Cervical Cancer - Surgery
Surgery to remove cervical cancer may be an option when the cancer is confined to the cervix or uterus. The type of surgery performed depends on the location and extent of cervical cancer and your desire to be able to have children.
Surgery Choices
Surgery for very early stages of cervical cancer that preserves your ability to have children includes:
- A cone biopsy or loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP), which removes a wedge of cervical tissue that contains the cancer.
-
Radical trachelectomy to remove the cervix, part of the vagina, and the pelvic
lymph nodes
(lymph node dissection). But the uterus is left in place.
Surgery for most stages of cervical cancer does not preserve your ability to have children. Surgeries include:
- Hysterectomy with or without removal of the ovaries, to remove the cervix and related organs where recurrence would be most likely to occur.
- Modified radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection. A radical hysterectomy usually includes removal of part of the vagina, the uterus, the ovaries, and the fallopian tubes. This removes the most likely sites of cancer and may reduce the risk of recurrence.
Surgery to remove the uterus and cervix (hysterectomy) may be done through an incision in the belly. For early-stage cervical cancer, laparoscopic surgery may be possible. This is done with several small incisions in the belly for a tiny camera and special instruments.
Robotic-assisted laparoscopic surgery uses robotic arms that translate the surgeon's hand motions into finer and more precise movements. This surgery requires specially trained doctors.
What To Think About
If surgery is part of your treatment, you also may be given radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or combination chemoradiation. These treatments may be given before or after surgery to try to destroy any cancer cells that may remain. Radiation, chemotherapy, or chemoradiation given before a surgery to help control or reduce the size of the tumor is called neoadjuvant therapy. Using these therapies after a surgery when only microscopic areas of cancer may still be present is called adjuvant therapy.
Compared with radiation alone, chemoradiation improves survival if it is used either before or after a hysterectomy.6
Side effects from surgery can include difficulty with urination or problems with bowel habits, such as constipation or diarrhea. Your ability to have or enjoy sexual intercourse may also be affected.
WebMD Medical Reference from Healthwise
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