Management of cervical cancer.
BACKGROUND
Australia now has one of the lowest incidence and mortality rates for cervical cancer worldwide. Women who develop the disease frequently have underutilised cervical screening opportunities and commonly present with symptoms such as abnormal vaginal bleeding.


OBJECTIVE
This article reviews the management of women presenting with cervical cancer in Australia today.


CONCLUSIONS
Although fertility sparing options of management are emerging, these options are only available for women presenting with early stage disease. For women presenting with substantial disease, radical surgery and/or chemoradiation is required. These women face the rigors of radical therapy as well as challenges to their sexual identity with loss of fertility, loss of ovarian function, and vaginal shortening and stenosis. Health care providers need to be cognitive and sensitive to these issues.
Blomfield
Penny
P
University of Tasmania, Royal Hobart Hospital, Tasmania, Australia. penny.blomfield@dhhs.tas.gov.au
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001315:Australia / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D009313:National Health Programs; D015996:Survival Rate; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*; D002578:Uterine Cervical Dysplasia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000628:therapy*