Treatment of Uterine Cervical Cancer

Treatment of Uterine Cervical Cancer

Depending on the degree of uterine cancer patient will resort to a type of treatment or another:

Chemotherapy

Have different signs depending on the type and extent of the carcinoma. Normally used in advanced or before surgery to try to reduce the tumor size and facilitate the operation stages. In recent years, radiation therapy is used in cases associated with poor prognosis. Learn more about chemotherapy

Radiotherapy

In cancer of the uterus is used in two ways: external and contact (also called Curietherapy or brachytherapy). Brachytherapy seeks the destruction of the primary tumor, and is mainly used when the cancer has not spread to other organs or to lymph nodes. Applicators is to place within the uterus, which are connected to a cask containing cesium-137. This type of localized radiation treatment allows a more individualized and therefore more useful, while not protecting the organs affected by cancer to radiation.

External radiation therapy is directed at the lymph node involvement. Therapeutic application is to X-ray You may have some complications as the formation of rectal and bladder fistulas, and gastrointestinal disturbances.

Learn more about radiation therapy

Surgery

It can be conservatively (conization, coagulation, electrodiathermy or CO2 laser) or radical (hysterectomy). Here are what each one of these techniques:

Electrodiathermy
By applying high frequency current destroys the affected area. This method requires anesthesia. It can destroy up to a depth of 10 mm.

Cryocoagulation
The lesion was destroyed by the cold. It can be carried out without anesthesia. The action depth is 4 mm. The advantages of this method are speed, which is painless and no sequelae.

CO2 laser
If properly done damage to adjacent tissues is minimal and has no side effects.

Conization
A piece of cervix is ​​removed in the form of a cone. The base of the tumor is the full area.

Hysterectomy
It is the removal of the entire uterus. In most cases it is accompanied by the removal of the lymph. In advanced cases it may be necessary to include the ovaries. This technique is used only for cases where the cancer is widespread or older women.