Once the patient has been diagnosed as having cancerous cells on the cervix,
more tests will be done to find out if it has spread to other parts of the
body; this is called staging. There are several tests performed to determine
the stage of the cancer, including palpation, colposcopy, endocervical
curettage, hysteroscopy, cystoscopy, proctoscopy, and X-ray.
Palpation is
an examination done with the hands; the doctor feels for abnormalities.
Colposcopy
is a procedure in which a special microscope is inserted into the vagina
to get a close up look at the cervix.
Endocervical
curettage is the process of scraping the endocervix (opening of
the uterus) with a spoon shaped instrument (curette) in order to get a
tissue sample.
Hysteroscopy
is a procedure in which a small scope is used to look into the cavity of
the uterus.
Cystoscopy
is a telescopic inspection of the bladder and the urethra.
Proctoscopy
is an examination of the rectum using a thin, lighted tube called a
proctoscope.
X-ray examination
of the lungs and skeleton involve pictures taken with electromagnetic
radiation.
The treatment used for cervical cancer depends on the size
of the tumor, the stage of the disease, the patient’s desire for children, and
the patient’s age and overall health. If a woman is pregnant, those things will
be considered along with how far along into her term she is. Treatment may be
delayed. Various treatments for cervical cancer are as follow:
Chemotherapy—chemical
anti-cancer drugs that can be taken through the spine, through the vein,
through an injection, and through the mouth.
Cryosurgery—a
procedure that kills the cancerous cells by freezing them.
Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy—a hysterectomy is performed and
the ovaries and fallopian tubes are removed as well.
Conization—the
removal of a cone-shaped piece of abnormal tissue.
Hysterectomy—the
cervix and uterus are taken out along with the cancer for women who cannot
or do not want to have more children. In an abdominal hysterectomy, the
uterus is removed via surgery through the abdomen. In a vaginal
hysterectomy, the uterus is taken out through the vagina. A radical
hysterectomy involves the removal of the cervix, uterus, and part of the
vagina. Lymph nodes are also removed. (See lymph node dissection.) Laser
Surgery—cancerous cells are killed with a narrow beam of intense light. Loop
electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP)—an electrical current is passed
through a thin wire loop and used as a knife.
Lymph node dissection—Lymph
nodes are small bean-shaped structures that store white blood cells at
various points of the body’s lymphatic system. If the lymph cells become
infected with cancer, they are able to spread it through the whole body. A
lymph node dissection is the removal of the infected areas, done at the
time of a hysterectomy.
Radiation therapy--X-rays
or other high-energy rays are used to shrink tumors and kill cancer cells.
External radiation comes from a machine outside the body that sends rays
in. Internal radiation is inserted into the cancer-infected areas of the
body via thin plastic tubes. Radiation is used alone and in addition to surgery.