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Cervical Cancer Treatment Overview

Posted: Jan. 1, 2007

Different types of treatment are available for patients with cervical cancer. Some treatments are standard (the currently used treatment), and some are being tested in clinical trials.

A clinical trial is a research study meant to help improve current treatments or obtain information on new treatments for patients with cancer. Before starting treatment, patients may want to think about taking part in a clinical trial.

The three types of standard treatment for cervical cancer are surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy.

Surgery

Surgery (removing the cancer in an operation) is sometimes used to treat cervical cancer. Some examples of they types of surgical procedures include a total hysterectomy to remove the uterus, including the cervix; cryosurgery, which is a treatment that uses an instrument to freeze and destroy abnormal tissue; laser surgery, a procedure that uses a laser beam (a narrow beam of intense light) as a knife to make bloodless cuts in tissue or to remove a surface lesion such as a tumor; loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP), which uses electrical current passed through a thin wire loop as a knife to remove abnormal tissue or cancer.

Radiation therapy

Radiation therapy is a cancer treatment that uses high-energy X-rays or other types of radiation to kill cancer cells.

There are two types of radiation therapy. External radiation therapy uses a machine outside the body to send radiation toward the cancer. Internal radiation therapy uses a radioactive substance sealed in needles, seeds, wires, or catheters that are placed directly into or near the cancer. The way the radiation therapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy is a cancer treatment that uses drugs to stop the growth of cancer cells, either by killing the cells or by stopping the cells from dividing.

When chemotherapy is taken by mouth or injected into a vein or muscle, the drugs enter the bloodstream and can reach cancer cells throughout the body (systemic chemotherapy). When chemotherapy is placed directly into the spinal column, an organ, or a body cavity such as the abdomen, the drugs mainly affect cancer cells in those areas (regional chemotherapy). The way the chemotherapy is given depends on the type and stage of the cancer being treated.

Source: National Cancer Institute

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