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Cervical Cancer: Diagnosis and Treatment
Diagnosis
- Because symptoms are not always present, the diagnosis is often
made during a routine pelvic examination.
- Cervical cancer is treated fairly easily if detected early. For
this reason, regular screening with Pap smears is recommended,
and identified lesions should be treated appropriately.
- If cancer is suspected, a biopsy is necessary for definitive
diagnosis.
- In patients with diagnosed cervical cancer, blood tests, X–rays,
CT scans, endoscopy, and other tests may be necessary to evaluate
the extent of the cancer and assess for spread of the cancer to
other body sites.
Treatment
- Patients with cervical cancer are treated with surgery or radiation
along with chemotherapy.
Surgery preserves the ovaries and may be preferable for premenopausal
women. Radiation and chemotherapy may cause vaginal dysfunction
and dyspareunia (painful sexual intercourse).
There are two surgical options: hysterectomy to remove the entire
cervix and uterus, or conization to remove only the cancerous part
of the cervix. Hysterectomy is preferable in postmenopausal women.
In younger women who want to retain fertility, a conization procedure
may be used to remove the cancer while still allowing for future
pregnancy.
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