If a woman has a symptom or Pap test results that suggest precancerous cells or cancer of the cervix, her doctor will suggest other procedures to make a diagnosis.
Removing tissue from the cervix may cause some bleeding or other discharge. The area usually heals quickly. Women may also feel some pain similar to menstrual cramps. Medicine can relieve this discomfort.
For more information about tests, cell changes, and treatment for these changes, you may want to read Understanding Cervical Changes.
You may want to ask the doctor these questions before having a procedure:
If I do have cancer, who will talk to me about the next steps? When?
If the biopsy shows that you have cancer, your doctor will do a thorough pelvic exam and may remove additional tissue to learn the extent (stage) of your disease. The stage tells whether the tumor has invaded nearby tissues, whether the cancer has spread and, if so, to what parts of the body.
These are the stages of cervical cancer:
To learn the extent of disease and suggest a course of treatment, the doctor may order some of the following tests:
Many women with cervical cancer want to take an active part in making decisions about their medical care. It is natural to want to learn all you can about your disease and your treatment choices. However, shock and stress after the diagnosis can make it hard to think of everything you want to ask the doctor. It often helps to make a list of questions before an appointment.
To help remember what the doctor says, you may take notes or ask whether you may use a tape recorder. You may also want to have a family member or friend with you when you talk to the doctor - to take part in the discussion, to take notes, or just to listen.
You do not need to ask all your questions at once. You will have other chances to ask your doctor to explain things that are not clear and to ask for more information.
Your doctor may refer you to a specialist, or you may ask for a referral. Gynecologists, gynecologic oncologists, medical oncologists, and radiation oncologists are specialists who treat cervical cancer.
Get a second opinion if you are diagnosed with cancer or a rare disease. Such Cases always require Specialists views to conclude final diagnosis and line of treatment.
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The choice of treatment depends mainly on the size of the tumor and whether the cancer has spread. If a woman is of childbearing age, the treatment choice may also depend on whether she wants to become pregnant someday.
Your doctor can describe your treatment choices and the expected results of each. You and your doctor can work together to develop a treatment plan that meets your medical needs and personal values.
You may want to ask the doctor these questions before treatment begins:
Women with cervical cancer may be treated with surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, radiation therapy and chemotherapy, or a combination of all three methods.
At any stage of disease, women with cervical cancer may have treatment to control pain and other symptoms, to relieve the side effects of therapy, and to ease emotional and practical problems. This kind of treatment is called supportive care, symptom management, or palliative care.
You may want to talk to your doctor about taking part in a clinical trial, a research study of new treatment methods. The section on "The Promise of Cancer Research" has more information about clinical trials.
Surgery treats the cancer in the cervix and the area close to the tumor.
Most women with early cervical cancer have surgery to remove the cervix and uterus (total hysterectomy). However, for very early (Stage 0) cervical cancer, a hysterectomy may not be needed. Other ways to remove the cancerous tissue include conization, cryosurgery, laser surgery, or LEEP.
Some women need a radical hysterectomy. A radical hysterectomy is surgery to remove the uterus, cervix, and part of the vagina.
With either total or radical hysterectomy, the surgeon may remove both fallopian tubes and ovaries. (This procedure is a salpingo-oophorectomy.)
The surgeon may also remove the lymph nodes near the tumor to see if they contain cancer. If cancer cells have reached the lymph nodes, it means the disease may have spread to other parts of the body.
You may want to ask the doctor these questions about surgery:
Radiation therapy (also called radiotherapy) uses high-energy rays to kill cancer cells. It affects cells only in the treated area.
Women have radiation therapy alone, with chemotherapy, or with chemotherapy and surgery. The doctor may suggest radiation therapy instead of surgery for the small number of women who cannot have surgery for medical reasons. Most women with cancer that extends beyond the cervix have radiation therapy and chemotherapy. For cancer that has spread to distant organs, radiation therapy alone may be used.
Doctors use two types of radiation therapy to treat cervical cancer. Some women receive both types:
You may want to ask the doctor these questions before having radiation therapy:
Chemotherapy uses anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells. It is called systemic therapy because the drugs enter the bloodstream and can affect cells all over the body. For treatment of cervical cancer, chemotherapy is generally combined with radiation therapy. For cancer that has spread to distant organs, chemotherapy alone may be used.
Anticancer drugs for cervical cancer are usually given through a vein. Women usually receive treatment in an outpatient part of the hospital, at the doctor's office, or at home. Rarely, a woman needs to stay in the hospital during treatment.
You may want to ask the doctor these questions before having chemotherapy:
Because cancer treatment often damages healthy cells and tissues, unwanted side effects are common. Side effects depend mainly on the type and extent of the treatment. Side effects may not be the same for each woman, and they may change from one treatment session to the next. Before treatment starts, your health care team will explain possible side effects and suggest ways to help you manage them.
The NCI provides helpful booklets about cancer treatments and coping with side effects. These include Radiation Therapy and You, Chemotherapy and You, and Eating Hints for Cancer Patients.
It takes time to heal after surgery, and the recovery time is different for each woman. You may be uncomfortable for the first few days. However, medicine can usually control the pain. Before surgery, you should discuss the plan for pain relief with your doctor or nurse. After surgery, your doctor can adjust the plan if you need more pain relief.
If you have surgery to remove a small tumor on the surface of the cervix, you may have cramping or other pain, bleeding, or a watery discharge.
If you have a hysterectomy, the length of the hospital stay may vary from several days to a week. It is common to feel tired or weak for a while. You may have problems with nausea and vomiting, and you may have bladder and bowel problems. The doctor may restrict your diet to liquids at first, with a gradual return to solid food. Most women return to their normal activities within 4 to 8 weeks after surgery.
After a hysterectomy, women no longer have menstrual periods. They cannot become pregnant.
When the ovaries are removed, menopause occurs at once. Hot flashes and other symptoms of menopause caused by surgery may be more severe than those caused by natural menopause. You may wish to discuss this with your doctor before surgery. Some drugs have been shown to help with these symptoms, and they may be more effective if started before surgery.
After surgery, some women may be concerned about sexual intimacy. Many women find that it helps to share these concerns with their partner. A couple may want to ask a counselor to help them express their concerns.
Side effects depend mainly on the dose of radiation and the part of your body that is treated. Radiation to the abdomen and pelvis may cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or urinary problems. You may lose hair in your genital area. Also, your skin in the treated area may become red, dry, and tender.
You may have dryness, itching, or burning in your vagina. The radiation may also make your vagina narrower. The doctor or nurse may suggest ways to relieve discomfort. There also are ways to expand the vagina, which will help make follow-up exams easier. Your doctor may advise you not
to have intercourse during treatment. But most women can resume sexual activity within a few weeks after treatment ends.
You are likely to become very tired during radiation therapy, especially in the later weeks of treatment. Resting is important, but doctors usually advise patients to try to stay as active as they can.
Although the side effects of radiation therapy can be distressing, your doctor can usually find ways to relieve them.
The side effects of chemotherapy depend mainly on the specific drugs and the dose. The drugs affect cancer cells and other cells that divide rapidly:
The drugs used for cervical cancer also may cause skin rash, hearing problems, loss of balance, joint pain, or swollen legs and feet.
Your doctor can suggest ways to control many of these side effects.
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