Cervical cancer treatment should begin with decent preparation. Before starting cervical cancer treatment, the patients should inform the doctors about other health problems they suffer from and the medications they are taking.

If the patient’s cervical cancer treatment plan involves cancer surgery, the patient should quit smoking for a couple of weeks before the surgery. Also, before the operation, the doctors might ask the patient to fast for half a day or more.

Lastly, the patients should arrange transportation for themselves since they won’t be able to drive after the operation and after the chemotherapy or radiation therapy sessions as well.

The recovery period of cervical cancer treatment is depended on the type of cervical cancer treatment chosen by your doctor. If the patient had an operation for cancer such as a hysterectomy, the patient should stay for a couple of days in the hospital. Also, the patient would have a drainage tube and a catheter that is inserted into the patient’s body. Later, when the patients return home, the patients should rest as much as they can but also, they should have walked and done other less strenuous activities to prevent the formation of blood clots. A couple of weeks after the cancer surgery, the patient would be fine.

The recovery period of chemotherapy and radiation therapy is much longer, and it might last for months or even years to completely recover. However, both treatments are generally outpatient practices.

Just like in any other cancer treatment, cervical cancer treatment might cause some complications. However, their prevalence is quite low.

Some of the risks of hysterectomy surgery are:

• Bleeding

• Damage to internal organs such as bowels, bladder, or ureter

• Formation of blood clots

• Infections

Chemotherapy and radiation therapy have several complications that include:

• Damage to organs such as lungs

• Neurological problems

Even though cervical cancer treatment has an overall positive effect, still there are some side effects related to the procedure. These side effects include early menopause or problems with the bladder and bowels in hysterectomy, problems with memory and concentration, hair loss, and weight loss in chemotherapy and radiation therapy procedures.

Depending on the stage of cervical cancer, success rates of treatment differ. For instance, there is a 93% 5-year survival rate for stage 0 cervical cancer treatment, though stage 4 cervical cancer treatment has a 16% survival rate.

HPV and Cervical Cancer – What Is the Connection?

HPV causes most cases of cervical carcinoma. Therefore, the HPV vaccine is frequently called the “vaccine for cervical cancer”.

What is the Key to Cervical Cancer Prevention?

The two best ways of preventing cervical cancer or at least early diagnosis of cancer are well-done cervical cancer screening guidelines, including regular PAP smears and HPV vaccines.

What are the Cervical Cancer Treatment Options?

In early cervical cancer stages, doctors choose to perform surgery, sometimes combined with chemotherapy. In the later stages of cervical cancer, the doctors recommend chemotherapy paired with radiation therapy.