Diagnosis and Treatment for Cervical Cancer

The key to protecting yourself from cervical cancer is early diagnosis and treatment. When caught early, nearly all cervical cancers are treatable. And the surest way to catch cervical cancer early is to get regular pap tests, and HPV tests when recommended.
Learn more about pap testing
If you have abnormal pap test results

If your pap test shows abnormal cells, your doctor will discuss appropriate follow-up. In some cases, your doctor may simply recommend pap testing at more frequent intervals. In other cases, your doctor may suggest colposcopy, a procedure that enables the doctor to examine the cervix — the lower, narrow portion of the uterus that joins with the vaginal canal — under magnification. If necessary, a biopsy, in which a small tissue sample is taken, may be performed.
Learn more about what abnormal test results mean
Treating cervical cancer1

Cervical cancer is a highly treatable condition. The choice of treatment is a decision made between a woman and her doctor, considering a number of factors such as the stage of cancer and the desire for future pregnancy. The treatment options for cervical cancer include surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy, given alone or in combination.

Surgical treatments allow for the removal of precancerous or cancerous cells; common procedures include:

* LEEP — loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP) uses electrical current passed through a thin loop-shaped wire to remove precancerous cells on the surface of the cervix.
* Conization — also called a cone biopsy, this procedure involves the removal of a cone-shaped piece of tissue from the cervix.
* Hysterectomy — is the removal of all or part of the uterus and cervix, and can be performed via an incision in the abdomen or the vagina.

Nonsurgical treatments can include:

* Radiation therapy — uses high-energy X-rays or other radiation to kill or prevent cancer cells from growing. It can be given either from the outside (much as you would receive an X-ray) or from the inside (using various kinds of radioactive seeds, wires, or catheters).
* Chemotherapy — uses one or more drugs to kill cancer cells or stop them from growing.

You can learn more about cervical cancer treatment options on the National Cancer Institute (NCI) website.

After treatment ends, it is important to follow up with routine checkups and pap tests to ensure that the cancer doesn’t return. This is especially true for the first few years after treatment.


Reference

1. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Pamphlet. Cancer of the Cervix. Washington DC; 2004.
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