Cervical cancer

Diagnostic tests for cervical cancer include imaging scans and pathology tests such as a pap test, HPV DNA test, colposcopy and biopsy, although your doctor may use other tests to identify the problem. You may also have imaging scans, such as MRI and CT, and other tests to find out more about your cancer, where it’s located and which treatments are likely to be most effective. Some of these tests are also used to assess how well your treatment is working.

Find your nearest SunState Medical Specialists center to find out what diagnostic tests and scans are available in your local area. Whatever your outcome, our expert team will support you throughout your treatment journey.

We work with expert teams of gynecological surgeons who are specially trained in surgical removal of benign (non-cancerous) and malignant (cancerous) tumors of the cervix. There are different procedures used for cervical cancer surgery and your surgeon will recommend the most appropriate one for you depending on your intentions to get pregnant, if you’ve gone through menopause, the size of your tumor and how advanced your disease is.

Cone biopsy

A cone biopsy, or conization, is a procedure that involves cutting a small, cone-shaped piece away from the cervix while leaving the rest of the healthy tissues intact. If you have early stage cervical cancer and your tumor is very small, it may be possible to remove it entirely with a cone biopsy. This may make it possible for you to become pregnant in future.

Trachelectomy

If you have invasive cervical cancer but still wish to get pregnant, your surgeon may recommend trachelectomy. During this procedure, your surgeon will remove the cervix and some of the upper part of the vagina, but not the uterus. A stitch will be made inside your uterine cavity to keep the uterus closed like the cervix normal would. After the surgery, you may be able to have a healthy pregnancy, but you’ll need to deliver your baby by cesarean section.

Hysterectomy

Hysterectomy is the surgical removal of the uterus and cervix. In some cases, it may also involve removing part of the upper vagina and nearby lymph nodes. A hysterectomy can cure cervical cancer and prevent its recurrence, however, it makes it impossible for you to become pregnant in future.

At SunState Medical Specialists, we specialize in advanced radiation therapy techniques that are designed to be effective and minimize the side effects you’ll experience. As a leader in cancer care and other challenging conditions, our broad experience and world-class expertise means we offer advanced and innovative radiation therapy as standard.

Radiation therapy for cervical cancer

External beam radiation therapy

At SunState Medical Specialists our cervical cancer treatments include external beam radiation therapy (EBRT), where radiation is delivered from outside the body, and internal radiation therapy (IRT), where the radiation dose is given via a source implanted within the body.

Intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)

IMRT is an advanced external beam radiation therapy technique where the beams of radiation are precisely shaped to exactly match your tumor and damage to adjacent healthy tissues is limited.

Intracavitary brachytherapy

Intracavitary brachytherapy is an internal radiation therapy that delivers radioactivity into a space near the tumor site through small plastic tubes called catheters. The radiation can either be removed after 20 minutes (HDR brachytherapy) or stay in the vagina over a few days (LDR brachytherapy). It can also be used on its own or after surgery.

At SunState Medical Specialists, we offer various drug therapies and a wide range of the latest anti-cancer drugs for cervical cancer treatment, including chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy.

Chemotherapy for cervical cancer

Chemotherapy refers to drugs that destroy cancer cells. Our expert teams may recommend chemotherapy before or after other treatments, or on its own. It can also be combined with radiation therapy (chemoradiation) to treat locally advanced cervical cancer – where the cancer has spread to the tissues next to the cervix.

Targeted therapy for cervical cancer

As researchers know more about cervical cancer, they have developed new treatments that can specifically target it. We use targeted therapy to seek and attack cellular activity that the cancer depends on to survive and grow.

Immunotherapy for cervical cancer

Immunotherapy helps your body’s own immune system to recognize and fight the cancer. In cervical cancer, immunotherapy is used if your cancer continues to grow after chemotherapy or it has spread to other parts of your body.

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SunState Medical Specialists offers community-based cancer care and other services at convenient locations. The company’s purpose is to redefine the care experience by improving patient outcomes, access and care delivery. With advanced technology and innovative treatment options, skilled physicians and support staff offer comprehensive and coordinated care in radiation oncology, medical oncology, hematology, urology, diagnostics and surgical oncology.