Treatment options

Cervical cancer

Treatment options

The treatment for cervical cancer is decided by the Multi-Disciplinary Team on stage and grade of the tumour. It may include surgery, chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. It may also include treatment with targeted medicines.

Your specialist team will advise which if any of the below are suitable for you:

Surgical treatments

Surgery remains one of the main treatments for this type of cancer and you may be offered one of the following procedures:

Cystoscopy and occasionally hysterscopy – When cancer of the cervix is diagnosed it is important to check the bladder, bowel and sometimes the uterus for any signs of cancer. Both examinations are carried out under anaesthesia using a specialist camera. The procedures take between 10 and 30 minutes. Find out more about a cystoscopy on the NHS website (opens in a new tab)

More information about a hystercopy can be also be found on the NHS website (opens in a new tab).

Robotic (Radical or Simple) hysterectomy - This will involve the removal of your womb, cervix, tissues around the cervix and the upper part of the vagina. You can read more about this operation in the Patient Information Leaflet – ‘Da Vinci’ Robotic Hysterectomy and removal of ovaries (oophorectomy) with discharge advice.

Trachelectomy – This is an operation in which the cervix and upper part of the vagina are removed as a fertility preserving procedure. However, the uterus (the womb) and the ovaries are not removed, so it is still possible for you to have children. This operation is only suitable for some women who have very early stage cervical cancer. Read more about this procedure on the Macmillan website (opens in new tab).

Pelvic lymph node dissection

This is surgery to remove the lymph nodes that can be found in your pelvis which are a common place for cervical cancer to have spread. It can be difficult to see if your cancer has spread on scans, so sometimes your surgeon may remove them to see if there is any cancer. Lymph node removal is normally done as part of another operation. If cancer is found in your lymph node, you may be offered other treatment, such as chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Find out more

Find out more about cancer surgery at Royal Surrey.

Oncological treatments

Chemotherapy - is a cancer treatment which uses medicine to kill cancer cells. You may have chemotherapy on its own or with other anti-cancer treatments.

Learn more about chemotherapy treatment at Royal Surrey Cancer Centre.

Radiotherapy - Radiotherapy is a treatment where radiation is used to kill cancer cells. You may receive radiotherapy with chemotherapy.

Learn more about radiotherapy at Royal Surrey Cancer Centre.

Brachytherapy – is a form of radiotherapy where a radioactive source is placed inside or next to the area requiring treatment. This allows for a high dose of treatment to be delivered in a targeted way. Read more about Brachytherapy in this helpful patient leaflet.

Discover further information about receiving brachytherapy at Royal Surrey Cancer Centre.

Immunotherapy – Immunotherapy is a cancer treatment which uses antibodies in your own immune system to fight the cancer.