Treatment of cervical cancer at stage 2
The second stage of cervical cancer means that the tumor has spread beyond the organ into the surrounding tissues. But it has not yet affected the muscles or ligaments that line the pelvis (the area between the femurs), or the lower part of the vagina.
To select the most effective treatment for stage 2 cervical cancer, this stage of the disease is divided into subtypes.
- Stage 2A — the cancer has spread to the upper part of the vagina. This stage, in turn, is divided into 2 A1 (the tumor has spread to 4 cm or less) and 2 A2 (the neoplasm is more than 4 cm).
- Stage 2B — the cancer has spread to the tissue around the cervix.
To select the right treatment, in addition to the stage, the type of cells in which the cancer began to develop, the presence of known mutations, the location of the tumor and the general health of the patient are also determined. The average life expectancy for stage 2 cervical cancer depends on all these factors.
Treatment of stage 2A cervical cancer
The main methods at this stage of the disease are surgery and combined chemoradiotherapy. Surgery for stage 2A cervical cancer usually means that the patient's uterus and cervix will be removed (radical hysterectomy). The surgeon also removes the lymph nodes around the cervix (pelvic lymph nodes). This is because there is a risk of cancer spreading to adjacent areas of the lymphatic system. In modern clinics, this procedure is performed minimally invasively: using a laparoscope or a Da Vinci robotic system.
Combined chemoradiotherapy is the appointment of daily external radiation sessions for 5 weeks, with the exception of weekends. Concurrent chemotherapy for stage 2 cervical cancer helps to increase the sensitivity of cancer cells to radiation therapy. At the end of the course, internal radiation therapy (brachytherapy) is often prescribed. Granules with a radioactive substance are injected into the cervix and left near the place where the tumor was located. Depending on the radiation dose, the time spent by the granules inside the patient's body also varies.
The prognosis for stage 2 cervical cancer, if properly treated, is 63% of surviving patients within 5 years.
Treatment of stage 2B cervical cancer
If cancer spreads around the cervix, chemoradiotherapy is performed without prior surgery. Doctors are trying to shrink the tumor with drugs and radiation so that they can perform a more effective operation (to remove all cancer cells). The prognosis for cervical cancer at stage 2B is about 50% of patients.
Targeted therapy for the treatment of stage 2 cervical cancer
When specific mutations are detected in a patient's cancer cells, targeted therapy is prescribed in modern clinics. These drugs target certain mechanisms occurring in the tumor, so they have fewer side effects than chemotherapy. For example, new blood vessels are needed for the rapid growth of cancerous tissue. This process is called angiogenesis. Some targeted drugs (angiogenesis inhibitors) block the development of new blood vessels, thereby stopping tumor growth.
