Treatment for cervical cancer is similar to other cancers. It aims to stop cancer from spreading. Treatment methods vary from person to person, depending on the stage of cancer, overall health, and age. Surgery might not be possible for all cancers, and chemotherapy may not be permitted due to the patients’ overall health. In such cases, a multi-disciplinary team of doctors decides on the way forward. Here are a few treatment options for cervical cancer.

1. Surgery
Surgery is done to ensure the cancer cells do not spread outside of the cervix. The most commonly used surgical procedures for cervical cancer are:

• Conization –This procedure removes all micro-invasive cancer tissues that can be seen through a microscope only.
• LEEP – Here, electricity is passed through a thin wire hook to remove the micro-invasive cancer cells.
• Hysterectomy – A small cut is made in the abdomen to remove the uterus and cervix. A radical hysterectomy is done to remove the vagina, uterus, cervix, and the cancer tissues around the cervix.
• Exenteration – This is another rare procedure used when cancer has returned after radiation. This procedure removes those parts where cancer has spread.

Surgery may have short-term side effects, such as pain, nausea, fatigue, or long-term side effects, such as fistula and loss of sensation during intercours . Women may go through problems while urinating and might need catheterization for some time. Loss of fertility and the inability to become pregnant are the other side effects of surgery.

2. Radiation therapy
In this therapy, X-ray cells are beamed on the affected cells using a machine or implants placed inside the body. One full radiation therapy course involves multiple sessions, depending on the stage, spread of cancer, and patient’s health. For cervical cancer patients, radiation therapy is used to minimize or avoid the need for surgery.

3. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a systemic therapy (medication is administered orally or through an IV tube through the bloodstream to reach the cancer cells and attack them). There are multiple chemo drugs on the market. Doctors make a decision based on various factors of the medicine that is best suited for the patient. Though oral medication is available for cervical cancer, doctors mostly administer chemotherapy intravenously. Doctors naturally are inclined towards combining chemotherapy and radiation therapy as it is more effective.

4. Targeted therapy
If cancer comes back after treatment, in the case of cervical cancer, doctors combine chemotherapy and targeted therapy where only the cells that are causing the damage are targeted. Usually, therapies can damage the good cells along with the bad ones. Targeted therapy prevents this and works only with the damaged cells. If cancer has spread beyond the cervix and has affected parts of the pelvis, doctors use a combination of targeted therapy and chemotherapy.

5. Immunotherapy
This therapy uses medication to boost the patient’s immunity and activates the immune system to fight cancer. Skin lesions, diarrhea, and weight loss are some of the side effects of immunotherapy.