cervix through the vagina or laparoscopically through the abdomen. Conversely, radical hysterectomy removes the uterus and cervix, in addition to the surrounding tissues, ovaries, fallopian tubes and lymph nodes. Bilateral salpingo-oopherectomy is the removal of both ovaries and fallopian tubes. Pelvic exenteration involves the removal of the lower colon, rectum, bladder, cervix, vagina, ovaries and lymph nodes. Openings are made in the abdomen for tubes to collect urine and feces in an external bag. Some patients choose to seek plastic surgery to reform the vagina. Cryosurgery uses an instrument to freeze the abnormal cancerous tissue. Laser surgery uses a laser beam to cut away abnormal tissue such as a tumor. Lastly, the LEEP procedure uses an electrical current passed through a wire to remove the cancerous tissue, according to the National Cancer Institute.
Radiation
Radiation is a type of treatment used to kill cancerous cells or inhibit their growth. There is a long list of radiation therapies; however, cervical cancer is treated primarily with high dose-rate radiation with an implant, also called brachytherapy, or low dose-rate radiation. High dose-rate radiation, or HRD, is administered to cancer of the cervix, vagina or uterus using an implanted radioactive device. Treatment takes place once per week for three to four weeks as an outpatient procedure. Low dose-rate radiation, or LRD, uses seed implants to deliver radiation close to the cancerous tissue. The implant can remain shot-term, or permanently. LRD involves a three to four day in-patient stay at the hospital, according to Cedars-Sinai Hospital.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses drugs to kill or inhibit cancer cells. The drugs are administered through an intravenous, syringe or in pill format. Lasting six months to a year, chemotherapy has periods of treatment interspersed with periods of rest. Chemotherapy targets cells that divide rapidly; therefore, it targets not only cancer cells, but also intestinal and hair cells. When chemotherapy drugs affect normal healthy cells, symptoms such as nausea, hair loss, infections and fatigue appear. Medications are available to treat some side effects; however, all side effects tend to disappear during rest periods and following treatment, according to the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Cancer Center.
