Treatment for cervical cancer stage 1
ADVERTORIAL
Stage 1 cervical cancer is usually curable. You can have your treatment for cervical cancer stage 1 abroad and expect good reliable results with a low risk of tumor recurrence.
How is stage 1 cervical cancer diagnosed?
Cervical cancer is the most common oncologic disease in women under the age of 40. It can be detected at stage 1 by screening. All women over 21 undergo it, even those who have HPV infection vaccination.
The diagnostic process usually begins with a PAP smear. If abnormal cells are found in the cervical smear, a colposcopy and a biopsy are performed. The biopsy results will confirm the diagnosis. Further examination using instrumental methods (ultrasound, MRI) allows for the staging of the disease.
The prognosis for stage 1 cancer is favorable because it can usually be cured with surgery.
Principles of treating different first stage variants
Cervical cancer staging is complex, so there are several variations of the first stage that differ in severity, prognosis, and treatment tactics. In addition to the stage, the choice of treatment is influenced by a woman's age and the desire to preserve fertility.
Treatment principles at different stages:
Stage IA1. A simple hysterectomy (removal of the uterus) is the most preferred treatment at this stage. But if the biopsy shows lymphovascular invasion (tumor spread into the blood vessels), a radical hysterectomy will be required. This is a more traumatic surgery to remove the uterine appendages and surrounding uterine tissue.
Women with reproductive plans may have LEEP, the removal of a small cone-shaped cervical area. This is the least invasive of the treatments, as cryotherapy and ablation are not used for cervical cancer, even in the first stage.
LEEP is followed by a histologic examination of the surgical material. If there are no cancer cells at the margin of the tissue removed (clear resection margin), no further treatment is required. However, if cancer cells are found, a repeat LEEP or radical trachelectomy (removal of the cervix and part of the vagina while preserving the body of the uterus) will be required.
Stage IA2. Women who wish to preserve their fertility are treated according to similar oncology principles.
Patients not interested in fertility preservation have two treatment options:
● Radical hysterectomy with pelvic lymph node dissection.
● External beam radiotherapy combined with brachytherapy (internal radiotherapy in which radioactive materials are delivered directly to the tumor through the vagina).
Treatment tactics after surgery depend on the results of surgical material testing. No additional treatment may be needed after surgery. However, if the doctors find lymph node metastases, the tumor is large, has invaded the stroma (surrounding connective tissue), lymphatic or blood vessels, additional postoperative treatment is performed: this is at least radiation therapy, and if the resection margin is positive or the cancer has spread to the parametrium, chemotherapy is also required.
Stages IB1 and IB2. Fertility preservation is still possible, but a radical trachelectomy is considered the only surgical option for these women.
If there is no desire to preserve fertility and a woman prefers to obtain more reliable treatment results, a radical hysterectomy with pelvic and para-aortic lymph node removal is performed, and the surgery is followed by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. If surgery is contraindicated or refused, a combination of chemotherapy and irradiation followed by brachytherapy may be an option.
Stage IB3. Fertility-sparing surgery is no longer offered to women. Treatment options include a radical hysterectomy and chemoradiation followed by brachytherapy. A small number of patients are treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, brachytherapy, and then a hysterectomy.
Immunotherapy for stage 1 cervical cancer is not used or may be used in clinical trials.
You are welcome to use the Booking Health service if you wish to have your treatment abroad. On the website, you can choose a clinic, see prices, make an appointment for your treatment on your preferred dates, and get travel arrangements.