What Is Involved In Cervical Cancer Surgery
If you are terrified of getting treated for cervical cancer, then hang in there a little while longer because I guarantee you, it is not as bad as you think it is going to be. Cervical cancer surgery is easy, and while not that many women develop cervical cancer, doctors are well trained and experienced with cervical cancer surgery because it is exactly like many other surgeries. While there are many types of surgeries that you can be chose from, only one is the best for you and for removing or killing your cancer. The first step is to determine your stage of cervical cancer; from here we know if it is noninvasive or invasive. Then, from there you can choose your preferred surgery, with your doctor’s insight. If you have noninvasive cancer you have the option of getting laser surgery, cone biopsy, simple hysterectomy, or other options your doctor discusses with you. Laser surgery or cone biopsy is what I recommend if your cancer is just on the surface of your cervix because they are very simple and will not make you feel like you are in surgery at all. Laser surgery is noncomplex because it is beam of intense light that will kill the precancerous and cancerous cells upon contact. If you decide on a cone biopsy, then the doctor will use a scalpel to remove the cancerous cells. It is basically like scrapping the cells off your cervix with a knife. If you have invasive cancer, then the surgeries will be more involved, but should not be anymore scary. I know a fear of mine was that since cervical cancer is so rare, that the surgeons would be less experienced, but my doctor put me at ease. The surgeries used to remove cervical cancer are very common for other types of more common cancers, plus the other they may use after pregnancy on women. A very common procedure performed for invasive surgery is a radical hysterectomy. During this procedure they remove your cervix, uterus, parts of your vagina, and your surrounding lymph nodes. This is generally performed not only because it can cure the cancer, but it can also prevent it from coming back as well. In addition to surgery, radiation and chemotherapy are also performed. There are two types of radiation therapy, external and internal. External radiation uses external beam radiation, while internal radiation is simply placing radioactive material near your cervix. Commonly radiation is combined with chemotherapy. The drug that is safe for this is cisplatin. Or you could also choose to take chemotherapy medications without radiation. These are just my recommended options if you are scared of surgery. These are a lot less involved than other options. Do not limit yourself to just these surgeries though, feel free to research and talk to your doctor about other alternatives for cervical cancer surgery.
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