Dr Andy Nordin, consultant gynaecologist and gynaecological oncologist, answers your questions.
What is my chance of being cured?
Most women in the UK with cervical cancer are diagnosed with early-stage disease, when the chance of it being cured is extremely high.
Many women are cured even if the disease has started to invade other areas in the pelvis.
But if the disease is very advanced when it is diagnosed, there is sometimes no prospect of it being cured. In this situation, the best we can do is manage the symptoms and control the cancer’s progression.
Will I be able to have children?
Cervical cancer often affects young women, who may not have had children when they're diagnosed.
For very early-stage cervical cancer, there are a number of treatments that can preserve fertility. Even when the cancer is larger, there's a new operation called a trachelectomy that removes the cervix and the tissues alongside it, but preserves the womb and the ovaries.
Treatments for advanced-stage cervical cancer generally don't allow a woman to get pregnant in the future.
Discuss with your gynaecologist whether there's any prospect of remaining fertile and treating the cancer safely and effectively.
Will I be able to have sex again?
Most women who have surgical treatment for cervical cancer will have the possibility of a normal sex life afterwards.
Many women who have radiotherapy as part of their treatment will also be able to have a normal sex life, although they are more likely to have some problems, as a possible side effect of radiotherapy is narrowing of the vagina. If you are treated with radiotherapy, your clinical nurse specialist can advise you about using vaginal dilators to maintain the function of your vagina following treatment.
How long will it be before I know the cancer has gone?
Traditionally, we use five years' survival as the indicator that the cancer has been cured. However, recurrence of cervical cancer is uncommon after three years, so if the cancer doesn't come back within three years after treatment, it’s unlikely you’ll have problems after that.
