Cervical cancer is one of the most common cancers to affect women over the age of 30. If detected in its early stages, the treatments are minimally invasive. However, once the cancer has penetrated the deeper layers of the cervix, not only is a more invasive treatment necessary, a combination of treatments may be need to prevent cancer recurrence.
Noninvasive Treatment Options
A variety if noninvasive cancer treatments are available for women whose cervical cancer is in the early stages and is confined to the outer layer of the cervix. In many cases, one of the following options is the only treatment needed.
The first option is cryosurgery, a procedure utilizing a metal probe cooled with liquid nitrogen. The probe is placed directly onto the cancer cells, which freezes and destroys them.
Another possibility, according to the American Cancer Society, is laser surgery. During this procedure, a laser beam is directed through the vagina and aimed at the cancer cells, burning them off.
Conization is a surgical procedure in which the doctor removes a piece of cone-shaped tissue containing cancer cells with a surgical or laser knife. He may also use a thin wire that is heated by electricity.
A simple hysterectomy may also be performed to remove just the uterus and cervix, the areas where the cancer is located.
Radical Hysterectomy
Performed for women whose cancer has spread into the inner walls of the cervix, a radical hysterectomy removes not only the cervix and uterus, but also the surrounding lymph nodes and approximately one inch of the vagina next to the cervix. In most cases the Fallopian tubes and ovaries are saved unless the doctor feels there may be a need to remove them as well.
The side effects of a radical hysterectomy are temporary and include pelvic pain accompanied by bowel and bladder difficulties. Recovery time is approximately six weeks, according to the Mayo Clinic.
External and Internal Radiation
Following surgery, most women with invasive cervical cancer are required to undergo radiation therapy. Depending on the severity of the patient's cancer, the doctor may prescribe external or internal radiation.
External radiation is similar to undergoing an X-ray, and delivers high-energy rays to kill the cancer cells. Administered over a period of six or seven weeks, this type of radiation is typically used in combination with a chemotherapy drug called cisplatin.
Internal radiation delivers much higher doses of radiation directly at the site of the cancer by placing a cylinder filled with radioactive material into the vagina. In some cases, thin needles are placed directly into the tumor. This type of radiation takes only a few minutes to complete and is removed once complete. Within a matter of days, the entire process is finished.
Some of the most common side effects include upset stomach, fatigue and diarrhea. When receiving external radiation, your skin may appear to have a sunburn and may be sore to the touch.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is considered systemic treatment, as it travels throughout your bloodstream to reach the cancer cells that need to be destroyed. In doing so, these drugs also destroy healthy cells, resulting in side effects such as fatigue, nausea, diarrhea and hair loss. These side effects vary according to the drugs used, and some chemotherapy medications may also cause infertility or early menopause. The length of time spent undergoing chemotherapy is at the discretion of your doctor.
