What is the first treatment for cervical cancer?

A cervical biopsy confirms the diagnosis. Colposcopy, imaging, and examination help show the tumour's size and position and whether it has spread. Very early disease may be treated with a cone biopsy in carefully selected situations. Surgery, including hysterectomy, may be considered when the cancer is confined to the cervix and an operation is appropriate.

For some locally advanced cancers, external radiotherapy is combined with chemotherapy, followed by brachytherapy placed close to the cervix. Immunotherapy may be considered for particular advanced or recurrent cancers. Palliative care can support symptoms and quality of life at any stage.

Ask for the biopsy and staging results in plain language and confirm which treatment sequence is proposed. Discuss fertility, sexual health, bladder and bowel effects, and early menopause before treatment if these matter to you. Bring someone to appointments or write down the names and purpose of each treatment.

Arrange specialist review promptly after an abnormal biopsy or confirmed diagnosis. Seek urgent help for heavy vaginal bleeding, fainting, severe pelvic pain, fever, or difficulty passing urine. During treatment, report new bleeding, infection symptoms, or severe diarrhoea promptly.

What stage is my cervical cancer, and what evidence supports that stage? Is surgery or chemoradiotherapy the recommended first step? Would a cone biopsy be suitable, and how could treatment affect fertility, sexual health, or bladder and bowel function?