Cervical Cancer

Cervical Cancer – General Information

Cervical Cancer – Symptoms

Cervical Cancer – Treatment

There are different treatments for each stage of the Cervical Cancer. For stage IA or microinvasive cancer the hysterectomy approach is available and consist in removing the whole uterus including parts of the vagina, and for stage IA2, beside uterus, the lymph nodes are also fully removed. For patients with Cervical Cancer who want to remain fertile there is also an alternative which consist of a surgical procedure called the loop electrical excision procedure, also known as cone biopsy. If the cone biopsy procedure doesn’t produce the effect of clear margins, there are other possible treatment options for people who desire to preserve their fertility, which can include a procedure called trachelectomy. This kind of procedure uses the surgical approach by removing the cancer while preserving the ovaries and uterus, and is considered a more conservative procedure than the hysterectomy. It is a recommended option for patients in stage I of the Cervical Cancer, the type of cancer which has not spread. But, it is not yet considered an easy surgical operation, as few doctors are skilled in this procedure. Even the most skilled doctor cannot promise that the trachelectomy operation can be applied, until the patient undergoes a surgical microscopic examination, because the extent of the spread of cancer is still unknown. If the doctor is not able to know if the margins of cervical tissue are clear, while the individual is under a general anesthesia in the operating room, the hysterectomy procedure is an option. This can be done during the same operation only if the individual has given his consent. Because of the high risk of cancer to spread to the lymph nodes, the doctor might also have to remove the lymph nodes surrounding the uterus for a pathologic evaluation.

There is a radical type of trachelectomy which can be done abdominally or vaginally and there are many conflicting opinions regarding which of them is better. The radical approach in abdominal trachelectomy with lymphadenectomy, in most of the cases, requires only two to three days of monitoring in hospital, and many female patients recover very quickly, in about six weeks. Complications are very rare. In most of the cases it is generally recommended for the patient to wait more than one year before attempting to become pregnant after the surgical procedure. The recurrence in the residual cervix is usually uncommon if the Cervical Cancer has been treated with the trachelectomy treatment option. But, it is highly recommended for any patient to become more vigilant and try to practice follow up care including pap monitoring or colposcopy, with biopsies of the remaining lower uterine segment as needed, like every three months for at least five years, to monitor for any recurrence and to try minimizing any possible exposures to HPV practicing safe sex until one is actively trying to conceive. The early stages of the Cervical Cancer can be also treated with radiation therapy, which is given as external beam radiotherapy to the pelvis or internal radiation. Patients are given radiation therapy if they have high risk features on the pathologic examination, to reduce the risk of relapse.