Treatment and Prevention
Cervical cancers that are detected early enough - as most are nowadays - can be removed by surgery. The cure rate is very high, and only a small minority of cancers return after treatment. Nevertheless, a woman can expect to be monitored closely after successful treatment to make sure that the cancer is gone for good.
With larger cancers, more tissue must be removed. A tumor that's spread into the wall of the cervix usually requires hysterectomy (removal of the uterus). Small tumors can be treated with extrafascial hysterectomy, leaving some of the uterus (womb) intact. Somewhat larger tumors require radical hysterectomy, the complete removal of the uterus and cervix. If cancer has spread to nearby lymph nodes (a network of kidney bean-shaped immune organs spread throughout the body), the affected nodes must be removed as well.
With more advanced tumors, doctors often recommend radiation therapy after surgery to kill any remaining cancer cells. Unfortunately, radiation can cause stenosis (closing) and dryness of the vagina. Regular stretching with a special device known as a dilator can help prevent vaginal stenosis. This can be done at home.
Very advanced or widespread tumors are often treated with radiation. In fact, cervical cancer can be cured by radiation alone, even when the tumor has spread.
In a few cases, the cancer has spread widely in the pelvis (i.e., to the bladder and rectum) but hasn't reached the lungs or other organs. Radiation therapy is usually tried first, but if this doesn't work, a surgical procedure called exenteration may be effective. Exenteration is a procedure in which all of the pelvic organs are removed, and the organs are replaced by artificial devices and grafts of the person's own tissue. This radical technique produces cure rates of about 50%.
The risk of cervical cancer can be greatly reduced if you avoid becoming infected with the papillomavirus. That said, the virus is a very common infection in both men and women, and only a very small percentage of infections cause any problems. Most people picked it up in adolescence or early adulthood, long before they or anyone else knew about its link to cervical cancer.
If you aren't infected, you can help stay that way by practicing safer sex through the use of condoms. However, it's important to know that condoms only protect the areas that they cover. Since condoms do not cover all areas that may touch during sexual activity, HPV can still be spread by skin-to-skin contact even when someone is wearing a condom. Nonetheless, since condoms cover most of the genital areas that are in contact during sex, they reduce the risk of HPV even if they don't prevent it completely.
If you smoke, quitting will also improve your chances of avoiding cervical cancer.
Another way to prevent cervical cancer is through vaccination. The world's first vaccination against HPV was approved in the United States and Canada in 2006. The vaccination provides protection from 4 different types of human papillomavirus. In studies, it has proven to be very highly effective in preventing infection with 4 types of HPV that cause genital warts, cervical cancer, precancers of the cervix, and cancers of the vulva and vagina.
The vaccine is currently available for girls and women aged 9 to 26. Although the vaccine protects against future HPV infections, it does not affect existing infections in people with HPV. This means that girls who are not yet sexually active are the best candidates for the vaccine, since they have not yet been exposed to HPV. But women who are already sexually active can also benefit from the vaccine if they have not yet contracted HPV. The vaccination is given in 3 doses over a period of 6 months.