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Medically checked by Blair McNamara, MD
Cervical cancer is rare in the United States – which is less than 1% of all cancer – and it is very treatable. In fact, the 5-year survival rate is over 91%.
“Cervical cancer in the USA should be avoidable. We have an excellent screening test with papal smears and HPV tests, ”said Monica Vetter, MD, a gynecological oncologist of the Norton Cancer certified by the board.
Although routine screening can prevent almost all cervical cancer, almost 1 out of 4 women were overdue in 2019 for their neck cancer screenings.
Asian women, Hispanic women and women who lived in rural areas were more back to their demonstrations. And a study of 2022 showed that 1 of 4 Hispanic and Black Women late after abnormal findings were delayed the lowest follow-up rates. Black women also have higher rates of cervical cancer, more advanced stages in diagnosis and higher mortality.
Members of the LGBTQ community are also rather back in screening and are more likely to be informed by a health service provider that they do not need a Cervical Cancer screening.
Reading: Removing obstacles for screening cervical cancer for the LGBTQ community >>
Treatment of cervical cancer
If you have cervical cancer, you will probably be transferred to a gynecological oncologist, a doctor who specializes in the treatment of the cancer of the female reproductive system. The treatment can include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, targeted therapy and immunotherapy. Which treatment is best suited for you depends on several factors, including the cancer stage and that you want to get pregnant in the future.
operation
An operation along with some other treatments can influence their ability to become pregnant in the future. Fertility -saving operations, concentration or radical trachelectomy are options for cervical cancer in the early stages.
Cone biopsy
The cone biopsy, which is also known as a concentration, is a surgical option for precancer cells and cervical cancer in the early stages with which you can still get pregnant. A bowling biopsy takes up a large amount of tissue and can also get rid of abnormal cells so that they do not become cancer in the future. “I tell people that they should think about being trying to take an ice cream from the center of their cervix,” said Vetter
There are three types of cone biopsies:
LEEPs can take place in the office with local anesthesia, while cone biopsies appear in the operating room, probably under general anesthesia.
Radical trachelectomy
Depending on the size and characteristics of your cancer, your surgeon may recommend a trachelectomy instead of a conication. A simple trachelectomy only removes the cervix and a radical trachelectomy removes the cervix and the surrounding tissue. Your surgeon can also recommend the removal of the nearby lymph nodes. Trachelectomies enable the possibility of future pregnancy because the uterus is present. These procedures are carried out in an operating room under general anesthesia.
hysterectomy
There are different types of hysterectomies that can be used to treat cervical cancer. All remove the possibility of becoming pregnant in the future.
In total or simple hysterectomy, the surgeon removes the uterus, including the cervix. The ovaries usually stay on the spot. This type of hysterectomy can be used to treat certain types of very early cervical cancer.
Radical hysterectomies are a more complicated operation, the uterus and cervix as well as the tissue that surrounds the cervix and the upper part of the vagina. The ovaries are usually not removed. Radical hysterectomies have more potential side effects than total hysterectomies such as intestinal or bladder complications.
Hysterectomies can be carried out over the abdomen or vagina and can be an open operation or a minimally invasive operation, including laparoscopic or robot -assisted operations. Depending on the stage of your cervical cancer, your surgeon can recommend open operation as the safest option for hysterectomy. Your surgeon can explain the risks and advantages of the different ways of hysterectomy in your case.
Chemotherapy, radiation and drug therapies
Chemotherapy is a treatment in which medication is used to kill or slow down the growth of cancer cells. It is usually given via IV infusions.
Radiation therapy uses X -rays with high energy to kill cancer. Radiation can be administered with X -ray machines, which are referred to as external radiation, or with small capsules that are placed near or in the cervix, referred to as internal or implant radiation.
Radiation is often administered in combination with chemotherapy, which is referred to as chemo radiation, since it is only more effective than radiation. Chemotherapy and/or radiation are sometimes used after hysterectomy and chemo radiation can be used for tumors that are too large for hysterectomy. Sometimes chemo radiation is curative.
Chemotherapy alone is often given if you cannot carry out any other treatments or if you have recurring cervical cancer-cancer that has come back after surgery or chemo radiation. Unfortunately, it is not possible to get pregnant after you have carried out chemotherapy due to the radiation damage to the uterus.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy uses your body’s immune system to combat cancer and is often used together with chemotherapy, especially if you have cancer in stage 4. In view of the IV infusion, immunotherapy works by taking away the ability of the cancer to hide from immune cells and improve the ability of their immune system to destroy the cells. Not everyone is a candidate for immunotherapy, but if they are and the therapy can react to cancer, they can keep it in remission longer. Your ability to receive after immunotherapy depends on the type of treatment you have carried out. Some treatments affect their fertility and others have a high probability of causing birth defects.
Targeted drug therapy
Targeted drug therapy uses medication that blocks proteins that help, grow and spread cancer cells. Some targeted drug therapies are IV infusions and some pills. Some targeted therapies are also considered immunotherapy.
Targeted drug therapy is often used for recurring diseases. Further examinations are required to fully understand how targeted drug therapy affects fertility.
The screening is the key
“The incidence or the rate of cancer in the advanced stage increases and we have to do better work to show people,” said Vetter. “Get your pap [tests]. If you have strange symptoms, such as vaginal bleeding after sex or bleeding between the periods, go inside and be rated. If cervical cancer is caught early, there is a very high healing rate. “
This educational resource was created with the support of Merck.
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