Treatments for Cervical Cancer
There are different treatments available to cure cervical cancer like chemotherapy, surgery and radiation therapy. Treatment used to cure cancer depends on the physical health of a patient and developing stage of cancer. Sometime single treatment can be used or combination of treatments is used. Following are the treatments which are mostly preferred to cure cancer.
Surgery
Surgery is used when cancer is detected in early stage of development. Mostly, it depends on some important factors like age of a patient, cancer location and physical health of a patient. Following are the surgeries used to treat different part of cervix.
- Removal of small part: If, patient is detected positive for cervical cancer in Pap test then triangular cancerous part of cervix is removed.
- Hysterectomy: In this type of surgery entire uterus and cervix is removed out from vaginal passage is called as vaginal hysterectomy. Some time whole uterus and cervix is removed from abdomen by taking cut or incision and it is called as abdominal hysterectomy. After this surgery, patient may face trouble for urination and women with hysterectomy does not show menstrual period and fetus development for longer period.
- Trachelectomy: Those women who want to maintain their fertility mostly preferred this surgery. In this uterine cervix is removed and main body of uterus is preserved.
- Oophorectomy: In this surgery ovaries and fallopian tube are removed from the body.
- Loop electrosurgical excision procedure: In this type of surgery wires carrying electric current are used to cut the cancer affected part.
- Laser surgery: this type of surgery, laser beam is usually used to cut cancerous part without discharge of blood.
- Radical exenteration: In this surgery, some section of vagina and uterus is removed. If cancer has spread up to the lymph nodes then lymph nodes are also removed.
- Pelvic exenteration: In this surgery organs closer to the uterus are also removed like last part of colon and rectum, kidneys, vagina, pair of ovaries is removed. New apertures are prepared artificially for passing of urine and stool. Artificial vagina is created by operation.
Radiation therapy In radiation therapy, high power radiations (X-ray or gamma rays) are used to destroy the cancerous cells. Radiation therapy is used when cancer has extended to other nearby organs. Radiations are bombarded on the specific area from externally and internally.
Radiation therapy can cure cancer patient up to 85-90%; if treated in stage IB or IIA and 60-65% cancer can cure if treatment is given in stage IIB with 5 yr. survival rate. Sometimes, radiation therapy is used in combination with other treatments to get good results.
Chemotherapy
In chemotherapy chemical medicines or drugs are used to kill cancerous cell for stopping uncontrolled division. Drugs are given to a patient orally or intravenously by injection. Medicines affect to the cancerous as well as normal cells results in side effects like vomiting, nausea.
Early stages cancer For early stages of cervical cancer surgery is most commonly used. Surgery is performed according to the part and percentage of spreading.
Advanced cervical cancer
In advanced stage, cancer spread to the other closer organs in such condition chemotherapy along with radiation or different combinations of chemotherapy or radiations or surgery is used to cure and control cancer.
