What are the treatments for cervical cancer?

Treatments for cancer of the cervix depend on the stage of disease, the size of the tumor, and a woman's age, overall physical condition, and desire to have children. Treatment for cervical cancer during pregnancy may be delayed, depending on the stage of the cancer and how many months of pregnancy remain. There are three kinds of treatment for women with cancer of the cervix:

1. surgery - removing the cancer in an operation;
2. radiation therapy - using high-dose x-rays or other high-energy rays to kill cancer cells;
3. chemotherapy - using drugs to kill cancer cells.

The National Cancer Institute recommends that doctors should strongly consider giving chemotherapy at the same time as radiation therapy for women with invasive cervical cancer. Five major studies showed that chemotherapy that includes the drug cisplatin, when given at the same time as radiation therapy, prolongs survival in women with this disease. Up to now, surgery or radiation alone has been considered standard treatment for this form of cancer.