Cervical cancer is cancer anywhere in the cervix. The cervix is the opening between the womb and the vagina. It is part of the female reproductive system.
Anyone with a cervix can develop cervical cancer. Nearly all cases of cervical cancer are caused by a virus called human papilloma virus (HPV). In England, children aged 12 and 13 are now offered vaccination against human papilloma virus (HPV).
Cervical screening can help to find and treat changes in the cells of the cervix before they become cancer.
About cervical cancer
Cervical cancer usually develops slowly from abnormal cell changes in the cervix. Cervical cancer develops after a change in the DNA of the cells in the cervix. (DNA is the genetic material that tells cells what to do.) As these faulty cells divide and multiply, they eventually cause a cancer.
Anyone with a cervix can develop cervical cancer. You cannot develop it if you have had your womb and cervix removed (total hysterectomy).
You may be at more risk of cervical cancer if you:
- Are under 45
- You have a weakened immune system
- You have given birth to a lot of children or had children at an early age (under 17)
- You have had vaginal, vulval, kidney or bladder cancer in the past
Sometimes a cancer cell from the tumour in your cervix can spread to other parts of your body such as your liver or lungs. This is known as secondary (or ‘metastatic’) cervical cancer. It is also sometimes called advanced cancer.
Symptoms of cervical cancer can include:
- Vaginal bleeding that is unusual for you
- Changes to your vaginal discharge
- Pain during sex
- Pain in your lower back, between your hip bones (pelvis) or in your lower tummy
It is important to see a health professional if you have symptoms or changes in your body that are unusual for you.
If you have another condition such as fibroids or endometriosis, you may be used to having some of these symptoms. See a health professional if they change or get worse.
Treatment depends on a range of factors including the size, stage and location of your tumour. It may also depend on your age, general health and genetic factors (linked to the DNA changes in your cells) that tell us how your cancer developed.
Treatment options can include one or more of the following:
- Surgery – this may be before, during or after other treatments
- Drug therapies such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy. The general term for these is systemic anti-cancer therapies (SACT)
- Radiotherapy
When you are diagnosed, your care will be discussed at a multidisciplinary team meeting (MDT) where different specialists will consider the best treatment options for you. Your doctor will discuss this with you so you can decide what is right for you.
Genomics and cancer
Genomics is the study of a person’s genes (or ‘genome’) – the material in DNA that makes each person unique. Cancer is caused by changes in the DNA of a cell and tell it to multiply out of control.
Understanding where this change has occurred – for example, which gene is faulty – can help us know which treatment will give you the best chance of killing the cancer cells and stopping new ones from growing.
If gene testing can be used and if this is recommended for you, your clinical team will explain this to you in more detail at your appointment.
Our treatments
At The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre, we provide specialist non-surgical treatment for cervical cancer. We also work closely with surgical teams in other hospitals to plan and coordinate your care every step of the way.
Systemic anti-cancer therapy (SACT)
SACT is a term used to describe the different drug therapies for cancer. These include:
- Chemotherapy – which aims to kill cancer cells
- Immunotherapy – which aims to train your immune system to attack cancer
- Targeted therapies – which aim to target the DNA and cell changes that cause cancer such as hormone therapy.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is a drug that is used to kill cancer cells or stops them from dividing and multiplying. It can be used alone, with surgery and/or radiotherapy, with hormonal therapy, or other anti-cancer drugs such as targeted or biological therapies.
You may have chemotherapy for cervical cancer:
- After surgery to help stop the cancer coming back
- Alongside, before or after radiotherapy
- To help slow the cancer down and ease symptoms if it has spread to other parts of your body
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy medicines help your immune system to find and kill cancer cells. There are different types of immunotherapy. These include monoclonal antibodies, checkpoint inhibitors, vaccines or tumour infecting viruses. Immunotherapy is now a standard treatment for some types of cancer, and is currently involved in Clinical Trials for many other types of cancer. If this treatment is recommended for you, your clinical team will explain this to you in more detail at your appointment.
Radiotherapy
Radiotherapy involves using high-energy radiation to destroy cancerous cells. Radiotherapy may be given for various reasons, depending on how big the cancer is and whether it has spread.
There are several ways it can be used to treat cervical cancer:
- Often it is given in combination with chemotherapy, this is called chemo radiation.
- Sometimes radiotherapy is given instead of surgery.
- Sometimes it is used to shrink the tumour before, during or after other treatment.
- Sometimes it is used to relieve symptoms such as pain.
We use different types of radiotherapy, depending on the size, location and stage of the cancer.
The radiotherapy treatments we offer for cervical cancer include:
- Traditional external beam radiotherapy – where radiation is delivered from outside the body
- Brachytherapy – also known as ‘internal radiotherapy’ because the radiation is placed inside the body in close contact with the tumour
Clinical trials
Research and trials of new cancer treatments are an important part of our work. Your consultant will tell you about any clinical trials that may be suitable for you.
You are also very welcome to ask us about clinical trials during your appointments. We will be happy to answer any questions you have.
Find out more about clinical trials.
Treatment locations
We have a multi-site model where we visit hospitals across Cheshire and Merseyside to provide treatment and consultations closer to patients’ homes.
We provide systemic anti-cancer therapies (e.g. chemotherapy and immunotherapy) for cervical cancer at the following sites:
- Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – Liverpool
- Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – Wirral
- Halton – CanTreat Unit
- St Helens – Lilac Centre
- Outreach services to the Isle of Man
We provide radiotherapy for cervical cancer at:
- Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – Liverpool
Clinical trials for cervical cancer are delivered at Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – Liverpool.
The team consists of clinical oncologists, medical oncologists, a nurse consultant, clinical nurse specialists, radiographers, pharmacy, research practitioners, administrative support and a cancer support worker.
Our operational management team makes sure the service runs smoothly.
Consultants
Medical Oncologists
Dr Rosie Lord
Dr Danielle Shaw
Dr Laura Cossar
Clinical Oncologists
Dr Karen Whitmarsh
Dr Anthea Cree
Dr Elizabeth Mullen
Associate Specialist Doctor
Dr Mona Chopra
Specialist Doctor
Dr Muhammad Heiba
Clinical Nurse Specialists
Caron Robb
Jenny Gleave
Cancer Support Workers
Rachel Burns
Brachytherapy Clinical Specialist
Sarah Stead
Chemotherapy at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre
Immunotherapy at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre
Radiotherapy at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre
Brachytherapy at The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre
Radiotherapy for cancer of the uterus and cervix
High dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy to the cervix
Our Cancer Information and Support Centres can provide individualised help and support for patients and families affected by cancer. The team’s main base is in Clatterbridge Cancer Centre – Liverpool but they also work at our Aintree and Wirral hospitals.
There are also local Macmillan services in other hospitals across our region.
External sites that offer extra support and information about womb cancer include: