Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that originates in the cells of the cervix, which is the lower part of the uterus connected to the vagina. Cervical cancer treatments depend on the stage in which one’s cancer is.

Before choosing a treatment, the specialist usually considers the following questions:

• The stage of the cancer
• The location of the cancer
• The type of cancer
• The health condition of the patient
• The patient’s age
• If the patient wants to birth a child

There are five types of standard cervical cancer treatments which include:

1. Surgery

Surgery is done to remove the cancerous tumor or remove cancer. Conization is a treatment wherein abnormal tissue is removed from the cervix and cervical canal. The tissue is then observed by the pathologist. Conization is helpful to diagnose and treat cervical cancer. This is also popularly known as cone biopsy.

Conization can be done by the following procedure:

• Cold knife conization to remove abnormal tissue.
• Loop electrosurgical excision procedure, which uses a current to remove abnormal tissue
• Laser surgery uses a laser beam as a knife to cut and remove the tumor and tissue
• Total hysterectomy involves the removal of the cervix, uterus, ovaries, and fallopian tubes
• Radical trachelectomy removes the upper part of the vagina, cervix and the surrounding tissues
• Bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy to remove the fallopian tubes and the ovaries
• Pelvic exenteration to remove the urethra, rectum, anus and the urinary bladder.

2. Radiation therapy
This treatment uses x-rays of high energy and other types of radiation to kill the cancer cells. There are two types of radiation:

External radiation therapy – This type of treatment uses a machine to send radiation to the cancer cells.

Internal radiation therapy -Here the radiation is sealed in catheters, seeds, needles, and wires which is then targeted at the cerous parts of the body.

3. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy uses medications to stop the growth of cancer by dividing them or killing the cells. The medications reach the cancerous cells via the bloodstream.

4. Targeted therapy
This treatment uses substances and medications to find and attack only those cells which are harmful. Monoclonal antibody therapy uses antibodies that are made in laboratories from a single type of immune cell. The antibodies attach to the cancer cells, consequently keeping them from spreading, and blocking their growth. This therapy is given via infusion. Bevacizumab is a monoclonal antibody that binds the protein called vascular endothelial growth factor and prevents the growth of new blood vessels. It treats cancer that has metastasized and recurrent cervical cancer.

5. Immunotherapy
This type of cervical cancer treatment takes help of the patient’s immune system to fight cancer. The substance used in this treatment boosts the natural defenses. This treatment is also popularly known as biologic therapy and biotherapy. They also have immune checkpoint therapy that uses PD-1 protein on the surface of the T cell, which keeps the immune response in control. Pembrolizumab is also a type of immune checkpoint inhibitor that is used to treat recurrent cervical cancer.