Cervical Cancer Treatment Options
Specific treatment for cervical cancer will be determined by your physician based on:
- your overall health and medical history
- extent of the disease
- your tolerance for specific medications, procedures, or therapies
- expectations for the course of the disease
- your opinion or preference
Treatment may include:
- surgery, including:
- laser surgery - use of a powerful beam of light, which can be directed to specific parts of the body without making a large incision, to destroy abnormal cells.
- hysterectomy - surgery to remove the uterus, including the cervix. In some cases, a hysterectomy may be required, particularly if abnormal cells are found inside the opening of the cervix.
- radiation therapy
The use of high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells and to shrink tumors. There are two ways to deliver radiation therapy, including the following:- external radiation (external beam therapy) - a treatment that precisely sends high levels of radiation directly to the cancer cells. The machine is controlled by the radiation therapist. Since radiation is used to kill cancer cells and to shrink tumors, special shields may be used to protect the tissue surrounding the treatment area. Radiation treatments are painless and usually last a few minutes.
- internal radiation (brachytherapy, implant radiation) - radiation is given inside the body as close to the cancer as possible. A capsule containing radioisotopes, substances that produce radiation, is placed in the cervix. It is usually left in place for a few days. This type of internal radiation therapy may also be called low-dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy. Internal radiation involves giving a higher dose of radiation in a shorter time span than with external radiation. Hospitalization is required when an internal radiation implant is in place. In some cases, both internal and external radiation therapies are used.
- A newer type of internal radiation therapy, called high-dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy, or alternative implant therapy, uses a higher dose of internal radiation over a shorter period of time. This procedure can be completed in a few hours, and does not necessarily require a hospital stay.
- chemotherapy - the use of anticancer drugs to treat cancerous cells. In most cases, chemotherapy works by interfering with the cancer cell’s ability to grow or reproduce. Different groups of drugs work in different ways to fight cancer cells.
- chemotherapy/RT - a regimen of radiation therapy and low-dose chemotherapy given concurrently is often used for aggressive cancers.
- immunotherapy - biological therapy fights cancer by using materials made by your own body, or made in a laboratory, to boost, direct, or restore your body's natural defenses against disease.
Trial Administration