Treatment of Cervical Cancer

Surgery and radiation therapy are the two main treatments for cervical cancer. Surgery is the traditional method, but since the discovery of radium, radiation therapy has become a new treatment that can be used for patients at all stages, while surgery is only appropriate for certain early stage patients. For young patients with cervical cancer who are eligible for surgery, surgery is now considered better because it preserves vaginal function and ovarian function. In principle, radiotherapy can be used for any stage of cervical cancer, and there are two types of radiotherapy. 1.External irradiation, which is the use of physics (machine) to produce radiation, just like a flashlight, to irradiate the cancer site. Internal radiation, also known as “brachytherapy”, is a special radioactive material that is placed in the patient’s vagina or cervical canal, where the radiation works at a very close distance and has a stronger effect on the cancer. For cervical cancer that is suitable for surgery, what are the surgical options? It requires the doctor to make a judgment based on the fine staging of early stage cervical cancer. It can be said that based on the patient’s condition, it can be used as a surgical procedure for cervical cancer from the smallest conical hysterectomy to hysterectomy, to radical hysterectomy with preservation of the uterus, radical hysterectomy, and even to the largest pelvic contouring.