Cervical cancer treatments are recommended based on the type, size, location, and extent to which cancer has spread. The condition occurs in the cervix, which is the lower part of the uterus that connects to the vagina. Primary modes of treatment for the disease include chemotherapy, radiation therapy, surgery, and targeted therapy.
1. Chemotherapy
This treatment involves injecting the medication intravenously to treat cancer and can work all through the body. This means that chemotherapy works on cancer cells that have metastasized to parts of the body that are far from the origin area of the tumor. At times, this form of cervical cancer treatment is the sole method used to control cancer. The procedure is also utilized with other therapies when cancer recurs.
Primary objectives of chemotherapy:
2. Radiation therapy
This therapy destroys cancer cells or slows their development by impacting their DNA. The broken cells die and are removed from the body. High radiation doses are utilized to shrink and kill cancerous cells.
It is used as:
Radiation therapy used in cervical cancer treatments is of two types.
High-energy radiation is used to treat cancer from outside the body. It is painless and is also combined with chemotherapy in some cases. It is used as a primary treatment or for patients who cannot tolerate chemotherapy.
The radiation source, a liquid or a solid, is placed within the body or close to the tumor. The source of radiation can be ribbons, seeds or capsules which give radiation for a certain time. It treats only a particular section of the body. Intracavitary brachytherapy is the type that is used to treat cervical cancer; here, the radiation source is placed in the cervix or vagina. The two kinds of brachytherapy are low-dose rate (LDR) and high-dose rate (HDR).
3. Surgery
Surgery is the primary treatment for cervical cancer in the initial stages.
The types of surgery carried out are:
Here a small cone-shaped tissue is obtained from the cervix.
This surgery is performed to remove the uterus, and at times, the ovaries and fallopian tubes as well.
This procedure is carried out to eliminate the cervix.
Further treatment may be needed if cancerous cells are found in:
4. Targeted therapy
Targeted drugs are used to work on the cancer cells by inhibiting or blocking their growth in a certain area. They are referred to as angiogenesis inhibitors.