Cervical Cancer Treatment in Israel

Cervical cancer is one of the most common oncological diseases that affects many women of reproductive age. Most cases are squamous cell carcinoma, which are caused by the human papillomavirus.

Most countries have cervical cancer screening programs. The periodic medical check-ups allow preventing or treating this disease at an early stage using minimally invasive methods, without significant health risks. But sometimes pathology is detected late, and in this case it becomes much more difficult to cure the disease.

A successful fight against cervical cancer requires high-level medical care. Many patients go to Israel, as this country is one of the best in the field of cancer treatment.

What is the process of cancer treatment in Israel?

The following methods are used for cervical cancer treatment: 

• Tumor ablation. It is used at the initial stages of cancer. A small neoplasm is destroyed by a laser or liquid nitrogen.
• Cervical conization. It is a removal of a small fragment of the cervix in the form of a cone along with a tumor. The procedure can be performed at the early stages of the disease. The conization can be knife (surgical), laser, and electrosurgical.
• Simple hysterectomy. The procedure involves the removal of the uterus. If possible, the ovaries are preserved. The uterus can be removed through the vagina or abdominal cavity. The modern hospitals use laparoscopic and robot-assisted surgical interventions. A woman recovers faster after minimally invasive surgery. She stays in the hospital for 2-3 days and restores working ability in 2-3 weeks. In the case of an open operation, a patient needs more time for rehabilitation. A woman stays in the hospital for up to 5 days, while her working ability will be restored in 4-6 weeks.
• Trachelectomy. The procedure is used to remove the cervix and upper vagina. The operation is performed in women who want to preserve fertility. It is an alternative to hysterectomy. The surgical intervention can be performed with access through the vagina or abdominal cavity. Additionally, the lymph nodes can be removed. Although fertility is preserved, the risk of miscarriage increases, and delivery will be performed by cesarean section.
• Radical hysterectomy. The surgical procedure involves the removal of the uterus, its adjacent tissues, ligaments, the upper part of the vagina, lymph nodes. As a rule, doctors perform an open operation, since a minimally invasive one poses a higher risk of relapse.
• Extended hysterectomy. The surgical intervention serves not only to remove reproductive organs, but also the bladder, vagina, rectum, and part of the large intestine. When performing the operation, a surgeon often makes a colostomy and urostomy for fecal and urine diversion. The recovery takes at least 6 months. Some women need more time: up to 1 year.
• External beam radiation. In the standard protocol, it is carried out for 5 weeks. A woman has radiation sessions 5 days a week. The modern methods of radiation therapy can reduce the course length.
• Brachytherapy. This is the introduction of radioactive seeds into the tumor through the vagina. This is most often done after surgery to reduce the risk of relapse. Less commonly, brachytherapy is used as a radical treatment of cervical cancer at the initial stage.
• Chemotherapy. It usually complements radiation therapy and is used after surgery. It is also used at the advanced stages of cancer, for inoperable tumors.
• Targeted therapy. The therapy involves the use of drugs that affect cancer cells more than healthy tissues. Basically, these are drugs that block the growth of new blood vessels (angiogenesis inhibitors).
• Immunotherapy. The method is used at the advanced stages of cervical cancer. The tumor evades the immune response. To reduce this protection, PD-1 inhibitors are used. These drugs allow the immune system to more effectively counteract the development of cancer. The medications are administered intravenously every three weeks. The decision on the need for this treatment method is usually made only after chemotherapy ceases to work.

What hospitals can offer treatment?

Israel has many good hospitals where you can get effective treatment with minimal health risks. Here are the main hospitals specializing in the treatment of cervical cancer.

