Cervical Cancer Can Severely Damage Cervix, Affect Your Fertility

Cervical cancer is a type of cancer that can occur inside the cells of the cervix. The cervix is the lower part of the uterus that connects to the female genitals.

One of the more common malignancies among women is cervical cancer. It starts in a woman’s cervix, which is the lower, narrower end of the uterus. A woman’s fertility is impacted by cervical cancer, making it challenging for them to conceive naturally.

Risk factors for the development of cervical cancer are Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) like chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis; weakened immune system; smoking and other vices. Bloody vaginal discharge, bleeding after sexual activity or bleeding in between periods, and pelvic pain are all signs of cervical cancer.

Fertility Issues And Cervical Cancer

Cervical cancer-related infertility may be deeply upsetting and a cause for worry. A woman could feel unfulfilled, nervous, agitated, lonely, sad, and weighed down. It might become difficult to psychologically cope with.

One’s fertility is impacted by chemotherapy or radiotherapy or by surgeries done for cervical cancer.

Radiotherapy is used to treat cervical cancer. The radiation that is used to destroy malignant cells would harm the ovaries and prevent them from producing eggs and this may result in early menopause. Due to the loss of blood supply to the uterus, women whose uterus are exposed to radiation or who are receiving chemotherapy medications may be more likely to miscarry or give birth to a child too soon. Even treatments for cervix-based precancerous cells, such as cone biopsy and the loop electrosurgical excision procedure (LEEP), result in infertility since a portion of the cervix is removed. These treatments cause cervical stenosis, which prevents sperm and egg fusion and prevents a woman from becoming pregnant.

In such cases, considering the option of freezing their eggs can be a good call to make.

Oocyte cryopreservation, commonly known as freezing eggs, may be a helpful fertility-preserving option for women with cervical cancer, particularly if treatment includes radiation and chemotherapy, both of which may harm a woman’s egg supply.

Even though a woman without a uterus is unable to get pregnant, fertility preservation methods like getting eggs frozen can offer a cancer patient the opportunity to have a biological child by using a surrogate (another woman who carries the child to term for delivery).

Conclusion: Egg freezing before starting chemoradiation is a great option for women with cancer. If the woman chooses to freeze her eggs, it may cause the cancer treatment to be postponed for a few weeks to complete egg pick-up. The treatment is coordinated by gynecologic and fertility specialists to make sure that this delay is a secure choice and the retrieved eggs are then cryopreserved for future use.