Minimally invasive surgical approaches such as laparoscopy or robotic-assisted surgery are increasingly used when appropriate because they are associated with less pain, shorter hospital stays, reduced blood loss, and faster recovery compared to traditional open surgery, although open abdominal surgery may still be necessary in advanced cases or when the cancer has extensively spread. For patients diagnosed at an early stage, surgery alone may be sufficient and curative, particularly when the cancer is low-grade and confined to the uterine lining, but when pathological examination reveals higher-risk features such as deep invasion into the uterine muscle, involvement of lymphovascular spaces, high-grade tumor cells, or spread to lymph nodes, additional treatments are often recommended to reduce the risk of recurrence. Radiation therapy is commonly used either after surgery as adjuvant treatment or, in some cases, as a primary treatment when surgery is not possible due to medical reasons, and it works by using high-energy rays to destroy remaining cancer cells in the pelvis or vaginal area, with external beam radiation therapy targeting a broader pelvic region and brachytherapy, or internal radiation, delivering radiation directly to the vaginal cuff through a specialized applicator to minimize exposure to surrounding tissues.
Radiation therapy can significantly reduce local recurrence rates, especially in intermediate- and high-risk patients, but it may be associated with side effects such as fatigue, skin irritation, changes in bowel or bladder habits, vaginal dryness or Best Oncologist in chennai, and long-term pelvic tissue changes, which are carefully managed through supportive care and follow-up. Chemotherapy plays a particularly important role in the treatment of advanced-stage uterine cancer, aggressive histologic subtypes such as uterine serous carcinoma or clear cell carcinoma, and recurrent disease, and it involves the use of anti-cancer drugs, most commonly administered intravenously, that circulate throughout the body to kill cancer cells that may have spread beyond the uterus.
The most frequently used chemotherapy regimens include combinations of drugs such as carboplatin and paclitaxel, which have been shown to improve survival outcomes, although chemotherapy can also cause side effects including nausea, hair loss, fatigue, lowered blood counts, increased risk of infection, neuropathy, and changes in appetite, all of which are closely monitored and managed by oncology teams to maintain patient safety and comfort. Hormone therapy is another important treatment option, particularly for cancers that are hormone receptor-positive, meaning the cancer cells grow in response to estrogen or progesterone, and it is often used in patients with advanced or recurrent disease, those who cannot tolerate chemotherapy or radiation, or younger patients who wish to preserve fertility under very carefully selected circumstances and strict medical supervision. Hormone therapy works by blocking hormones or lowering hormone levels in the body and commonly involves the use of progestins, aromatase inhibitors, or drugs that affect estrogen receptors, and while it is generally associated with fewer side effects than chemotherapy, it can still cause weight gain, fluid retention, hot flashes, mood changes, and increased risk of blood clots in some patients.
In recent years, targeted therapy has emerged as a promising option for certain patients with uterine cancer, focusing on specific molecules or pathways that cancer cells use to grow and survive, and drugs such as those targeting the HER2 protein or angiogenesis pathways that affect blood vessel formation can be particularly effective in selected cases when tumors express specific biomarkers, allowing for a more personalized treatment approach that may improve effectiveness while reducing damage to healthy cells. Immunotherapy has also become an important advancement in uterine cancer treatment, especially for patients with advanced or recurrent disease that does not respond well to traditional therapies, and these treatments work by stimulating the body’s own immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells, with immune checkpoint inhibitors such as those targeting PD-1 or PD-L1 showing encouraging results in tumors that are mismatch repair deficient or microsatellite instability-high, a genetic characteristic found in a subset of uterine cancers.