Treatment for cervical cancer

There are things you can do to help you feel more in control of your health when preparing for treatment. This is called prehabilitation or prehab.

If you have been diagnosed with cervical cancer, you might have surgery, chemotherapy with radiotherapy (chemoradiotherapy), chemotherapy, radiotherapy, or a targeted cancer drug and an immunotherapy drug. What treatment you'll have will depend on several things.

Surgery is one of the main treatments for cervical cancer. Surgery might include removing most of the cervix (radical trachelectomy) or the womb (radical hysterectomy). Some people might have a pelvic exenteration for advanced cancer.

Chemoradiotherapy means that you have chemotherapy and radiotherapy treatment together. You might have it as part of your treatment for cervical cancer.

Radiotherapy uses high energy x-rays to kill cervical cancer cells. External radiotherapy alongside chemotherapy (chemoradiotherapy) is one of the main treatments for cervical cancer. This may be followed by internal radiotherapy (brachytherapy).

Chemotherapy uses anti cancer (cytotoxic) drugs to destroy cancer cells. The drugs circulate throughout the body in the bloodstream.

Targeted cancer drugs work by targeting the differences in cancer cells that help them to grow and survive. Other drugs help the immune system to attack cancer. They are called immunotherapies.

The symptoms of advanced cervical cancer depend on where the cancer is in your body. The team looking after you will offer support and treatment to help.

Treatment for cervical cancer during pregnancy depends on the type of cervical cancer, its stage, how many weeks pregnant you are and what your wishes are.

After treatment for cervical cancer, you have regular checkups at the hospital. You also have tests, including blood tests, x-rays and scans.