Hadassah Medical Center
Treatment of cervical cancer in Israel
Cervical cancer is one of the most wide spread oncologic diseases of women. It is second in prevalence to breast cancer and takes almost 15% of cases of the oncologic diseases of reproductive systems. The cancer affects the lower part of uterus. Most often, the women of the age of 35-39 and 60-64 years old suffer from such cancer. The disease may occur in two forms: 80-90% of cases is the squamous cell carcinoma; the other cases are taken by adenocarcinoma. The significant increase of the number of patients suffering this disease has been observed recently, i.e. from 37% to 47%.
Diagnostics of cervical cancer in Israel
Comprehensive diagnostics of disease in the leading Israeli hospitals is held in three main phases.
The first phase allows detecting the disease and includes the following diagnostic procedures:
- A thorough gynecological examination of the cervix providing the opportunity to suspect the disease by appearance of mucosa. If any pathologies occur, they can be spread and cause the ulceration.
- Extended colposcopy, i.e. cervix examination by colposcope, a device providing from 7.5 to 40 times zoom of the image. Such examination allows getting the indirect evidence of pathology, both in the primary and in the later period.
- Blood testing for tumor markers. The increased indicator of squamous cell carcinoma antigen in the blood serum can be the evidence of the possible development of disease.
- Cytological examination, i.e. the testing of condition of cells on the cervix surface, taken by smear.
- Biopsy can play the decisive role while the diagnosis sets up, i.e. study of the cervix sample, taken by the special tools. Israeli hospitals exclude the complications of the biopsy, which is held without any pain.
If the cervical cancer is confirmed, Israeli experts appoint the next phase of examinations. It includes the following diagnostic procedures:
- Pelvic ultrasound. It allows the estimation of upcoming surgery scale and spread of oncologic process in the neighboring organs to tumor. CT of these organs may be held to clarify the results.
- Intravenous urography is held to estimate the functioning of kidneys.
- Cystoscopy is appointed to find out the tumor affection of the bladder, and rectoscopy to detect this in the rectum.
Data received provide the idea of the stage of affection of the neighboring organs to disease hearths.
The metastases at the remote sites of the organism are detected at the latest phase by abdominal ultrasound and chest X-ray.
Treatment methods of cervical cancer in Israel
Various kinds of procedures are applied for disease treatment, which selection depends on disease spread and its stage. If the cancer is detected at the early stages, Israeli doctors strive both to its destruction and to preservation of fertility functions of the patient by the following methods:
- Cryosurgery, i.e. removal of the affected sites by substances of low temperature
- Laser surgery, i.e. burning the cancer cells by laser beam directed through vagina
- Loop excision, i.e. removal of the tumor by a hot thin wire
- Brachytherapy, i.e. administration of the radioactive substances directly into affected organ for irradiation
When the cancer is of mid-stage, the uterus and affected lymph nodes are removed. The sparing methods are usually applied during such a surgery held in Israel:
- Uterus removal through vagina by laparoscope, i.e. optical tool for high-precision surgery
- Removal by robotic surgical system
Methods of chemo- and radiotherapy are applied at the latter stages, i.e. 3rd and 4th.
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1st stage Cancer removal, i.e. cryosurgery, laser surgery, brachytherapy. |
2nd stage Uterus and affected lymph nodes removal, i.e. laparoscopic and robotic. |
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3rd stage Uterus removal. Chemo- and radiotherapy. |
4th stage Uterus removal. Chemo- and radiotherapy. Palliative therapy. |
Rehabilitation and prevention of cervical cancer complications
Rehabilitation program at Israeli hospitals is developed individually for each patient and has a comprehensive nature. For instance, hormonal therapy is frequently applied while the ovaries removal; removed vagina is recovered by the methods of intimate plastic surgery. Peculiar attention during the rehabilitation is paid to the balanced nutrition and special physical exercises. Psychologists work with the patients on a regular basis, whose objective is to take back the women to normal life.
It is important to follow strictly the doctor’s recommendations in order to prevent the complications after cervical cancer. They usually deal with the constant monitoring of the immune system, physical activity exclusion, as well as preventing medical check-up from 3 to 4 times per annum.
Many women were brought both to normal life, and to give birth to healthy children after the rehabilitation.