• Rambam Health Care Campus. The hospital specializes in minimally invasive treatment of the initial stages of cervical cancer. Doctors at the hospital use electrosurgical excision, cryodestruction or a laser to destroy small tumors. The hospital uses photodynamic therapy for cervical cancer. Should major surgery be necessary, great attention will be paid to the reconstructive stage in order to preserve the function of the pelvic organs as much as possible.
• Hadassah Medical Center. Doctors of the hospital specialize in organ-preserving operations using minimally invasive, laparoscopic techniques. After removal of the tumor, a woman can not only get rid of a dangerous disease, but also preserve reproductive function. Doctors use a combination of external beam radiation, brachytherapy and chemotherapy to treat large tumors. This results in the reduction of the size of the neoplasm, after which it will be removed surgically. To perform irradiation, the Hadassah Medical Center uses the cutting-edge Novalis TrueBeam STx 2016 device. It provides a sparing effect on healthy tissues and reduces the duration of the course of radiation therapy by 30-50%.
• Sheba Medical Center. The hospital practices an individual approach to the treatment of cervical cancer. Based on the diagnostic tests, the optimal combination of chemotherapy drugs and drugs for targeted therapy will be selected. The medical center often uses brachytherapy for cervical cancer.
• Assuta Hospital. It uses minimally invasive surgery for cervical cancer. Doctors of the hospital have at their disposal the da Vinci Surgical System. To determine the optimal volume of the intervention, a sentinel lymph node biopsy is performed. During the procedure, the experts use the ICG fluorescent dye, which helps to understand how far the cancer has spread. If possible, doctors at the Assuta Hospital preserve the ovaries during the operation to avoid the onset of premature menopause.
• Sourasky Medical Center. The Lis Center for Women's Health performs cervical conization or hysterectomy. The irradiation involves the use of the IMRT technique – image-guided radiation therapy. The irradiation planning is based on computed tomography data. It repeats accurately the contours of the tumor and sends rays into the body at different angles to minimize damage to healthy tissues. The hospital often uses brachytherapy, which allows increasing the radiation dose for a tumor compared to external beam radiation.

Why is it better to go to Israel?

A huge number of medical tourists prefer to undergo cervical cancer treatment in Israel. This country has a high level of medicine at affordable prices for medical services. Here are the main benefits of cervical cancer treatment in Israel:

• The possibility to cure the initial forms of the disease without surgery, but with laser procedures or cryodestruction
• If cervical cancer is detected at an early stage, 92% of cases are completely cured in Israel, which is one of the highest indicators in the world
• Highly accurate diagnostics allows a doctor to perfectly plan the surgery in order to ensure, on the one hand, the recovery of the patient, and on the other, to avoid excessive radicalism of the operation
• Minimally invasive surgery – many surgical interventions can be performed through small incisions in the abdomen
• Available innovations: the tumors are removed using a robot surgeon, the initial stages of cancer are treated with photodynamic therapy, doctors use fluorescent dyes to detect metastatic foci, the advanced stages of cervical cancer can be treated with the use of targeted therapy and immunotherapy
• The very latest methods of radiation can reduce the dose of radiation for healthy tissues, reduce the risk of complications and the number of side effects
• The possibility of performing operations in young women without removing the ovaries or preserving the uterus if the patient plans a pregnancy in the future
• High-quality care, full recovery after operations
• Prices for medical services are lower than in developed countries in Europe and North America

Where to seek help from?

To undergo diagnosis and treatment of cervical cancer in Israel at an affordable price, please, use the services of Booking Health. Our service presents the main hospitals of this country. You can get information about medical facilities and doctors, as well as about the costs of medical programs. By comparing prices, you have the opportunity to book a program at a favourable price.

Booking Health specialists will arrange your trip for cervical cancer treatment in Israel. We offer the following services and benefits:

• Selection of the medical center that specializes in the treatment of cervical cancer and shows the best statistics for this disease
• Appointment for cancer treatment in Israel on the most suitable dates
• Reduced costs of cervical cancer treatment in Israel – the price is reduced due to avoiding additional coefficients for foreign patients
• Direct communication with the doctor
• Preparation of a medical program without the need to repeat previously performed diagnostic tests
• Buying and forwarding medicines
• Communication with the hospital after the completion of the medical program
• Organization of additional diagnosis and treatment in Israel

Booking Health specialists provide high-quality services at a reasonable cost. We will book a hotel and airline tickets for you, meet you at the airport and take you to the hospital by car.