Stages, types and grades of cervical cancer
The stage of a cancer tells you how big it is and whether it has spread. It helps your doctor decide which treatment you need.
Doctors use the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) staging system for cervical cancer. There are 4 stages, numbered 1 to 4.
Stage 2 means the cancer has begun to spread outside the neck of the womb (cervix) into the surrounding tissues. But it has not grown into the:
pelvic wall - the muscles or ligaments that line the area between the hip bones (the pelvis)
lower part of the vagina
It can be divided into:
stage 2A
stage 2B
In stage 2A the cancer has spread down into the top of the vagina. It can be divided into:
stage 2A1
stage 2A2
Stage 2A1 means the cancer is 4 cm or less.
Stage 2A2 means the cancer is more than 4 cm.
In stage 2B the cancer has spread up into the tissues around the cervix.
The stage of your cancer helps your doctor to decide which treatment you need. Treatment also depends on:
your type of cancer (the type of cells the cancer started in)
where the cancer is
other health conditions that you have
Read more about how your doctor decides which treatment you need
Stage 2 cervical cancer might be treated with:
combined chemotherapy and radiotherapy (chemoradiotherapy) and brachytherapy
surgery to remove lymph nodes
very rarely, a radical hysterectomy, followed by chemoradiotherapy
With this treatment, you have chemotherapy during your course of radiotherapy.
You have daily external radiotherapy for 5 days every week, for around 5 weeks. You also have internal radiotherapy (brachytherapy).
You might also have a boost of radiotherapy if there is a risk of any cancer cells in pelvic lymph nodes.
You might have surgery to remove the lymph nodes around your cervix and womb (pelvic lymph nodes). This is because there is a risk the cancer may have spread from the cervix to the nearby lymph nodes.
Some people might have a radical hysterectomy followed by chemoradiotherapy, but this is not a standard treatment. This combination of treatment is generally not advised.
Find out more about surgery for cervical cancer
Last reviewed: 23 Oct 2023
Next review due: 23 Oct 2026
The stage of a cancer tells you about its size and whether it has spread. The type means the type of cell the cancer started from. The grade means how abnormal the cells look under the microscope.
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.
Your treatment depends on several factors. These include what type of cervical cancer you have, how big it is, whether it has spread (the stage) and the grade. It also depends on your general health.
You usually start by seeing your GP if you have symptoms that could be due to cervical cancer. Your doctor will then decide whether to do tests or refer you to a specialist.
Survival depends on many factors including the stage and type of your cervical cancer.
Cervical cancer is when abnormal cells in the lining of the cervix grow uncontrollably and eventually form a growth (tumour).
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