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Treatment for women’s reproductive cancers depends on a variety of factors, such as the type and stage of the cancer. There are a number of standard approaches for treating gynecologic cancers. When a patient is diagnosed with a reproductive cancer, her surgeon, oncologist or gynecologic oncologist (a physician who specializes in treating cancers of the female reproductive system) may recommend any of the following treatment methods. In many cases, patients may receive a combination of the therapies including:

• Surgery. Recommended surgical procedures differ according to the location, type and stage of the cancer. Minor surgery may include procedures such as laser therapy, which is often used to treat early cervical and vulvar cancers and precancers. This surgical technique vaporizes abnormal cancer cells with a focused laser beam. Other, more involved procedures may include:
  
  
• Unilateral or bilateral ovariectomy (oophorectomy). The surgical removal of one or both ovaries.
  

  

• Unilateral or bilateral salpingectomy. The removal of one or both fallopian tubes (the tubes that transport the eggs from the ovaries to the uterus).
  
  
• Simple hysterectomy. The surgical removal of the cervix and the body of the uterus. Simple hysterectomy requires general or regional anesthesia, and normally requires a three- to five-day hospitalization. Complete recovery from this procedure typically takes about four to six weeks. Simple hysterectomy  results in the inability to become pregnant.
  
  
• Radical hysterectomy. The surgical removal of the entire uterus as well as surrounding tissues and part of the vagina. This procedure is generally used to treat cancers that may have invaded or spread (metastasized) to other parts of the body, and typically requires a five- to seven-day hospitalization. Women who have a radical hysterectomy will be unable to become pregnant.
  
  
• Radiation therapy. Physicians  may choose to kill cancer cells with high-energy radiation. Radiation intended to destroy abnormal cells may be used to treat any of these gynecologic cancers either alone or in conjunction with chemotherapy. Depending on the type and stage of cancer, women may receive external radiation therapy or brachytherapy (implanted radiation pellets) to destroy cancer cells. Radiation therapy may be provided before or after surgery or chemotherapy.
  
  
• Chemotherapy. This form of treatment uses powerful drugs to destroy cancer cells. It is typically administered orally or intravenously (into a vein). However, it can also be administered in cream form for vaginal cancer.  Once the drugs enter the patient’s bloodstream, they begin to travel throughout the body. Therefore, chemotherapy is useful in treating cancer that has spread to other sites in the body. In certain cases, multiple drugs or combination chemotherapy may be more effective in treating cancer than a single drug alone. Chemotherapy may cause infertility in some patients.
  
  
• Clinical trials. Patients may choose to participate in studies involving promising new or experimental treatment methods for reproductive cancers. A woman’s oncologists can best determine if she is a candidate for clinical trials and recommend appropriate studies.

Other procedures are reserved for treating specific cancers. These may include:

• Cryotherapy (also called cryosurgery) is often used to treat cervical cancer and precancerous lesions of the cervix. This procedure uses a metal probe chilled by immersion in liquid nitrogen to eliminate abnormal cells.
  
  
• Dilation and curettage (D&C) is sometimes used to treat women with endometrial cancer. During this outpatient procedure, the cervix is dilated and tissue is scraped from the inside of the uterus using a special surgical instrument. The tissue sample is then analyzed under a microscope for abnormalities.
  
  
• Vulvectomy may be used to treat some cases of vulvar cancer. There are several variations of this operation, in which part or the entire vulva is removed.

In some cases, women find that treatment for reproductive cancers presents challenges in regard to sex and intimacy. This is particularly true when treatment involves surgery, such as:

• Hysterectomy (removal of the uterus)
• Bilateral salpingectomy-oophorectomy (removal of the fallopian tubes and ovaries)
• Vaginal resection (removal of the vagina)

Some women find the abdominal scars caused by incisions make them less comfortable with their bodies, and hinders intimacy. In other cases, physical changes – such as a vaginal canal shortened by a hysterectomy – may make women less comfortable during intimacy.

Women should speak to their physician about ways to overcome such challenges. With the support of a loving partner, most women can continue to have fulfilling sex lives.