Treatment Options

Today, women facing cervical cancer have better treatment options than they did even a few years ago. If detected in the precancerous stage, cervical cancer can often be halted with a simple procedure such as cryosurgery. Or if cervical cancer is caught in the early stages, a loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) or cone biopsy can be used.

Each woman's cancer is different, as are her circumstances, preferences and beliefs. A treatment that works well for another woman may not be right for you.

Most women who come to us for treatment for cervical cancer will be treated with

• Surgery
• Chemotherapy
• Radiation
• Combination of these
• Recurrent cervical cancer

Some women will have a hysterectomy to remove cervical cancer that has spread within the cervix. Other women, whose cancer has spread beyond the cervix and into surrounding tissues, will need radiation and chemotherapy in addition to surgery. And some women will be treated with radiation and chemotherapy but not surgery.

The examination of these tissues will show whether your cancer is likely to grow slowly or quickly, whether it is likely to recur, and whether it is likely to respond to certain types of treatment. The treatment recommended by your doctors will depend to a large degree on the "stage" of your cancer.

You may want to read the "PDQ" summary on the National Cancer Institute for more detailed information about cervical cancer.