Cervical Cancer Treatment Program

Overview

We combine research, technology and an advanced understanding of cancer diagnosis and treatment to tailor your care to the individual characteristics of your disease. This customized approach is the future of cancer care.

Each year, we treat thousands of patients with rare or common forms of cancer. Studies show that this high level of experience improves outcomes for patients. Specialization also improves outcomes. Our medical experts are sub-specialized by cancer type. Many of our approaches are only available at a few other hospitals in the country.

Expertise in Diagnosing and Staging Cancers

Our pathologists are sub-specialized in identifying gynecologic cancers, leading to more accurate diagnosis and staging. This forms the basis for your treatment.

Our gynecologic cancer pathologists are internationally recognized and consulted on the diagnosis of cervical cancer. They participate in tumor board meetings, sharing information about each patient's unique cancer with the entire treatment team to help guide care planning.

Our radiologists offer all options to diagnose and accurately stage gynecologic cancer, including:

• Ultrasound
• PET
• PET/CT
• MRI

They also offer promising novel imaging approaches and have extensive experience performing image-guided procedures like CT-guided biopsy.

Medical Oncology

In addition to traditional chemotherapies, our medical oncologists offer innovative approaches including:

• Novel therapies for drug-resistant tumors
• Access to leading-edge therapies through clinical trials conducted collaboratively with hospitals in the Harvard system and nationally with the Gynecologic Oncology Group
• Chemotherapy to help boost sensitivity to radiation
• Oncologists and specially trained nurses provide personal attention and advice on coping with side effects. Acupuncture is available to help manage side effects

Excellence in Surgical Care

Studies show that generally the less invasive the surgery, the faster the recovery. For patients needing cervical cancer surgery, our specialized surgeons offer minimally invasive and traditional surgical techniques including:

• Minimally invasive robotic assisted surgery
• Laparoscopic surgical techniques
• Fertility-sparing surgery

Learn about Mass General's Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery Center.

Surgical Outcomes for the Ovaries & Uterus

The Center for Outcomes & Patient Safety in Surgery (COMPASS) ensures that data related to obstetric care and treatment of conditions of the ovaries & uterus is transparent and accessible for patients as they make important health decisions. 

In this video, learn about performance data for Mass General obstetric and gynecologic care.

Multidisciplinary Patient Care

Patients are usually seen within one week of referral.

Your personalized treatment plan will be developed by experts from an array of gynecologic cancer specialties. Depending on the stage and other characteristics of your cancer, this treatment plan may include surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, or a combination of these therapies.

The specialists involved in your care may include:

• Medical Oncologists to prescribe the most effective chemotherapy treatments and discuss available clinical trials
• Radiation Oncologists who specialize in delivering the highest therapeutic dose while protecting healthy tissue
• Surgical Oncologists experienced in the latest minimally-invasive gynecologic surgery approaches
• Oncology nurses and nurse practitioners who specialize in cancer care
• Pathologists specializing in gynecologic cancers who provide a precise diagnosis of your cancer
• Radiologists specializing in gynecologic malignancies that help guide the selection of appropriate imaging tests and provide accurate interpretation
• Oncology psychiatrists and social workers experienced in helping with the cognitive side effects of cancer and treatment, as well the emotional and spiritual aspects of the cancer experience
• A nutritionist to help you with questions about diet and nutrition during treatment
• Palliative care providers to improve quality of life

Pioneering Radiation Therapies

Our specialized radiation teams offer a full spectrum of radiation treatments for cervical cancer including some approaches available at just a few other hospitals in the U.S. including:

• Proton beam radiation therapy that pinpoints tumors with precision
• Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), which delivers different doses of radiation to different parts of a tumor simultaneously
• Intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) to deliver radiation directly into the tumor area during surgery
• Concurrent chemoradiation
• Preservation of sexual function with conservative surgery and chemoradiation
• Outpatient brachytherapy to deliver radiation near or directly into the tumor using tiny internally implanted radiation sources

Learn about our gynecologic radiation oncology program.

Clinical Trials

Clinical trials are research studies of new drugs, new combinations of drugs or already approved drugs being studied to treat patients in new and different ways. They may include new drug doses or new ways (schedules) to give the drugs. Clinical trials are run under strict guidelines. Their purpose is to help find out whether new cancer treatments are safe and effective or better than the standard (current) treatment. At Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center, there are several clinical trials open for the treatment of cervical cancer that use the latest in cancer treatments.

Cancer is increasingly becoming a disease in which the genetic make-up of each individual cancer drives therapy. The Center for Gynecologic Oncology also has access to clinical trials involving these targeted therapy approaches.

Find listings of our current Cervical Cancer Clinical Trials.