If abnormal cells are found early and treated, it may be possible to avoid removing the uterus so that a woman can still have children. Unfortunately, once cervical cancer occurs, more aggressive measures may be needed. If the cancer is found and treated early, there is an excellent chance of cure. If left untreated, it will spread to nearby organs and possibly the rest of the body. A cone biopsy, where a portion of the center of the cervix is removed, or hysterectomy, in which the entire uterus is removed, may be done when cervical cancer is caught early.
Cancer is more likely to come back in a woman treated with cone biopsy .
During this type of surgery, the uterus, cervix, upper vagina, and surrounding tissue is removed. Depending on the extent of the cancer and a woman's age, the ovaries may be left in place. Radiation therapy is sometimes used before or after surgery to shrink the tumor cells further. Sometimes a woman isn't a good candidate for surgery, because of her age or other medical conditions. In this case, radiation therapy may be used alone or with chemotherapy.