Freezing Treatment for Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer is the formation of cancerous cells on the cervix, the opening to the vagina at the bottom of the uterus. Each year, approximately 12,000 women in the U.S. are diagnosed with cervical cancer, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and doctors use a number of different treatments for these women.

Identification

• Sometimes called cryosurgery, freezing treatment for cervical cancer uses liquid nitrogen or argon to freeze abnormal or cancerous cells on the cervix.

Type

• Freezing treatments can only be used for cancers of the cervix in which the diseased cells are located on the bottom part of the cervix near the vagina, according to the National Cancer Institute. If the cancer has spread below the surface and is considered invasive, cryosurgery is not effective.

Time Frame

• During a freezing treatment for cervical cancer, a doctor will likely freeze the cells for 3 minutes, allow the cells to thaw and then perform the treatment again, according to the Cleveland Clinic. The entire procedure usually lasts between 10 and 30 minutes, reports Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.

Features

• Freezing treatments usually are administered in a doctor's office, and patients usually remain awake. The procedure is typically painless apart from minor abdominal cramping, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

After the Procedure

• You may experience a watery vaginal discharge for the first two weeks after the procedure, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Your doctor may advise you to abstain from sexual intercourse for a few weeks to allow your cervix to heal.

Risks

• Risks associated with freezing treatments for cervical cancer include bleeding and infections. Approximately 1 percent of women who undergo the procedure develop a narrowing of the cervix that makes it difficult to become pregnant.