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Effects of cervical cancer
Treating cervical cancer
The possibilities of treating a patient with cervical cancer strongly depend on the stage of the tumor. If it is detected early, treatment is effective when pre cancerous cells are removed. 
This can be done by loop excision; a metal loop is electrically heated and used to remove tissue. Other methods of treatment involve removal of pre cancerous cells by laser vaporization or by freezing (cryosurgery). The advantage of these forms of treatment is that they leave the cervix virtually intact, keeping the option of a future pregnancy open.
When the lesion is at a more advanced stage, it can be removed by cutting out a cone shaped piece of tissue (conisation). Sometimes this operation is also done in the very first stage of carcinoma of the cervix. Depending on the size of the tissue removed, the operation reduces the chance of a successful pregnancy. Removing the uterus, the tissue around the uterus and the pelvic lymph nodes is an effective way to treat the first stages of cervical cancer (stage Ia, Ib and IIa). This radical surgery can only be done by gynecologists with sufficient experience in treating cancer. If the cancer has not spread to the lymph glands, the patient still has a 90% chance of a full recovery. However if there are metastases to the lymph glands, the chance for survival is reduced to 50-60%. Naturally if the uterus us removed it is no longer possible to have children. Negative consequences of this procedure are infertility, problems passing urine and sexual problems. Depending on the age of the woman and the society in which she lives, this will have serious implications for her life ans her status.
Radiotherapy is the only treatment available for later stages of cervical cancer that sometimes proves to be effective. it can safe the woman's life depending on the stage of the disease. The chance to survive is unfortunately as low as 30% at later stages. radiotherapy is only available ins specialized medical centers with radiation facilities. Even in Western countries, there are waiting lists for this treatment, while in Third World countries radiotherapy is usually not available at all. Radiotherapy can also cause infertility and early menopause. Additionally, it can cause bowel, bladder and vaginal problems which affect the quality of life and the status of the woman in the relationship.
When treatment fails
When cervical cancer is discovered in the final stage, and when there is no adequate treatment available, the woman faces terrible suffering. The disease is usually not a fast killer, because the tumor primarily extends to the organs of the lower abdomen. it leads to open connections (fistulas) between the vagina, the rectum and the bladder which results in feces and urine coming out of the vagina. When the tumor affects the nervous system, terrible pain is caused. it can not or only marginally be suppressed even with the most up to date pain killers and anesthesiological methods. If the tumor develops into the ureter (that transports urine from the kidneys to the bladder), it may cause colic pain. Heavy vaginal bleeding can be caused by the tumor developing in the vagina. Death is imminent when both ureters are blocked because 
this leads to kidney failure. In later stages of the disease, the patients suffer extreme weight loss. The final stages of cervical cancer are as horrific as one imagines cancer to be: excruciating pain, extreme loss ofweight, humiliation and social isolation. Even in Western countries with excellent palliative care, this is a very serious condition. In countries where health care is only marginally available, it becomes a dreadful personal tragedy. it is horrendous that we must conclude that in some countries as many as one in ten women suffers from this disastrous disease.