Treatment of Uterine Cancer in Germany
Best hospitals and doctors for uterine cancer treatment in Germany
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Endometrial cancer is one of the most common oncogynecological diseases, which occurs mainly in old age. If detected at the local or locally advanced stage, it responds well to treatment. When distant metastases develop, the prognosis is poor. In this case, the treatment of endometrial cancer is aimed only at prolonging the woman's life, because the disease cannot be treated completely.
Diagnostics
The patient requires comprehensive diagnostics to determine the optimal treatment tactics for endometrial cancer. It is important to establish the size of the tumor, its location, and its histological type. The doctor should determine whether it has spread to neighboring anatomical structures, and whether metastases have appeared in the nearest lymph nodes or distant organs.
Diagnostics begins with an ultrasound scan. It is performed using a vaginal probe. The ultrasound scan allows the doctor to see the tumor, and assess whether endometrial cancer grows into the myometrium – the muscular layer of the uterus.
The detected neoplasms may be myomatous nodes or polyps. Therefore, to clarify the diagnosis, the patient requires a biopsy. For this purpose, a fragment of the endometrium is aspirated through a thin tube. This method is most informative in menopause.
Hysteroscopy is used to examine the uterus. The procedure involves the insertion of a thin tube with a video camera into the uterine cavity. A biopsy sample can be immediately obtained from a suspicious neoplasm for histological examination, if it is needed.
Sometimes endometrial curettage may be performed for diagnostic purposes. This procedure is the most informative. It is performed under general anesthesia, and the material is sent for histological examination. The type of tumor is determined in the laboratory. In the case of endometrial cancer, the degree of malignancy in points from 1 to 3 is assigned.
The following imaging techniques can be used for staging:
- a chest X-ray allows the doctor to check if metastatic lesions are present in the lungs;
- CT scan are used for the detection of metastases and recurrent uterine cancer;
- magnetic resonance imaging is the most informative technique because it assesses the degree of tumor invasion, and detects enlarged lymph nodes and metastases in the brain or spinal cord.
If necessary, endoscopic examinations can be used. Cystoscopy and sigmoidoscopy can be performed as well.
Laboratory tests can help to detect advanced types of cancer, assess treatment effectiveness, or suspect tumor recurrence after its removal. For this purpose, the patient will be prescribed a CA-125 blood test.
Treatment by stages
Many patients from countries with poorly developed medicine prefer to treat endometrial cancer in Germany. In this country, they can count on better medical care. The treatment will give patients a better chance of recovery. In addition, German Cancer Centers have a lower risk of complications or irreversible side effects because they apply modern, safer treatment techniques for uterine cancer.
Stage 1
At this stage, the treatment of uterine cancer in Germany is the most successful, since the tumor has not yet spread beyond the body. There are no metastases in the lymph nodes.
Sometimes surgery is the only method, which is used in the treatment of tumors. But in this case, the woman will be carefully monitored for several years after surgery because endometrial cancer may return, and relapse should be noticed on time.
To prevent uterine cancer relapse, doctors use the following additional procedures:
- radiation therapy;
- chemotherapy.
In addition to distant pelvic irradiation, brachytherapy can also be used. It is a technique, which involves the insertion of radioactive granules into the uterus through the vagina. They give short irradiation, which damages cancer cells.
During the surgical treatment, the uterus will be removed. It makes this impossible to realize the reproductive function of women. If she is young and wants to have a baby, surgery may be delayed. Then hormonal drugs will be prescribed. As a result of treatment, the tumor may shrink or even disappear for a while. The woman should undergo an endometrial biopsy every 3-6 months. Should a significant regression of uterine cancer be achieved, the patient may become pregnant and give birth to a baby. But after this, the uterus should be removed. Otherwise, the woman will have a relapse of endometrial cancer.
Sometimes a positive result cannot be achieved. Hormone therapy does not reduce the tumor or continues to increase in size. If there is no progress within six months, it is recommended to perform a hysterectomy. Otherwise, with a high probability, uterine cancer may spread to other organs and it will be much more difficult to treat it.
The worst prognosis is characterized by papillary serous and clear cell carcinoma. If a biopsy and histological examination results reveal one of these types, an extended hysterectomy is indicated. The surgeon will have to remove not only the uterus but also the appendages, pelvic and para-aortic lymph nodes, and omentum. Once surgery has been performed, chemotherapy and radiation therapy will be prescribed simultaneously to reduce the risk of uterine cancer recurrence.
Stage 2
Uterine cancer has already spread to the cervix, but it still does not extend beyond the organ.
The uterus will be removed with appendages and lymph nodes. In the case of aggressive histological types, the patient is indicated for a peritoneal biopsy.
The surgery is followed by remote or interstitial radiation therapy. It is combined with chemotherapy
Stage 3
In stage 3, endometrial cancer has spread beyond the uterus. It may develop metastases in the lymph nodes, but there are no distant metastatic foci yet.
Some tumors at this stage are already inoperable. If the doctor believes that uterine cancer can be removed, the doctor will operate. Sometimes it is possible to reduce the tumor size to facilitate the removal. For this purpose, chemotherapy and irradiation are carried out before surgery.
Stage 4
It is not possible to cure uterine cancer at stage 4 completely . The operations can be performed to remove the major part of the tumor. They reduce symptoms and prevent some complications (primary uterine hemorrhage). As of today, there is no reliable data on whether such surgical interventions can increase the woman's life expectancy or not.
The main treatment methods in this case are:
- hormone therapy;
- chemotherapy;
- irradiation;
- brachytherapy;
- targeted therapy;
- immunotherapy.
It is possible to achieve some success in cancer treatment at any stage. Even if doctors cannot cure the disease completely, they will give the person a few additional life years.
Treatment in Germany with the Booking Health company
If you want to undergo diagnostics and treatment of uterine cancer in Germany, please use the services of the Booking Health company. We provide the following benefits:
- Selection of the best university hospital, which applies the latest techniques for the endometrial cancer treatment.
- Reduced cost of uterine cancer treatment due to the lack of overpricing for foreign patients.
- Booking the appointment with a doctor on the most suitable date for you.
- Preparation of the medical program in advance, taking into account the results of previous diagnostics.
- Establishment of communication with a doctor in the German clinic.
- Monitoring of all stages of the program.
- Control of invoices and return of unspent funds.
- Communication with the university hospital upon treatment completion.
- Organization of additional diagnostics or treatment after program completion.
- Buying and forwarding of medicines.
Booking Health will provide you with top-class service. We will help you prepare the documents, book hotel and airline tickets, and provide a transfer from the airport to the hotel and back.
Authors: Dr. Vadim Zhiliuk, Dr. Sergey Pashchenko
