Stage 2 womb cancer

The stage of a cancer tells you how big it is and how far it’s spread. It helps your doctor decide which treatment you need.

Stage 2 womb cancer means the cancer has grown into the cervix.

Treatment

The stage of your cancer helps your doctor to decide which treatment you need. Treatment also depends on:

• the type of womb cancer you have
• how the cancer is likely to behave (the grade)
• your general health
• your preferences

Surgery

Surgery is the main treatment for stage 2 womb cancer.

Your surgeon removes your womb and cervix. This is a hysterectomy. They usually also remove your fallopian tubes and ovaries.

They may need to remove:

• the top of your vagina and some of the surrounding tissue
• lymph nodes in your pelvis to check for cancer cells

The surgeon who does the surgery is usually a specialist surgeon called a gynaecological oncologist.

If you can't have surgery for any reason, you usually have radiotherapy instead.

Treatment after surgery

Treatment after surgery is called adjuvant treatment. It lowers the chance of the cancer coming back.

Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy uses high energy rays similar to x-rays to kill cancer cells. Most people have radiotherapy after surgery for stage 2 womb cancer.

You usually have both external radiotherapy and internal radiotherapy. Internal radiotherapy is called brachytherapy. You might not need external radiotherapy if they remove your lymph nodes during surgery.

Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy uses anti cancer drugs to destroy cancer cells.  Some women have chemotherapy as well as radiotherapy after surgery.  You are more likely to have chemotherapy if you have type 2 endometrial cancer or have carcinosarcoma of the womb.